The hardest thing about moving forward is leaving something behind – and usually it’s a part of ourselves. –Author unknown

As part of my word for the year – onward – I knew that I wanted to sell my car. It was a fun ride and I enjoyed the attention I received from driving it, but it was expensive to own and maintain, and was nearing the 70,000-mile mark, after which I was told it gets harder to sell a vehicle. It was also the last remaining tie I had with my ex-husband, since it was his dream car, and the car he drove until we separated. Since my business had bought it for tax purposes, I kept it in the divorce.

I’m not sentimentally attached to material things in general, so the car itself wasn’t something that brought me any sadness. If anything, it was a bad-ass truck that handled Mammoth snow storms like a pro. But I knew that it was something that no longer served me. A last connector to my old life. Something I needed to let go of. And yet, I waited 9 months into 2018 to finally research its Kelley Blue Book value, take photos, and put it up for sale.

It made me think of other things we hold on to that don’t serve us. Sometimes it’s a thing, like a car. But more often it’s a hurt or a habit. Perhaps it’s a friendship or expectation. A belief or a lie or a mindset. It might even be something good, but we all know that good can be the enemy of great.

Of course, letting go is hard. We have to acknowledge we’re being held back, set our intention to move forward, and take action to love ourselves well.

Tell friends so you say it out loud and have accountability. Dust your shoulders off and make a plan. Stop putting it off and take a first step. Ask for help if you need to. Leave the remnant behind and walk into the future you know you are meant to have.