The Letting Go Practice

I’m sure you’ve heard of writing a letter from your future self.  This is when you write a letter to your current self from the perspective of your future self.  This letter is full of ideas, advice, things to let go of, what you had to do, and who you had to become in order to achieve your goals in the future.  Some websites offer to send you your future self email on a specific date of your choosing as a reminder of what you wrote.  But, instead of envisioning yourself in the future and looking back at today, you’re going to do the opposite.  From where you are today, imagine what’s required of you to get you to where you want to be.  A lot of this stems from what you have to let go of and the important decisions you have to make in order to move forward in your life.

Different Future

There are things that have happened in your life that have helped shape where you currently are.  But, your future looks drastically different than where you are today.  Which is a good thing because that means you have big dreams for the future!  In order to get to where you want to be, sometimes you have to let go of the things that are actually holding you back.  It is said that what got you here won’t get you there.  You’re going to have to do things differently, think bigger, and embrace your fear if you ever want to achieve your goals.  This looks like letting go and making room for the life you want to create.

Letting Go

There are things you’ve been carrying around with you that are no longer serving you.  This can be thoughts, beliefs, or ideas that you’ve formed from your past experiences.  Maybe you’ve been working towards a goal and your plans have changed so you need to let go of that goal.  Start by deciding what you’re no longer going to hold onto.  Maybe this is your fears, worries, and doubts.  Perhaps it’s letting go of the things that are outside of your control.  It could be that you stop worrying about what other people think and start taking action to go after your goals in life.  It’s letting go of whatever has been holding you back mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Mental

Achieving your goals is a huge mental game.  Often, when you can start taking action towards your goal, you end up getting in your own way.  You may overthink, procrastinate, or revert to thoughts of the perfectionist mentality.  You start to second guess yourself, worry if you’re on the right path, and question your decisions.  All of these challenge your ability to achieve your goals.  Think about what you need to let go of mentally in order clear your mind so that you can focus on achieving your goals.

Physical And Emotional

But, it’s not just a mental game.  Achieving your goals can physically and emotionally affect you too.  Whether that’s burn out, stress, anxiety, or just working too many hours.  Notice what happens when you sense fear, worry, or doubt in your body.  Maybe you tense up, get angry, feel overwhelmed, or stress out.  Sometimes you have to say no to things in order to protect your own wellbeing.  You also have to let go of the need to always be doing something and realize that sometimes you need to slow down in order to speed up.  Create white space in your calendar to rest and recharge.  Make this a non-negotiable obligation to yourself.  You can’t keep going a million miles an hour without crashing.  A well-rested mind, body, and spirit will help you achieve your goals faster.

Spiritual

Then, there is the spiritual piece.  It’s the deep down knowing that you are meant for more.  It’s the goals and dreams that have been placed on your heart.  You have been given this desire for a reason.  Now is the time to act on it.  You have the ability to achieve your goals but only if you get out of your own way and let go of what’s been holding you back.  Discover ways to find your inner peace, confidence in yourself, trust and belief that you can achieve your goals.

Let Go Practice

Start by creating a let go practice for yourself.  Make a list of everything you need to let go of in order to achieve your goals.  Maybe this is certain people, thoughts, beliefs, circumstances, or past memories that you’ve been hanging onto.  Perhaps these are specific habits, routines, or practices that you do without thinking but are actually detrimental to your progress to achieve your goal.  Let go of the grief that’s been weighing on you.  Forgive yourself for any mistakes, misfortunes, or misgivings.  Let go of any and all judgement.  Thank your past self for getting you here and release them from needing to protect you.  The need to keep you safe may actually be hindering you from achieving your goals.  You can take it from here.  Then, burn or tear up your comprehensive list.  Watch it disintegrate and feel the weight lifted off your shoulders.

Choose Instead

Now that you’ve let go of all the things holding you back, you can decide how to move forward and what you’re going to do instead.  Create a list of how you’re going to show up differently in your actions, words, thoughts, and beliefs.  Perhaps it’s a new way of being courageous, confident, brave, fearless, etc.  It could be realizing that you have everything you need within you to figure things out.  Remember that you are stronger, smarter, and fully capable of achieving your goals in life.  Choosing instead to believe that you don’t need the full road map, you just need the one next step and to keep taking action towards your goals.  Choose what you’re going to think, believe, act, do, and be instead of letting what’s been holding you back win.

This is the power of making an important decision in your life to let go of what’s no longer serving you.  You get to draw the line in the sand and let go of what’s been holding you back so that you can fully step into the future version of you who achieves your goals.  You can do this!  Create your let go list, follow the let go practice, and draft your new list of what you’re choosing instead of what’s been holding you back.  When you finally let go of the things holding you back, the flood gates will open, and it will be that much easier to achieve your goals in life.

Take Action Challenge

The Letting Go Practice

Step 1: Create Your Let Go List

Write down everything you feel is currently holding you back from achieving your goals.

This may include:

• Fears
• Worries
• Limiting beliefs
• Perfectionism
• Overthinking
• Past mistakes
• Grief
• Judgement
• People pleasing
• Old habits or routines
• The need to control everything

Be completely honest with yourself.  No filtering.  No minimizing.

Step 2: Thank Your Past Self

Choose one thing from your list and write: “Thank you for protecting me and getting me this far, but I no longer need to carry this with me into my future.”

This allows you to release old versions of yourself with compassion instead of shame.  You get to take back your power.

Step 3: Decide What You’re Choosing Instead

Now, create a second list titled: “What I’m Choosing Instead”

For every fear or limitation you're letting go, write a new belief or action.

Examples:

• Instead of overthinking → You take the next step
• Instead of perfectionism → You allow yourself to learn as you go
• Instead of fear → You choose courage
• Instead of self doubt → You trust yourself to figure things out

This is where you begin stepping into your future self.

Step 4: Release It

Find a symbolic way to let go by burning the paper safely.  If you don't feel comfortable doing that, rip it up, throw it away, or bury it.

Make the conscious decision that you are no longer carrying this version of yourself forward into the future.

Step 5: Take One Aligned Action

In the next 24 hours, take one action that reflects the person you’re becoming instead of the person you’re releasing.

Small aligned actions create massive internal shifts.