Let Go. Let Grow.

The Secret to Accomplishing More by Doing Less

“Dammit. What am I doing wrong?!?”

I crossed my arms on my desk and, in them, buried my head.

Had anyone been in my office, they would have heard a muffled, “I work too hard for this shit.” (It’s a good thing I was alone. I usually try to hide the fact that yes, I do curse… a lot.)

Staring at my scribbled notes, I saw my family had a problem. The stack of bills next to me was screaming for attention, the collectors were lighting up our phone, and our utilities were about to be disconnected. All of them.

Our bank account, however, had a balance of $0.34.

“What the heck am I doing wrong!?” I asked myself. “Have I offended God and He’s making me and the business invisible to potential clients?”

I was in another 18-hour day, seven days a week cycle in my business, and I was exhausted. I was tired of working, annoyed that scarcity mode was driving me to say “yes” to clients who weren’t my ideal, and fed up with being broke.

Why, then, were we struggling? Was 18 hours a day not enough?

Listening to a podcast a few days later, the answer hit me.

“Rich people spend money to save time. Poor people spend time to save money.”

Whoa. The guest’s words struck a cord in my soul.

I looked at my to-do list for the day.

Edit episode ###
Post episode ###
Edit episode ###
Schedule episode ###

Resistant to paying $350/month for podcast editing, I had taken on the HUGE task of editing, writing show notes, creating social media graphics and posting each of my podcast episodes. And, at that time, it was a DAILY show — 30 episodes a month.

Using quick math, I calculated how much time I had spent on the podcast the previous three months. 75 hours… A month! This didn’t even include 5 hours+/week recording guest episodes!

Nausea took over.

I had spent 75 hours a month on my podcast because I didn’t want to spend $350. My rate to clients at that time was $100+/hour. In three months, I had sacrificed $22,000+ in income because I didn’t want to pay someone else $1,050 to do the work. WTF!?!?

I needed to let go of the podcast tasks if my business (and bank account) were going to grow.

Let Go. Let Grow.

Letting go of all the podcast production activities was just the first step of my current growth journey. I quickly realized that letting go of tasks I shouldn’t do was only the tip of the iceberg. There were many other areas and activities that, when eliminated, would further my personal and professional growth.

For example:

>> CREATIVE BLOCKS <<

Inspiration can not be forced. For me, at least, it needs to be allowed to happen. Without fail, every time I take a shower, use the bathroom, or drive my car, I come up with an amazing idea (or five).

Stepping away from a project often sparks creativity and inspiration we don’t have when we’re trying to force new ideas. Letting go of the pressure to create is sometimes the best action you can take.

>> REST AND RECUPERATION <<

Our bodies need time off. Forcing ourselves to work 20 hour days because we think we’ll be more productive is a ridiculous mistake. Trust me, I know.

In 2016 I suffered from major depression and anxiety caused from sleep deprivation. For 18 months I slept no more than 2–3 hours a night. In a quest to build my business and get more done, I forced myself to stay up until my eyes refused to stay open.

In reality, I was killing myself and getting less done than I would have if I had just slept.

A miracle saved me (read about it here), and when I fixed my sleep schedule I made an amazing discovery.

On two hours sleep, activity “x” was taking me 8 hours. On eight hours sleep, activity “x” took me two.

Sleep doesn’t just make you more productive. It also improves your physical and mental health.

Let go of the need to do more, and let yourself grow. Sleep is key.

>> FIGHTING PAST FEAR <<

Big goals require big actions, and often those actions are damn scary. Letting go of fear — and doing the scary stuff anyway — is what makes us great. It’s what allows us to grow. Imagine if Lance Armstrong never took the training wheels off his bike because he was afraid of falling. (Nevermind any scandals, please. He’s still a great cyclist.)

On a personal note, I stayed in an abusive marriage YEARS longer than I should have because I was afraid of all the “What ifs…” Had I never pushed past the fear, however, I would never have met my current husband, had three more incredible children, started my business, or been as happy as I am today.

Let go of your fears and let your skills and opportunities grow!

>> PARENTING <<

Our children need the freedom to make their own life decisions — good and bad — so they can grow into mature, (hopefully) responsible adults.

My first instinct, when I’m seeing my kids do something that scares me, is to tell them to stop. If I told my soccer-star kid to stop hitting the ball off his head so he wouldn’t get a concussion, more than a few of the opposing team’s shots on goal would succeed. By keeping my mouth shut, I’m allowing him to pursue his dreams in the best way for him.

Let go of your need to control your kids and monitor their safety 24/7. Let them grow into the people they are intended to be.

>> JUST SAY “NO” <<

This one is more than a bit painful for me. I’ve experienced multiple rounds of scarcity mindset which have led me to say “Yes” more than I should have.

“I can’t afford your rate. Can you cut it?” (Shit. I need this money.) “Yes.”

“I need help. Do you have time for a call?” (I’m already running late on a deadline). “Sure, I’ll be right there.”

“Can you watch my kids tonight? The hot guy in my office just asked me to dinner.” (Had quiet night with hubby planned). “Of course. What time will they be here?”

Scarcity mindset shows itself in so many ways. Fear of losing money, friends, opportunities, clients, etc. leads us to say “yes” to more than we should. This, in turn, makes us say “No” to prior commitments, break promises, and disappoint people who deserve our time — including us.

But you know what happens when you say “No” to an opportunity that doesn’t serve you? Nothing. The earth doesn’t implode and time doesn’t stop. Instead, when a better opportunity comes along you can say “Yes!” because you’re not over-stressed or over-burdened.

And the better opportunity ALWAYS comes along!

Let go of the opportunities which don’t serve you, and let grow.

In what ways have you seen “Let Go. Let Grow.” positively impact your life? Share below!

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