Let It Go or Let It Hold You Back

Thought For The Week

We often fixate on what we need to gain — more motivation, more discipline, more time, more results. But rarely do we stop to ask: What am I holding onto that's actually holding me back? Studies in behaviour change show that one of the most overlooked strategies for real progress is subtraction — the intentional removal of what's no longer serving us. We assume that adding more is the answer, when often, it’s simplifying. Letting go of outdated goals, unhelpful habits, or limiting beliefs can create the space for real growth. It might feel uncomfortable, even confronting at first, but it can also be the most powerful step toward greater clarity, freedom, and purpose.

Exercise Tip

Many people hold onto rigid ideas about what fitness is supposed to look like, even when those ideas can lead to injury, burnout, or a loss of motivation. Letting go might mean releasing the pressure to train a certain way just because it worked in the past. It could be stepping away from unrealistic expectations, or the belief that only intense workouts “count.” Progress might mean doing less, but doing it more consistently. It could be shifting focus from performance to longevity, or from aesthetics to how you feel in your body. Letting go of what’s not working gives you the chance to build a more positive, sustainable, and motivating relationship with exercise, and to feel more engaged with, and energised by, the type of movement you choose to do.

Try this: Pick one training goal or “rule” that feels more like pressure than motivation and give yourself permission to pause it for a week. See how that feels, and if anything shifts.

Nutrition Tip

When it comes to food, we might also believe that success comes from adding more — more protein, more supplements, more structure, more tracking. But research in nutritional psychology and behaviour change suggests something different: long-term success is more strongly linked to consistency, flexibility, and a positive relationship with food. Letting go of rigid rules or restrictive mindsets doesn’t mean halting progress — in fact, it’s often what makes progress possible. For some, it might mean stepping back from calorie counting when it’s become obsessive, or challenging the belief that carbohydrates are bad, or that eating after 7pm is somehow failing. Many people carry food rules or habits they’ve picked up from diets, social media, or past experiences. Recognising and releasing those patterns can create space for a more balanced and less stressful relationship with food.

Try this: Take a moment to write down any “food rules” or beliefs you hold (for example, “I have to earn my food with exercise” or “losing weight means being hungry” or “fat-free is healthier”), and ask yourself: Where did this come from? And, does it still serve me?

Links & Resources

Book: The Power of Letting Go by John Purkiss provides a guide on how releasing control can create space for growth.

Video: Check out Brené Brown’s TED talk on how vulnerability and letting go of perfectionism can lead to wholehearted living.

Recipe: Challenge the belief that fats and carbohydrates are bad by enjoying my good-for-you smoked mackerel and tenderstem risotto. 

Inspirational Quote

“You can only lose what you cling to.”

Buddha