Most people can tell when things aren’t working out, but then we pile on the excuses, until we can safely ignore the problem. Unfortunately, the more we surround the problem with excuses, the more the problem becomes the core of our lives.

Read the Signs

Some of the tell tale signs that something isn’t working:

• Progress is slowed or stops all together
• The “simplest” of things seem like a struggle
• The fun is gone
• The grass starts looking greener on the other side

Understand the message

Now just because some or all of the signs appear, doesn’t mean we should just up and leave it all. Before running off, it’s important to weigh the “solution” of leaving to its alternatives. The grass isn’t always greener and some problems are better worked through than ignored.

What matters is when we and everyone else involved agrees that it’s best to go (such as a job that isn’t a good fit); or when the need to go far outweighs the opinions of others (such as relationships where an abusive partner doesn’t want us to go).

What to do about it

• If and when we decide to move on, it’s important to make the move as quickly and as painless as we can.
• Get into a new “space” where things look and feel different. That will prevent old habits from corrupting the new life.
• Set as many new goals as we can… as far reaching into the future as we can. There’s nothing like new hope to motivate us into moving forward.
• Don’t look back... at least not until there’s a lot of time between us and what we left. The distance will give us a renewed view on things.

Remember that commitment is to us and our future. We all get lost sometimes. Moving on is not giving up, it’s adjusting our sails to put us on a better course.