Why Holding On Is Overrated: The Secret Power of Letting Go

If your old plans don’t fit this new world, it’s time to upgrade.

Let me say the quiet part out loud:
Some of the stuff you’re still gripping onto for dear life?
It’s not working anymore.

Your five-year plan written in 2019? Irrelevant. COVID, you know.
Your business strategy built on pre-pandemic assumptions? Outdated.
That personal narrative where you must achieve more to be worthy? Exhausting—and wrong.

Yet we cling on for dear life.

Because letting go sounds suspiciously like giving up. And giving up is for quitters, right?

Wrong.

Letting go is an act of radical strength.
It’s not about surrendering your dreams. It’s about releasing the outdated map so you can finally start navigating with the stars.

The Real Stressor: Outdated Attachments

It’s not always the chaos around us that causes stress.
Often, it’s our refusal to adjust to it.

We’re trying to squeeze our evolving selves into expired plans.
We’re forcing strategies designed for a world that no longer exists.
We’re clinging to titles, routines, relationships, and identities that once felt safe—but now feel suffocating.

If this hits uncomfortably close to home, you’re not alone. Most of the people I work with are high-achievers who’ve built incredible careers and lives—only to wake up one day and realise they’re stuck in a story that doesn’t inspire them anymore.

But here’s the beautiful thing about a story: it can be edited. Or completely rewritten.

Why We Hold On (Even When It Hurts)

Letting go sounds poetic when it’s a motivational quote on Instagram.
In real life, it’s tangled, terrifying, and—let’s be honest—inconvenient.

We hold on because:

We’ve invested time, money, energy, and our identity.
We fear regret (the old “what if I’d just tried a bit harder?”).
We think letting go means failure.

But consider this:
You wouldn’t keep wearing a pair of shoes that give you blisters just because they were expensive. (well, you shouldn’t!)

So why are you staying in that job/identity/business model/relationship/life path that’s rubbing your soul raw?

The Ultimate Upgrade

Letting go isn’t about throwing everything into the bin and starting from scratch.
It’s about upgrading—not just your outer world, but your inner operating system.

You’re not the same person you were five years ago.
So why are you expecting yourself to thrive using outdated goals and frameworks?

Letting go makes space.
And space is where innovation, healing, and possibility sneak in and throw a party.

Let These Three Things Go (Right Now)

Just in case you need permission (you don’t, but here it is anyway), here are three things that may be due for a graceful exit:

1. The Myth of the Linear Path

That neat career ladder or step-by-step life plan? Scrap it. Most of us are living in zigzags now. The detours are not delays—they’re depth.

2. The Identity You Outgrew

Are you still trying to be “the reliable one,” “the fixer,” or “the high-performer” when all you really want is to breathe, create, and live more intentionally? You’re allowed to evolve.

3. The Illusion of Control

Spoiler alert: You were never fully in control. Letting go doesn’t mean giving up your power. It means redirecting it—towards things you can shape: your mindset, your energy, your next step.

The Reframe: Letting Go as Power Move

Let’s be clear.
Letting go isn’t passive.
It’s not about floating through life, hoping the wind blows in your favour.

It’s bold. Strategic. Courageous.

It’s making peace with what was…
So you can fiercely claim what could be.

And no, it doesn’t always feel good right away. There’s grief in letting go—even if you’re walking away from something that no longer fits.

But there’s also relief.
And eventually, freedom.
(And if you do it right, a sense of cheeky liberation.)

Meet Isabel.
She spent 22 years climbing the ladder in corporate law. Impressive title. Great salary. A wardrobe full of sharp blazers.

And a recurring Sunday-night dread that made her stomach twist like a wet towel.

She came to me not because she didn’t know something needed to change—but because she was terrified to admit it out loud.

She’d built her entire identity on being The Reliable Professional.
To walk away felt like erasing herself.

But over time, she let go.
Of the title. The certainty. The old version of success.

What she did she gain?
A boutique consultancy that lights her up.
More time for her art. And a life that actually feels like her own.

What in Your Life Needs Releasing?

Is it a project that’s lost its soul?
A business model that’s burning you out?
A relationship you’re afraid to outgrow?

Or maybe it’s an old belief, like “I’m only valuable when I’m achieving” or “starting over is failure in disguise.”

Whatever it is, here’s a radical thought:
You don’t need to fix it. You might just need to let it go.

Let go of the version of yourself you thought you had to be.
Make room for the version of you that’s waiting in the wings—wise, wild, and ready for something better.

How to Let Go Without Falling Apart

Okay, I can hear you saying: “Sure, sounds great—but how do I actually DO it?”

Here’s how:

Start With One Thing

You don’t have to burn your whole life down. Let go of one belief, one commitment, or one expectation that’s weighing you down.

Sit With the Discomfort

There will be uncertainty. Sit with it. Breathe through it. Growth doesn’t happen in comfort zones—it happens in the messy middle.

Rewrite the Narrative

You’re not “quitting.” You’re choosing. You’re not “lost.” You’re evolving.

Final Thought: You Were Never Meant to Stay the Same

This world is shifting fast. Clinging to old frameworks in a new reality is like trying to use a flip phone to livestream a TED Talk.

It’s time to upgrade.

Letting go isn’t a sign of weakness.
It’s a declaration: I trust myself enough to release what no longer serves me.

So take the leap. Drop the script. Unhook from what’s holding you back.

Not because it’s easy.
But because you’re ready for what’s next.

You don’t have to do this alone.

I work with awesome people navigating big transitions—career pivots, breakups, relocations, purpose shifts, post-crisis reinventions. If you’re tired of clinging to a version of life that doesn’t fit anymore, I’d love to help you find the courage (and the strategy) to let go and build something better.

📩 Reach out if you’re ready to trade exhaustion for evolution. Email me at OpenLockedDoors@gmail.com
Because the real power move?
Is knowing when to stop holding on.

Ready for a Radical Renaissance? This quiz will help you find out. It is not just about measuring where you are right now; it’s about shining a light on the areas of your life that feel meaningful, as well as those that might need attention. It’s an opportunity to reflect, recalibrate, and take steps toward a life that’s not only successful but profoundly fulfilling. Take The Quiz

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“I am an experienced medical doctor – MBChB, MRCGP, NLP master pract cert, Transformational Life Coach (dip.) Life Story Coach (cert.) Counselling (cert.) Med Hypnotherapy (dip.) and EAGALA (cert.) I may have an impressive number of letters after my name, and more than three decades of professional experience, but what qualifies me to excel at what I do is my intuitive understanding of my clients’ difficulties and my extensive personal experience of managing major life changes using strategies I developed over many years” Dr M Montagu