Source: CPA Trendlines, July 13, 2018

At one time or another in our work or personal lives, we’ve probably all been advised to “let it go.” And most of us know this may be easier said than done. In this article, Bill Reeb, a CPA and long-time business consultant, discusses three ways to get “unstuck” when you’re feeling dissatisfied with your level of success or happiness.

Reeb notes that overachievers, in particular, often have such strong commitment and focus that they internalize goals and attach a lot of emotions to them. This hyper-commitment can become a weakness that hampers performance and satisfaction.

Reeb examines how one or all of the following actions may be useful in letting go of negative emotions and achieving greater happiness and success:

1. Replan — You may need to modify your desires or redefine your goals and expectations. Create new tactics and expectations to reach your goals.
2. Reprioritize — Reconsider what’s important to you and what’s realistic. Is it really necessary to be the best at something, or is it enough to make steady progress toward a worthy goal? You may want to set and achieve smaller, more incremental milestones toward a larger goal.
3. Reaffirm — Even if you’ve had to adjust expectations and tactics, you may still want to reaffirm certain desires and maintain certain goals, while learning to break the emotional hold they have on you. The author gives an example of how he is emotionally bothered when he plays a bad round of golf, while someone else can do the same and shrug it off, instead being thankful for the social aspects of the game.

Reeb also uses the analogy of his long-time involvement in martial arts — and his changing goals and expectations over the years in response to physical limitations — to illustrate how it’s possible to let go of negative emotions and stay focused on your own improvement.

For the complete article, read “3 ‘Letting Go’ Actions to Help You Get Unstuck.”