It was a very difficult decision that I battled with for a long time, but I decided to close Deer Danni. At first, I was hesitant because it felt like I was admitting that I was a failure. I had worked so hard on this shop for years, and quitting felt like I was saying that it wasn’t enough. That I wasn’t enough.

I think it’s pretty common to feel like quitting is equal to failing. If you quit something, you’re giving up. You just couldn’t hack it with the rest of them. Plenty of other people could do it, so why couldn’t you? Because you’re a failure.

Except, you’re not a failure. Not at all.

Luckily, I was reminded of this fact this earlier this week.  You see, I’m part of a very supportive community for Etsy sellers. I posted about how the thought of closing was making me feel like a failure, and this wonderful woman wrote me a very heartfelt and supportive response. Overall, I was being too hard on myself and she called me out on it.  She reminded me that ‘failure is part of the process of success’. That as long as we learn from whatever we did, we didn’t fail. Sometimes it takes a while before we figure it out. The journey to get there isn’t failure. They’re lessons.

And so I do not feel like a failure for quitting Deer Danni. I am proud of myself for the successes that I had with the business. Even more so, I’m proud of myself for listening to my heart and my gut and my intuition.

This lovely woman said the following: “I think knowing when to let go is a real skill in life.”

I cannot agree more.

Sometimes pushing through is the strong choice, but sometimes, it isn’t.

I decided to close Deer Danni because I was stretched too thin. I was trying to kill it as a wife and mother, renovate my house and run two successful shops. Running those shops involves not only creating products, but going through the formulas to price them, photographing and photo-editing, writing listings, researching SEO, running instagram, facebook, and tiktok accounts for each shop-meaning creating additional content to share- packaging and shipping orders and more.  That didn’t leave much time for laundry or dishes, let alone time to practice self-care. Something had to give, and after some soul searching, I decided it was Deer Danni.

At first, I felt like a failure because I thought that I should have been able to do it all. I didn’t want to throw away all of the hard work I’d done over the years or admit that I wasn’t perfect or unstoppable. I’ve been dealing with this particular baggage throughout most of my life and unfortunately, it’s probably always going to be my first mental reaction. But I’ve learned that quitting doesn’t mean that you’re a failure. Not always. It’s about prioritizing.

I’m prioritizing myself and my family.

I looked at the different parts of my life and where I was exerting my energy. When it came down to it, too much of it was going towards this shop and I just wasn’t passionate enough about it anymore. What would have made me a failure is if I would’ve ignored my gut and continued to struggle through the balancing act until I burnt out. By stopping now, I remain in control and am able to better spend my time and energy on the parts of my life that mean the most to me. Like this website, my EmilyEverAfterCo Etsy shop, and my family.

If you’re wearing too many hats, but afraid to take one off because you think it will make you a failure, give yourself some grace. Talk with a loved one or journal about it if you’re still unsure. Maybe try taking a break to see if it feels right. Ultimately, only you can know the right choice for you. But make that choice knowing that it isn’t the end of the world if you can’t do it all.

Know that you are not a failure for quitting something that isn’t right for you.

Sometimes quitting means making more room in your life for the things that serve you. This includes quitting jobs, habits, hobbies, and even quitting people. You’re not failing anyone or anything by letting go.

I’ve been quitting a lot over the last few years and it’s making me feel a hell of a lot lighter.

Maybe you should try it.

 

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