Twenty-eight inches.
Twenty- eight inches.
That’s how long my hair was. Practically 5 years it takes to grow that much hair, it’s a relationship commitment at that point. A whole era of my life attached to my head.
And when I finally cut it? Pretty sure the hair product industry took a noticeable dip. Stocks may have been affected. Deep conditioners everywhere are in mourning.
That hair had been through it. It survived a pandemic, an IPO, an acquisition, layoff, the messy in-between, and the rollercoaster of building an entire business from scratch.
It’s been there for countless speaking engagements, over 1,500 coaching calls, and more career pivots than I ever planned for. It’s seen late-night deck building, early-morning client calls, and at least 100 moments where I stared into the mirror (void) thinking, What have I done?
And yet, when it came time to cut it? I hesitated. Because, if I am honest- I have a habit of holding onto things longer than I should. (Jobs, obligations, the belief that I can say yes to everything and somehow my nervous system will just keep kicking.)
But stepping fully into this new chapter of running my own business, building something on my terms, means making real, intentional shifts. And sometimes, the hardest mental shifts need a physical nudge.
So I cut it off. And with it, I let go of the version of me who tied too much of her worth to a company, a boss, a performance review, being and doing enough to make everyone happy. The one who thought stability meant staying put. The one who carried the weight- both literal and metaphorical- of expectations that no longer fit.
Now? Lighter. Freer. Phantom hair syndrome- maybe.
Possibly one step closer to saying no without breaking into a stress sweat. (No promises, but hey, progress.)
So just DO it!!! Change something tangible, cut your hair, find a new bright red lip, burn something- light your old resume on fire (symbolically or actually), remove what isn’t making you happy, throw it away, buy the dress, find the thing that helps spark change.
#habits #letitgo #justdoit #sparkchange #anera #newchapter #runningmyownbusiness
