Episode 36: Let That Shit Go

What’s weighing me down? What’s propelling me forward?

When you’re operating with a business mindset, you do exactly the opposite of what I recently did. I should know: I ran my own successful consulting business for over a decade.

And I wouldn’t have recommended to any of my clients to do what I’ve just done. I took down my website--my decades-old blog disappeared with it–and I deleted my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. 

Let the record reflect, back in the aughts Twitter was my happy place. I developed meaningful relationships, both professionally and personally. I connected with folks who are still my friends. I organized political campaigns. I connected with someone with whom I ended up writing three books. And 95% of my business came from Twitter. 

I felt a twinge when I deleted the account, but it had to be done. 

How do I know it was time to say good-bye? When I realized it was no longer serving me. When I realized that not only was it not propelling me forward towards what I want, but that it was holding me back. Put another way, it was something that was preventing me from moving forward with ease.

So were the other social media platforms. And even my website. 

To quote Gaga “I’ve got a hundred million reasons to walk away / But baby, I just need one good one to stay.” And after much consideration, I couldn’t find a single one.  

I found myself spending hours every week in these spaces. And for what? Because they served me in the past? Because I always had? Because it was something I just did? None of those reasons were good enough.

Moving forward involves discarding tools that helped me in the past. Things I needed. Or things I thought I needed. Things I was told I needed. And perhaps I did. 

But sometimes, I realize that, much like a gym membership, a Peloton subscription, or a coordinated workout set, it’s not enough to make the purchase. Buying the equipment isn’t the same as doing the exercises. And there’s no point in performing an exercise that doesn’t get me the results that I want. How I spend my time matters.

Collecting all of this clutter–because that’s what it is if it doesn’t serve me–is weighing me down. And taking up valuable space. 

It intrigues me that as I was discarding things that no longer worked for me I actually lost two items: my favorite pair of earrings (you know, the ones with the mirrors) and my wedding band. I have no idea what happened to the earrings, but I distinctly remember taking my wedding band off and switching it to my right hand as we were out walking on a Sunday morning. I only noticed it was gone later that day. 

It’s fascinating the meaning we place on things. What do I make it mean that the wedding band is gone? Nothing. I mentioned it to Cory, and he couldn’t care less either. We tossed all of our wedding photos awhile back, because we both agreed that our memories were better than the pictures. 

Now I ask myself, “What am I collecting that propels me forward?” and, “What else do I need to let go of moving into 2025?”