Letting the Balloon Go…
Photo by Bruno Ramos Lara on Unsplash
I'm a big podcast listener. I share the episodes with leadership lessons that apply to our personal and professional lives in my weekly newsletter. The three episodes I'm sharing this week all have key messages that make them worth a listen:
Valuing the journey vs. just the results
Being willing to ask your friends for help
The power of saying no
I wanted to hit on one topic today that I know many of us are challenged with…letting go. In the podcast episode with Jay Shetty, James Corden talks about the need to let go of the balloon and let it fly away without expectations of what happens next. It inspired me to think more about what comes when you do let go.
How often do you find yourself afraid of taking the leap of faith to start something new or stop something because you don't know what's next?
Believing that things will work out the way they are supposed to is uncomfortable but freeing.
Years ago, I decided it was time to leave a company I had spent over 18 years at. I did what many don't feel able to do. I resigned without having the next thing figured out.
I knew had the privilege of a financial savings cushion, but I believed that I would figure out what was the right thing to be next. I knew I wanted the time and space to decide what my next move would be. I investigated starting my own consulting business as well as going to another internal HR leadership role. I ended up choosing to do another internal role.
Fast forward another 2 1/2 years, and I decided to let go of the balloon again; this time to take that leap into being a solopreneur. It was certainly scary letting go of that semi-monthly salary and the built-in community, but it was also freeing. Figuring out what came next.
Is there a balloon that it's time for you to let go of? To give yourself the time and space to figure out the next leg of your career or life journey can be a powerful gift.
Leading ourselves is the foundation for being able to lead others. And, sometimes, the right next step in that leadership is letting go and then finding the next balloon when the right one comes along.