I’m not much of a gardener, but I’m coming at you with another plant analogy. When plants outgrow their containers, they need to be repotted. If their roots are constrained, their growth is stunted. The art of bonsai constrains a tree over a long period of time to keep it miniature. A huge redwood, if trained into submission, can be a hundred years old and no more than two feet tall. That’s cute, but I don’t want to be a bonsai; I want to be a mighty redwood.

I’ve been at my current job for eight years; at the current location for seven of those. I’ve developed friendships and know the store like the back of my hand. I’m not patting myself on the back, but I’ve been told I’m very good at my job. I’ve worn a pretty good groove into my position. And I’ve seen a lot of people come and go, for better or worse. Now it’s my turn. Sometimes, you just have to call time move forward, even if it’s painful to uproot yourself. Sometimes you just know you’re going to stagnate if you stay comfortable any longer. There comes a time when you need to stretch your legs and allow others to come in and grow where you once flourished.

Or perhaps that’s only what I’m telling myself to alleviate the guilt of leaving. It may very well be entirely selfish. I want to pass a baton, not unload a burden. But it will certainly not be without tears. I hate goodbyes and avoid them whenever possible. There have already been tears—for this transplant and many more before it. Moving on and saying goodbye is a part of life. But it is a pain we choose when we know the benefits will eventually outweigh that pain when the growth we need to experience can’t happen unless we make that hard decision.

There will be growing pains as you spread your roots. You will have to adjust to new soil and new surroundings. And plants benefit greatly from periodic fertilizing. Guess what fertilizer is. That’s right. Sometimes if you want to grow there will be times when you’ll be knee-deep in shit, but you’ll be stronger for it in the end.

Are you spreading your roots and living up to your potential? What might be holding you back? Is there resistance that’s disguising itself as comfort? Is there a step you can take now that will make the growing pains worthwhile in the long run?