What resources could we unlock by killing something we love?

Everything has a lifecycle. There is nothing in this world that does not run its course.

And part of our job as creative professionals is to be on the lookout for things that aren’t working for us anymore. Whether it’s a habit that reached the point of diminishing returns, a relationship that’s no longer fruitful for either party, or a product that stopped creating value for customers, eventually, the time comes to say goodbye to it.

We we can’t fix what needs to be mourned. No matter how strong our urge to hang on is.

Tech companies have a useful term for this process called sunsetting. As a software product reaches end of life, they intentionally phase it out or terminate it completely. Usually because the product is no longer sufficiently profitable, or the company has decided to shift its focus.

My publishing business has sunsetted a variety of products over the years.

First was my online video training portal, a product that broke even financially, but was far too labor intensive to justify keeping around.

Then there was my corporate culture consulting program, which landed a few clients, but never gained traction to make it worth continuing forever.

Lastly, there was my suite of single service software apps, which were cool and cheap and taught me how to build technical products, but the cost of maintenance eventually outweighed the value it created for my brand.

All of these projects were painful to watch sailing off into the sunset. Like any kind of death in this life, the grieving process includes the classic mix of feelings like fear, anger, sadness, negotiation and acceptance. Quite the emotional cocktail.

But there was also a spiritual beauty and creative energy to the sunsetting process. One that surprised me each time.

Companies, when talking about sunsetting their products, often mention a process called redeployment. It’s when they take resources that used to be tied up in an old project and redirect them into more profitable endeavors.

This is the true upside to letting go. You get in the habit of asking yourself the question:

What resources could we unlock by killing something we love?

Morbid as it may sound, it’s a powerful way to let go of the past and swing into the future. If your company owns multiple websites that it decides to ultimately take offline, the annual charges from their domain names, hosting and security certificates alone should be enough to finance your next initiative. That’s leverage.

From the ashes of shattered dreams, new hope rises like a phoenix.

Reminds me of an interview with one of my favorite songwriters. Mayer, then fifteen years into his career, discussed his plans for sunsetting his old artistic identity:

To evolve, you have to dismantle, he said. And that means accepting the idea that nothing you created in the past matters anymore other than it brought you here. You pick up your new marching orders and get to work.

What resources could you unlock by killing something you love? Figure out which of your old habits, projects or relationships have run their course. If the maintenance cost outweighs the value they create, don’t be afraid to let them go.

Honor them for the place they brought you, and bid them farewell.

It’s a bittersweet symphony, watching something you love sail off into the sunset.

But the space opened up by that loss will give you hope for what’s next.

Which of your habits, relationships or projects is far too labor intensive to justify keeping around anymore?