There’s something quietly powerful about the end of the year. Not the sparkle and rush of the Christmas season or the Pinterest perfect countdowns. But the hush that creeps in beneath it all if you let it.December, for me, isn’t about resolutions or big reinventions. I’m not trying to change my life in a flurry of pressure and self-improvement. I’m trying to listen. I’m trying to land. I’m trying to make space, not just in my calendar, but in my mind, my home, my nervous system.Looking Back Before Looking ForwardEvery December, before I even think about what’s next, I pause and look back. And not in a “Did I smash all my goals?” kind of way. That energy can stay in corporate-land as far as I’m concerned. This is more of a heart check. A quiet moment to ask:– What happened this year that really mattered?– What shifted — even slightly, that deserves noticing?– What parts of me feel stronger now? Softer? Clearer?I’m not chasing the highlights reel. I’m interested in the quiet wins. The emotional heavy lifting. The boundaries I held. The messy bits I got through. The growth that didn’t come with a certificate or a like count, but left its mark just the same.Clearing Space: Physically, Emotionally, SpirituallyAs the year ends, I naturally start tidying corners of the home, but also corners of my mind. The kitchen drawer that hasn’t closed properly since June gets sorted. So does the internal voice that’s been whispering unhelpful things all year. I ask:– What did I carry too long?– What did I say yes to that didn’t sit right?– What am I done pretending I need?I let those questions simmer while I potter about, sort through clothes, wipe down forgotten shelves. I don’t need a formal ritual or a vision board. I just need time. Space. A bit of silence. That’s where reflection lives, in the margins. In the not doing.Resetting the Rhythm (Not the Entire Life)I also take this time to check in on the rhythms we’ve built as a family. Especially around home education. What’s working? What’s feeling forced? What do we want to bring with us into the new year and what do we want to quietly leave behind?We talk about it as a family. My kids are part of this life, not just passengers in it. And I want them to grow up knowing that reflection isn’t something you squeeze into a single night before New Year’s, it’s a muscle. A way of moving through the world with intention.The same goes for work. I ask:– Did I enjoy what I created this year?– Did my work support the life I want, or get in the way of it?– Am I still aligned with what I set out to do?If the answer is no, I don’t panic, I just adjust, slowly and gently and with full permission to evolve.The Only Questions That MatterI don’t set big goals anymore. I’ve let go of trying to overhaul myself every January. Instead, I ask better questions. Questions that centre my life, not my to-do list.– How do I want to feel next year?– What kind of energy do I want in my mornings?– What rhythms support my peace?– What’s worth continuing and what’s done now?I’m not interested in striving just for the sake of it. I want to live. Fully, deeply, and slowly. I want to keep choosing contentment over comparison, presence over perfection.This is EnoughIt’s easy to get swept up in the idea that we should be doing more, earning more, achieving more by the time December rolls around. But I think that kind of thinking misses the point.I don’t want a new year that starts with pressure. I want one that starts with peace. And the only way I know to get there is to end this one with intention. With stillness. With space to breathe.So I clear the clutter.I tidy my thoughts.I honour what this year held, even the bits that didn’t go to plan.I forgive myself for the moments I fell short.I celebrate the ways I showed up.And I carry forward what still feels true.That’s it. That’s the practice.A New Year, Without the NoiseIf you’re feeling the tug to close this year slowly, follow it.Let the world hustle. You can soften. You can quiet the noise. You can decide that your version of “success” doesn’t need to come wrapped in urgency.There’s no need for a glow-up and no need to reinvent yourself. You are allowed to enter the new year gently, with gratitude, clarity and a deep knowing that this life, the one you’re already living, is worth honouring.Here’s to a soft landing. And a slower, deeper start. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://theslowlivingcollective.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">theslowlivingcollective.substack.com/subscribe</a>

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End-of-Year Reflection: How to Close Out the Year with Intention

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