How Letting Go Saved My Sanity (and My Business)

I came across a line from a Noah Kahan song the other day that hit home: "I swear I feel my organs failing. I stopped caring 'bout a month ago. Since then it's been smooth sailing." It’s funny how a simple lyric can capture something you’ve been feeling but couldn’t quite put into words. I’ve been there—so consumed by my business that it felt like the weight of it all was crushing me from the inside out.

For the longest time, I believed that taking everything seriously was the only way to succeed. The deadlines, the client demands, the never-ending list of things to do—it all felt like it was hanging by a thread, and if I didn’t give it my all, everything would come crashing down. So, I pushed myself harder and harder, thinking that if I just cared enough, worked enough, and stressed enough, I could keep it all together.

But somewhere along the way, I realized that this approach was doing more harm than good. I was burnt out, mentally drained, and feeling like my "organs were failing"—not literally, but in that deep, exhausting way that makes you question why you’re doing any of this in the first place. I started losing sight of the passion that got me into this business to begin with. Everything became about survival, about making it through another day, another project, another challenge.

Then, one day, something shifted. I just… stopped caring so much. I let go of the idea that every single thing had to be perfect, that I had to control every outcome. I started to embrace a "laugh or cry" mentality—because honestly, sometimes all you can do is laugh at the chaos. And you know what? It worked. When I stopped obsessing over every little detail, things started to flow more naturally. The pressure eased up, and I found myself actually enjoying my work again.

It wasn’t that I stopped caring about my business—I still care deeply—but I stopped letting it consume me. I started to find the humor in the day-to-day madness, to laugh at the setbacks instead of letting them crush me. And in doing so, everything became easier. Clients responded better, my team felt more relaxed, and I felt like I could breathe again.

I think there’s a lot of truth in that Noah Kahan quote. When you stop caring in that intense, all-consuming way, it’s not that you give up; it’s that you give yourself permission to enjoy the ride. To let go of the need to control everything and just let things happen as they will. It’s freeing, and honestly, it makes the whole journey a lot more fun.

So, if you’re feeling like the weight of it all is too much, maybe it’s time to take a step back and let go a little. Find the humor in the chaos, laugh at the bumps along the way, and remember why you started this journey in the first place. Because when you do, it really does feel like smooth sailing.