It’s February and we have a little under a month of winter left. Culturally, the end of a year and the beginning of the next, comes with swiftness. We speed through the end of year holidays and we get back to work. Maybe you've sprung into the new year with such swiftness and action already (maybe you've had no choice). Maybe you already have your 2025 goals printed out and etched into your brain. Maybe you're feeling as though time is moving too quickly and you're needing a moment to process the year not far past. Maybe you're struggling to truly grasp this new year with intention and agency. As necessary as change is, it can also be wildly unsettling, especially when a new year means a new presidential regime. Maybe your situation is rapidly changing. I imagine a good number of us are needing some sort of consensual pause or slowing down right about now. The top of a new year offers an opportunity to do just that--pause, recalibrate, and recenter.
Before we start to hit the rebirthing energy of Spring, I invite you to reflect on the past year. In order for us to wholly move through in time, we need to process, grieve, and release. You may not realize how much you carry day-to-day, let alone year-to-year.
I invite you to intentionally think about how you want to live out this year. How do you want to move forward, show up, and what do you want to keep front of mind?
Why? This keeps you accountable, supports you in working towards your values-aligned goals in life, and serves as an anchor or grounding force, decreasing existential anxiety and hopelessness. We're talking agency, here! Your sense of control, as well as clarity!
Now, what do I mean when I say holistically?
A holistic perspective considers the whole system. It highlights the interconnectedness of multiple elements in life, in a person, or in a situation. Taking the mind, body, and soul into consideration in hopes of achieving balance and harmony. Holistically ending a year and starting a new one isn’t about rushing into resolutions or striving for perfection. It’s about creating space for reflection, recognition, and intention. What does holistic mean to you? What comes up when you think of your mind, body, and soul?
Reflecting, Grieving, Letting Go
Often, we're so on the go that we forget to actually think about what we're doing, or process what we did. Reflection is a powerful practice that helps us acknowledge what we’ve experienced, gained, unlearned, learned, and overcome. It allows us to release what no longer serves us.
Invitation: take the next two minutes (set a timer) to acknowledge how you showed up last year; acknowledge what you accomplished, what you got closer to, what you got away from.
Remember, this isn't about being hard on ourselves or hoarding regrets. Notice, name, and visualize yourself releasing what you do not have control over. You may notice some grief come up and that's okay. You may need to set aside some extra time to tend to those emotions.
Getting Intentional & Setting Goals (but not too much...)
Set a SMART goal to plan steps that will get you closer to what you're longing for. When it comes to SMART goals, making a goal achievable is key. Start small, specific, and realistic to ensure you don't overwhelm yourself. This isn’t about slapping more on your to-do list--we have enough already! Think about things you can be consistent with this year. This will help you stay anchored and focused. Nip the all or nothing thinking, remember flexibility, and be kind to yourself. Honor your personal bandwidth, needs, and energy (this can shift on a daily and weekly basis!). Last but not least, remember rest (& that rest is productive, period).
On the topic of 'not too much': our world is becoming more and more stimulated by the second. Overstimulation takes a toll on our bodies, our minds, our nervous systems, our capacity levels. Take a moment(s) for yourself. Maybe this is the year you work on refining your rest skills and embracing flow.
Tools:
Lean on your holistic supports: routines and rituals, ancestral connections and wisdom, gratitude, sage or palo santo, yoga, church, commune with like-minded people, go outside and commune with nature, take a bath, play a sound bath video on YouTube, make a cup of tea, enjoy your most favorite snacks, slowly inhale & exhale, connect with something greater than yourself.
Remember or clarify your values: values act as a compass. They are the backbone of how we approach the world, solve problems, and connect with others. What is your true north?
Visualize: visualizing exactly what we want makes it real and powerful. Create a mind map or a vision board and add images, art, words, symbols, affirmations, and reminders.
Write: consider 'brain dumping' the thoughts circling your head or listing bullet points. Consider writing a letter to your future self, to open later this year, next year, or in three years.
Draw: consider drawing a circle and writing or symbolizing all of the things that are in your control. Outside of that circle, do the same for the things that are out of your control.
Make an ins & outs list: what did you do well last year? What do you want more of this year? What do you want to stop carrying with you? What's holding you down and back? What do you want to put energy into this year? What will bring you peace and prosperity this year and what will support that? What do you want to celebrate this year? How can you better connect with things around you? How can you better connect with yourself? How can you better ground yourself? How can you better nourish yourself this year?
Voice Memo: if you don't like physically writing or typing, create a voice memo. Word vomit anything and everything that occupies space in your brain. Spitball your thoughts and ideas.
Attune back to the present moment. If you need to, put what comes up in a safe 'container' for you to come back to when you can be present with it and yourself.
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