Walking Away from Everything – Why People Walk Away from Success

You Have Everything

You saw, yet again, another very successful person walk away from it all. They quit their job, burned bridges, and vanished. What’s worse is that you can almost feel the sense of relief and freedom they must have experienced. Will you ever be in the same position?

Walking away from all of your achievements and everything you’ve been working toward seems like such a waste.

There’s plenty of reasons why people walk away from success. Maybe things didn’t go as planned, or maybe they wanted to take a different direction. But do you want to know the number one reason successful people walk away from success?

It’s because they don’t take care of themselves.

You are highly skilled. You’re accomplished, and your resume is quite impressive. You’ve hit every goal you’ve set for yourself professionally. Chances are you’re in high demand.

Achieving your dreams hasn’t been a breeze, though. There have been countless long nights and many sacrifices. You’re not feeling triumphant. You’re just tired.

You know there’s more to life than this, but currently, you have no idea what balance looks like. You’re not ready to walk away from your success, but something have to change.

Guard against reaching that breaking point by taking care of yourself. Start now.

Say No

You know you have a hard time saying no sometimes. Or for you, it may be hard all the time. When you’re successful, it’s so easy to get caught in the “yes” trap. If there’s a need, you want to meet it, even if it means putting in a couple (or ten or twelve) extra hours. Initially, you saw every opportunity as a chance to shine. Now, though, you know that you have more experience and you can get it done more quickly and correctly. While your motives are fantastic, every little yes piles up.

It’s time to let go. Let go of those tasks that you’re saying yes to because you know you can complete the task better and faster. Instead, say no. Let someone else take it on. We all had to learn and start somewhere. Create the opportunity for others to learn, too, by only taking on what you should.

Because really, when you say no to some things, you free up time to take care of yourself. And when you take care of yourself, you’ll be well-rested and ready to tackle more projects.

If you’re stuck in the yes cycle because of guilt, it’s time to change that. You are only responsible for your own happiness. If by saying no, you’re adding to someone else’s workload, remember that they are also responsible for their own happiness. You are not.

Don’t feel guilty when you just have to say no. Although you might not be able to take on the project or task right now, you’re ensuring that you’ll be a high-functioning leader tomorrow.

Guard Your Time Off

When you take time off from work, do you truly take time off? So many of us are constantly tied to our phones, even on vacation or the weekend. We might argue that it’s all in the name of efficiency and comes with being successful, but what we don’t see is that it is draining. Even sending an email here or there takes away from the time you carved out to take care of yourself.

Rest is such a necessity, and this goes along with the previous point of saying no. When you’re at home and working, you’re just working from home. This does not count as time off. If you’ve never guarded that time before, it may seem hard to do so. But it’s time to draw a line in the sand. Guard your time off.

Next time you take a day or two off, really try to take that time off. Put your phone on airplane mode so you’re not tempted to respond to those emails or that text or call from a coworker or your boss. The most important thing, even when you’re in high demand, is to care for your health and well-being.

Feeling Taken for Granted

Throughout your journey to success, you will meet plenty of great people who value you. Having been there themselves, they will value your time, your talents, and your gifts. But throughout that same journey, you’ll also meet people who don’t value you or your time.

You can’t force people to value you. But you can set boundaries. Setting boundaries will ensure that you take care of yourself first. Boundaries, even gracefully set, will also make certain that your time is respected, so you are free to do the things that matter most to you.

By setting boundaries, you’re sending a clear message that you value yourself and your time. Others will follow your lead and value your time, too. There will always be those who push your boundaries, but stand firm (this is why saying no is so important). You can do it.

Prioritize

If you’re finding yourself ready to walk away from success, wait. Feeling stuck or stressed is natural, and you’re not alone. Before you burn any bridges, sign up for a Free Discovery Session. You won’t regret it. You’ll begin to see that the most important work begins inside. And once you start there, you’ll be able to view the other things in your life (such as your career) through a different lens.

Get unstuck right now.