At the time I had begun contemplating leaving the only firm I had ever worked for, I stumbled upon a book I had bought on Nook. You know, the kind you buy at a conference because you have to have it and then quickly forgot about? For whatever reason, I stumbled across this particular book again...and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
Dr. Henry Cloud’s book, "Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forward” caught my eye one day as I perused the Nook titles on my iPad. I had completely forgotten why I bought the book in the first place, but now I was intrigued.
Here are the key takeaways I got from “Necessary Endings”:
Endings are like seasons – Think about it. Just about every aspect of our life revolves around some kind of change or ending; we go from being a teenager to an adult, from being single to being married, from being young to being old, from having no children to being a parent, etc. Point is we are always moving from one season to the next, in life and in business.
Endings are emotional – Some endings occur naturally and we don’t give much thought to them, but many endings come with a flurry of emotions. Fear, sadness, guilt, etc. can leave us delaying or worse yet, avoiding the very endings we desperately need to move forward.
Endings are healthy – Dr. Cloud uses a rose bush analogy to explain this. In order for the rose bush to be as healthy and abundant as it can be, the bush requires pruning. Pruning the dead, the sick and yes, sometimes even the healthy. Real-life “pruning” can end pain, eliminate negativity and stress and lead to greater personal happiness and growth.
Endings are normal – By accepting endings as a normal, expected and a healthy event, we become better equipped to recognize, execute and even celebrate endings. We can embrace endings and take the necessary actions to execute them.
Little did I know, but Dr. Cloud’s book would go a long way in helping me with a critical transition in my life. I hope that the takeaways above might also help you if you are struggling with or approaching your own pruning moment.
What will your pruning moment be?
Are there emotions that are holding you back from embracing what will become a necessary ending?
Do you accept your transition as a normal, expected and happy event? If not, then what do you need to do to start to embrace this ending?
Once I embraced the need for my own necessary ending (aka my 'pruning moment'),
I felt a huge sense of relief. Suddenly, I had clarity in what I wanted and was able to start planning for my future. You can do the same!
Stay Tuned!
Next up, we build more on endings by addressing why change is hard but manageable.
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ETS Compass is my personal newsletter that provides thought-provoking topics and helpful guidance to business owners looking to navigate change in their businesses. Whether it is value enhancement or transition planning, it is my goal to educate you.
My goal is to provide useful and purposeful information to you that may help you transition from your business.