If you could stop carrying one thing with you by January 1, what would it be?
What burden, obligation, limiting belief, or anchor to the past would you put down?
Many people feel stuck when asked this question. They jump to feeling a need to choose the “right” answer and spiral into discomfort and stress.
If one answer steps immediately to the front of the line, pick it. “Big” or not.
One less thing to carry is more energy and bandwidth for you.
How to Stop Carrying
(If what you’re carrying involves trauma, you may be best served by working with a therapist or mental health professional.)
Commit to letting go, and use the tools that work best for you to support your Intention.
- Set reminders to check in on your Intention daily, or more often.
- Ask a trusted friend to help you stay on track.
- Work with a coach to face the anxiety with support.
- Meditate, journal, or other mindfulness practices.
- Claim Wins daily.
Sit down and write out how it sounds and feels to carry that thing.
- What do you hear inside your head, when you speak to yourself?
- What do others say that you react to?
- What do you feel physically and where do you feel it?
- What happens “right before” you feel the feeling of “carrying it”?
Use your list to elevate your Awareness, especially for the “right before” events. Becoming more aware before it happens creates more opportunities to choose another path.
Confront the job carrying your thing has been doing for you.
- Release judgement about carrying – it is neither good nor bad, right nor wrong.
- You’ve chosen to carry it up to now for a reason, what is that reason?
- What serves you better than continuing to carry this burden?
- Get clear about the choice – keep carrying, or change to something new and different. Which one do you want the most?
You have challenged, changed, and let go of many beliefs and obligations in your life. Some you have carried for so long they become nearly invisible, quietly sapping your energy and freedom.
Give yourself the gift of putting one of them down.
You can do this. I can help.