Closing the Chapter

As we are approaching the close of another year, how are you feeling? Really?  

It can be so easy for these days to get swallowed up in a haze of christmas parties, exhaustion from the year end, and planning for the new year already, so that we end up falling into January with a thump, feeling dizzy and disorientated out of the merry-go-round of December.  

What what if we created a little space to intentionally and kindly close the chapter on this year? So we feel like we’ve had real closure for this year, to make sense of it in our minds, and get more clarity on how we’d like to move forwards into the new year, to start a new chapter feeling fresh and with a clear mind?  

This article will invite you to explore some ideas of how you can do this. To take that time to reflect, consider, remember, treasure and to even let go, of the things that have shown up for you this year.  

Making time and space to think 

What makes reflective time enjoyable for you? The more enjoyable and pelasurable the experience, the more likely you are to make space for it.  

Do you like to create a warm and cosy atmosphere, with your favourite journal, a mug of tea and a flickering candle?  

Do you think best while stomping one foot infront of the other on a long walk?  

Or maybe it’s in the shower as the bubbles and steam are rising it creates that moment of peace for you to think.  

Where-ever and however you think best, you can intentionally create that space for yourself to explore the prompts below, even if it’s just a few minutes whilst the kettle is boiling.  

Soaking up all the goodness 

A great place to begin is to really soak up all the goodness that has come out of this year for you. 

• What experiences did you love this year? 
• What special moments were there? 
• When did you feel your heart being full? 
• When did you feel most gratitude?  
• What unexpected pleasures came about? 
• What are you proud of yourself for? 
• What did you achieve this year?  

Don’t be afraid to dig in with all these questions, and keep challenging yourself to think of as many as you can.  

Releasing and letting go  

Of course alongside the many positive experiences, our years can be filled, sometimes more, sometimes less, with challenges, rough patches and stretches that can be deeply testing. It can be useful to take time to recognise and acknoweldge these, in order to treat ourselves with compassion, kindness and patience.  

The moment of passing from one year into the next can offer a threashold of release, where we are able to close the chapter, say goodbye and let go of the things that we are happy to see the back of!  

I’d invite you to explore these questions.  

• What did you find challenging this year?  
• What can you leave in this year, and say goodbye to?  
• What would you like to release, or let go of?  
• What will support you, to be able to close the chapter?  

Learning and Evolving 

Through both our more positive and negative experiences this year, there are always lessons to be learned which can support us to evolve in the direction we want.  

• What are your key learnings this year? 
• What have you learnt about yourself? 
• What have you discovered about your work, your interests, your passions? 
• What have you learnt about your strentghs and skills? 
• What have you learnt about others in your life? 
• What have you uncovered about the world?  

How will all of these insights support you moving forwards? What do you want to take with you into the new year?  

What do you want more of in the next year?  

Thinking about what you’ve uncovered through the previous questions, you will have gained a much higher level of awareness and clarity about this past year. Looking forward, what do you want to take with you into the new year? Here are some questions that can help you explore this:  

• What do you recognise is most important for you? 
• What do you want to make more space for next year?  
• What do you want to prioritise? 
• What will allow you to do this? 
• What do you have to believe in order to make this happen?  
• What do you have to say ‘no’ to, in order to say ‘yes’ to your priorities?  

 You can take your time with this exercise, and break it down into manageable chunks, focussing on one area at a time. Some people like to make notes so they have a visual record.  

You may want to write down all the things you want to take with you into the new year, and display them somewhere prominent in your home as a reminder for you.  

You may even want to write down on a piece of paper all the things you want to leave behind, and destroy the paper, physically burn it or throw it away to signify that moment of letting go, that threshold of closing the chapter.  

Remember these self-reflective questions are not about us scoring or putting judgement on ourselves. They are more a way to offer acceptance, self-compassion and curiosity into our lives, to support us moving forward in an intentional and heartfelt way.