I just hired an assistant.

I should’ve done this months ago.

Maybe even sooner.

The reason why I didn’t do it wasn’t because I couldn’t afford it or didn’t know I needed to.

It's because of ego.

Last week, I spent three hours creating a single social media post. Yes, three hours. Three whole hours finding the pictures, writing copy, editing, second-guessing, re-editing, fumbling around in Captions and CapCut trying to figure out how to use some silly animation feature.

Three hours.

That's when it hit me: I'm playing this game on hard mode.

I don't have dedicated recording days. I don't have an editor. I don't have a social media manager. I'm trying to build a brand on social media by doing everything myself, and it's not sustainable. At this rate, it will be impossible for me to create content at scale.

The point of frustration was the gift.

It forced me to see what I'd been avoiding: I need help. I need to let go.

I need to delegate and elevate. Now.

I need to listen to my future self, not my ego.

The ego always seeks to protect itself at all costs.

It’s incredibly skilled at coming up with stories to protect itself.

It says “I don't need this. I can figure it out.”

But here's what that voice is really saying: “I don't want to admit that I'm disorganized. I don't want to admit that I'm bad at delegation. I don't want to admit that I need help.”

Because admitting those things is damaging to our identities.

And that's the trap.

It’s why Ryan Holiday wrote Ego is the Enemy

It’s why Gino Wickman’s quote resonates so much with me.

“Most business owners are unable to reach the next level because they are simply not ready to let go of the vine.”

Gino’s an entrepreneur and the author of several books, including the hit Traction. He also created the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a paint-by-numbers approach to systemizing small business. Over 350,000 small businesses run on it.

In his book Traction, Gino Wickman dedicates Chapter 2 to "Letting Go of the Vine."

He describes entrepreneurs as hanging from a vine over a cliff; 1,000 from the top, and 1,000 feet from the bottom. A voice from above tells you to let go, promising you'll be safe. But every instinct screams to hold on tighter.

The vine is whatever you're gripping because releasing it feels like death: control, doing everything yourself, the belief that no one can do it like you can, the identity of being indispensable.

Wickman's point is that the very thing keeping you "safe" is actually keeping you stuck. You can't climb higher while you're clinging to the vine. Growth requires releasing your grip and trusting that you won't fall.

The scarcity-based parts of us wants to keep doing things ourselves. The proud parts of us don’t want to acknowledge our weaknesses. They keep us stuck, spinning on tasks we shouldn't be doing, dropping balls we shouldn't be juggling, and moving slower than we could be moving.

The truth is, hiring help isn't an admission of weakness. It’s a display of strength. It's an act of intellectual courage. It's saying: “I know what I'm not good at. I know what's slowing me down. And I'm brave enough to do something about it.”

Holding on to the vine is about fear.

Letting go of the vine is about courage.

It’s why fear is the lock, and courage is the key.

Thankfully, I'm finally ready to let go of the vine.

Fun Fact: I was actually so inspired by EOS that I’m creating CourageOS, the world’s first operating system to help people systematically build courage, all backed by science. What do you think of it? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Identify ONE thing you've been holding onto that you know you should’ve let go of…a task, a responsibility, a belief about what you "should" be able to handle. Write it down. Say it out loud. Name it to tame it.

For the ONE thing you’ve identified above, think about why you haven’t let go of it yet. Be completely honest with yourself. This upcoming week make time to think about what it’s costing you in terms of time, energy, and emotional weight. The more specific, the better.

The vine is only a prison if we refuse to let go.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

With courage,

Jonathan