Letting Go to Move Forward: A New Year Reflection
Tutul Consulting
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By Krishnan Vaidyanathan
“It is the resistance to change and not the change itself that is difficult.”
– Swami Chinmayananda
As a new year begins, this quote feels more relevant than ever. Why is change so uncomfortable? It’s not the shift itself—it’s the old beliefs we cling to, the habits we’ve built over time, and the stories we tell ourselves. The real challenge lies in letting go.
Take a moment to ask yourself: what beliefs are holding you back as you step into 2025?
Why Letting Go Matters
Change often means unlearning. Whether it’s adjusting to a new role, adopting different work habits, or simply approaching life differently, the hardest part is dropping those deeply ingrained patterns.
A helpful framework here is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), which highlights:
1. Unconditional Self-Acceptance: Embrace who you are—flaws and all. 2. Acceptance of Others: Understand people for who they are, not who you expect them to be. 3. Acceptance of Life: Things may not always go your way, and that’s okay.
At its core, REBT asks us to challenge the beliefs we hold about ourselves and the world:
What I’m Letting Go Of
For me, unlearning has been about challenging the beliefs I’ve carried for years:
These “life sentences,” as Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan call them, have shaped my choices and held me back. This year, I’ve learned that growth begins when I loosen my grip on these narratives.
A Resolution for 2025
As the year begins, let’s resolve to let go of at least one limiting belief. The process doesn’t have to be monumental—it’s about taking small steps, like throwing a pebble into the sea, as Norman MacCaig’s poem Small Boy describes:?
Small Boy
He picked up a pebble and threw it into the sea.
And another, and another. He couldn’t stop.
He wasn’t trying to fill the sea. He wasn’t trying to empty the beach.
He was just throwing away, nothing else but.
Like a kitten playing he was practicing for the future
when there’ll be so many things he’ll want to throw away
if only his fingers will unclench and let them go.
What belief will you release in 2025 to embrace the possibilities ahead? Let’s make this the year we step into change with open hands.