Brushing Off Others, or Breaking Free?

I have been bringing an end to some of my previous commitments. I just no longer have the interest to do the work that they require. My goal is to end these commitments in an amicable manner.

I am not talking about just one or two commitments here, but several that were a top priority for me a few years ago. I think that I will be ending other commitments as well in the near future. These are not life long type commitments, such as my marriage which I have no intention of altering whatsoever, but commitments where I feel the primary objective was reached and that the commitment has been fulfilled.

An associate responded to me that he did not like being “brushed off so easily”.

Brushing someone off is not the objective here. Breaking free of restraints or freeing up resources for new challenges is the objective. I am trying to accomplish my goals, and that requires that I prioritize and re-evaluate how I spend my time according to my available resources.

If this causes others to take offense… tough. I do not want to offend anyone. I do not want to sever any friendships.

I also do not want to spend my time on other people’s priorities. I will not spend my time on other people’s priorities.

People change. I have changed. I dedicated over a decade of my life in the pursuit of someone else’s priorities. I put great effort into the pursuit of my last company going public. I wanted to reap the rewards of an IPO. Eventually I was laid off.

That was business, but I learned a lesson the day that I was laid off: Pursue your own goals for yourself.

Let other people deal with making their own dreams come true. If they take offense with you moving on in the pursuit of your own dreams they are not your friends. They are people trying to hold you back.

Brush them off.