Let It Go!

In business as well as one’s personal life, letting go is often difficult…yet necessary. The value of cutting cords is explained brilliantly in one of my favorite books on the topic, Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships that All of us Have to Give up in Order to Move Forward by Dr. Henry Cloud. Here’s a short excerpt from the  preface I feel articulates the value of purging oneself of bad relationships far better than I ever could:

“In business, endings often are absolute necessities for a turnaround or for growth to occur. Businesses must sometimes let go of old product lines or even entire areas of business whose day has passed. To get to the next level and often even to sustain their companies' current levels of health, business leaders must shut down yesteryear's good ideas, strategies, or involvements in order to have the resources and focus to take their organizations to tomorrow. Sometimes it means that employees have to be let go too.

Endings are also an important factor in our personal lives. There are relationships that should go away, practices and phases that must be relinquished, and life stages that should come to an end to open up the space for the next one. A breakup, an ending of some friendships or activities, or an unplugging from some commitments often signals the beginning of a whole new life.”

My recommendation? Grab a copy of Dr. Cloud’s book and read it on the plane, at the ski resort, or wherever you are this holiday season. Give yourself the gift of starting 2025 without the emotional baggage you carried around during 2024. You will be happier and more productive.

Speaking of which, my company, Conover Consulting, specializes in helping businesses with leadership, culture, and compensation. Possessing more than 25 years of experience, we enable companies to better thrive. If you’d like to know how we can help you exceed your goals in 2025, please contact me today at laura@conoverconsulting.com.

Laura Conover