Your Next Clear Move

When It’s Time to Let Go: Making Room for What’s Next

• Debbie Peterson of Getting to Clarity

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What if the one thing blocking your next level isn’t a missing skill, but something you need to release? We dig into the overlooked power of letting go—habits that drain, beliefs that shrink your options, and labels that quietly define your limits. Through candid stories and practical tools, we reframe sacrifice as a choice you make on purpose, not a tax you pay by default, and show how to create enough space for clarity to take the lead.

We talk about the moments leaders cling to control and perfection, and the real cost of managing what was instead of building what could be. You’ll learn a simple release and renew practice built around five reflection questions that surface what’s heavy, expired, or misaligned. We also unpack the difference between what you do and who you are, and why over-identifying with a title makes transitions like promotions, restructures, and even retirement feel harder than they need to be.

Expect concrete takeaways you can use today: how to audit your inputs for energy leaks, how to design stop-doing lists that your team will actually celebrate, and how to model healthy change so innovation feels safe. The goal isn’t to do more; it’s to do what matters most with less noise and more intention. Take ten quiet minutes to name one task, belief, or label that no longer fits—and decide what you’re ready to invite in once it’s released.

If this conversation hits home, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Then visit debbiepeterspeaks.com for keynotes, leadership development, and resources to support your next clear move.

Debbie Peterson:

Hey, hello, and welcome back. I am Debbie Peterson of Getting to Clarity, and this is another episode of the Getting to Clarity Podcast, your next clear move. This is the place where I share tips, tools, and techniques for you to get clear about your next level. What is your next clear move in your career, your leadership, your business, maybe even your life? And today we are talking about when it's time to let go. We have to be able to let go of things in order to make room for what's next. But how do we do that? Well, I'm going to be sharing some tips today, so stay tuned.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the Getting to Clarity Podcast. The place where busy leaders discover how to create more success in their leadership journey with less sacrifice in their life. Here's your host, Debbie Peterson of Getting to Clarity.

Debbie Peterson:

I am so glad you are here with me today. You know, in my past, every time I've gone for something more: a new role, a bigger audience, a new level in my business, I have had to let go of something that no longer fit. And here's what I mean. Sometimes you're aware of it, sometimes you're not. But the sooner you become aware of it, the easier that it gets. So what have I had to let go of? Sometimes it was a habit. It was a habit that wasn't serving me. Maybe it was a personal habit, but it wasn't serving me professionally. You know, doing what I do out on the road, speaking at conferences, um, you know, traveling for uh clients and uh being gone multiple days, that is something physically that you have to have the stamina to do. So at one point, I really had to take a look at my health. I had to take a look at what I was putting into my body, what I was consuming, and make some decisions. So there were some habits I had to let go of. Uh sometimes it's a belief, you know, maybe it's a limiting belief, something that you think that you can't do. I know I've been invited into opportunities, and I've thought, oh my goodness, how am I going to contribute here? Is this really, am I going to be able to do this or will I fail? You know, and that um conversation in your head was a limiting belief and it had to go. Uh, I have stepped into opportunities that have taken me beyond where places I ever thought I would go. And the thing is that that's inside of you too. So, you know, in the past, sometimes it was a version of me that I'd outgrow. You know, people talk about letting go like it's some big sacrifice, like it's something painful or forced. But here's the truth there's always a sacrifice, always. You know, if you are going back for maybe an advanced degree, well, and you've got a family, you're gonna have to make some decisions. There's going to be a sacrifice. You're not going to be able to do all the things that you want to do. You're going to have to make choices about your time. But the idea is that you understand why you're making the sacrifice, that you have chosen to make the sacrifice. So there is always a sacrifice, but the question is, are you choosing it? Are you aware of it? Or is it choosing you? Is it happening by default? So when you're going for more, something has to shift. Maybe it's how you spend your time, maybe it's what you prioritize, maybe um that story that you've been telling yourself about what is possible for you has to go. And the point is you don't avoid the sacrifice. The point is that you make the sacrifice intentional, that you don't turn your face from it, but that you face it, that you look at it and you get to make decisions about what it's going to be and what its parameters are. Because when you're clear about what matters, you stop giving energy to what doesn't. So here's the thing about letting go. Sometimes what we really need to release isn't a job or a project. It's a label. I invite you to consider that. When I ask people who they are, they usually tell me what they do. I'm a banker, I'm a nurse, I'm a manager, I'm a realtor. But those are just roles. They're not identities. They're not who you are. And that's where we can get hung up, you know, when we pour so much of our energy into our work. We fall into that trap of our worth equals our work. And then we start chasing things that reinforce that label instead of who we are. We hold on to old versions of ourselves because they feel safe. We know what they are. But growth and comfort rarely, rarely coexist. So underneath those labels are our real gifts, who we are when we're not performing a role, um, when we're not um producing or trying to prove ourselves to others. So when we grip too tightly to the old title, um, it becomes too much of our identity and we block what is trying to grow within us next, what is trying to show up in our leadership and in our life. It's like when somebody retires and suddenly they feel absolutely lost without their job. Going into that same building every day, being with those people, holding the prestige of the title, you know, or even think about a parent who becomes an S an empty nester. And they wonder, well, who am I now? Man, I hit that wall hard too. The truth is your identity isn't the title on your business card. Sometimes you have to let go of who you think you are to become who you're meant to be. Let that sink in a little bit. You have to let go of who you think you are to become who you're meant to be. And you're already ready. You're ready to step into what's next. And in order to do that, you've got to loosen your grip on what was, because what got you to where you are today isn't going to get you to where you want to go tomorrow. So let's talk about why this matters. So leaders hold on too long to control, to perfectionism, to the way this is the way we've always done it, right? Have you heard that before? But the cost of holding on can be huge. You can spend more time managing what was instead of creating what could be. And clarity cannot grow where there's chaos or clutter. So letting go doesn't mean giving up. It means intentionally clearing space, mental space to think, emotional space, to not let your emotions hijack you, to be able to be a responsible adult and deal with your emotions. Physical space, literally, the physical space that you surround yourself with. Does it help you to focus on what truly matters now? So let me give you something practical to try. And I call it release and renew. It's a practice, it's a clarity check for your mind and your heart. I want you to ask yourself some questions. What feels heavier than it used to? That is likely an indication that it's something that you have an opportunity to let go of or address. So there's a sign there. What no longer feels like me? It might be something that it's just expired. It's time to let it go. What am I saying yes to out of guilt, out of habit, out of fear? That's a good one. When we do things by default instead of by making a decision, an intentional decision. What am I still chasing because of a label or an expectation? And if I let this go, what space would it create? Any of these questions. If I let this go, just ponder what space would it create? And the more important question, and what could grow there? That's the moment where awareness turns into readiness. And as a leader, you want to model it. You want to talk about what you were letting go of, what you've had to let go of. Let your team see you make space for what matters. Walk the talk. Encourage them to do the same. You know, create stop doing lists in your meetings. You know, turn things in an unexpected direction, a stop doing list. Celebrate what's finished just as much as what's started, because we forget to do that. You know, when people see it's safe to release what no longer fits, they make room for what's next. And that's innovation. It's growth. So readiness isn't about doing more, it's about doing what matters most. That's a distinction. If you're in a season where things are shifting, I want you to know something. Letting go doesn't mean losing, it means clearing space for who you're becoming. There's a new version of you, one that you've quietly been growing into that needs space. You don't have to rush it or figure it all out. You just have to make enough room to hear, to be aware of what's coming, of what's next. So here's your next clear move. I want you to take 10 quiet minutes this week, that's all. And I want to ask yourself one thing. What's a task, a belief, or a label, just one of them, that no longer fits? Identify it. Write it down. Then ask yourself, what would I be ready for? What could come in if I made room by letting that go? That is your starting place. That is your readiness reset. Now, if this message resonated with you, hop on over to my website at www.debipeterspeaks.com. If you are an organization, you're going to find keynotes and leadership development programs that are designed to support you and your teams to cut through the noise, find clarity, and take your next clear move forward. If you are a leader, you're going to find tips, tools, resources to help you be ready to find your next clear move and move towards what is next for you. Just remember, you are already ready. You always have been. So be good to yourself and bye-bye for now. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Getting to Clarity Podcast with Debbie Peterson. If you enjoyed this jump, please rate and recommend it on iTunes or wherever you enjoy your podcast. To learn more about how you can bring Debbie and her transformational clarity leadership strategies to your organization, visit Debbie Petersonspeaks.com.

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Debbie Peterson, CSP

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