2017 is over. Thank goodness! I don’t know about you, but it’s been a very challenging year for me. I’m referring to it as a “transformational” year just to put a positive spin on things. Now it’s time to let it go and focus on what’s ahead because I don’t want to schlepp any negativity and disappointment into the New Year.
Letting go is easier said than done, so here are four strategies that can help you clear your plate.
IT’S NOT FAIR
Yes, you are right. It’s not fair. From the guy who straight out lies, to that person who makes stuff up, to the credit someone took for your work, to you being unfairly singled out…it’s not fair. How do you let it go? Ask: are these people worth your energy? Because letting it go means they get nothing. Continuing to be angry only feeds the beast. And besides, the best revenge is to be very, very successful.
YOU DIDN’T DO ANYTHING
When my father died, I sat together and shared stories with my brother and sister. It’s astonishing how three people can have significantly differently viewpoints and perceptions of the exact same scene. Ask: is your viewpoint really the only valid one, or could there be another side to the story? This will require your very best active listening.
YOU ARE RIGHT
I just returned from a holiday trip to Germany to visit my mother. While some of the stories she recounted of our younger days sounded lovely, many of them are peppered with generous doses of fiction. My siblings and I want to remind her of what really happened. It’s tough, because our stories match whereas hers is completely different. Ask: while you may be correct, will it help or hurt this situation to make your correctness known? In my case I finally accepted that people who experienced extreme trauma, like my mother did during World War II, often create a bubble of more pleasant events that enable them to function. Pulling that safety blanket from them only creates conflict and pain.
YOU LOST
That’s a hard one. Even though you fought like a lion and worked your butt off, you didn’t get the promotion, the business failed, your idea tanked, or you experienced a big financial loss. Ask: why can’t you believe that things happen for a reason? It may actually be a blessing in disguise. Don’t things always work out? Just because you didn’t get it this time doesn’t mean it’s never going to happen. This perceived loss may just be the first stone in a new foundation for something bigger and better.
If you have any strategies you want to share, please comment below. I believe letting go is one of the most difficult things to do, and yet is one of the healthiest ways to find your inner peace.
From the bottom of my heart, and from the entire team at The Growth Architect, we wish you a Happy New Year!
Beate Chelette is The Growth Architect and a results-oriented businesswoman with an entrepreneurial spirit and a proven track record in growing, building and scaling women’s businesses. Once $135,000 in debt and a single mother, she successfully sold her business to a global entertainment media company owned by Bill Gates in a multi-million dollar deal.
Through her online courses, one-on-one training programs and live speaking events, she mentors women entrepreneurs with her 5 Star Success Blueprint, developed with the knowledge gleaned from her growing, scaling and selling her own company. Beate has a deep commitment to supporting women.
She is the creator of The Women’s Code, the fourth step of Growth Architecture that is focused on Supporting Balanced Leadership. Her proprietary methods specifically address women’s obstacles and she leads from experience, having survived in business in a highly competitive male-dominated environment.
She is a respected speaker and mentor and is the author of the book “Happy Woman Happy World How to Go From Overwhelmed to Awesome”, a book that corporate trainer and best-selling author Brian Tracy calls “a handbook for every woman who wants health, success and a fulfilling career.”
