Finish the Year Strong ...Or Don't

As we round out the year, the phrase, “Finish the Year Strong!” may be seeping into your social media feed like it is mine.

And while I love the empowerment this phrase can invoke and the idea of being intentional and staying engaged with your goals, I also hear the not-so-subtle underlying message that it’s not ok to take your foot off the gas - not even during the holiday season.

While it may not be said out loud, “finish strong” also means:

💪Charge forward at all costs, including your own basic needs (like lunch)
💪Maintain all of your goal efforts, while adding a million holiday-season responsibilities
💪Be so disciplined & focused that you ignore your body’s messages & your inner desires
💪Sacrifice rest, renewal & pleasure to create holiday magic and Q4 results
💪Hustle and grind - no pain, no gain
💪Care less for yourself
💪Care more for everything and everyone else

Meanwhile, we send holiday cards that say things like, “May you have joy, peace and prosperity”. 🕊️

We don’t send cards wishing our loved ones a fully completed to-do list or a dogged commitment to pursuing “more” or “better.” So, why are we expecting such accomplishment and performance from ourselves, no matter what?

✨Here’s the magic question✨

How do you actually want to finish the year?

Is “strong” the right word to connect you to your best self, your best life right now?

Is there a different word that fills your heart with joy, curiosity and excitement?

Maybe instead you want to finish the year….

Present
Silly
Soft
Connected to yourself
Connected to others
Joyful
Loving
Well-rested
Generous
Abundant
Delighted
Confident

CLARITY EXERCISE

Take a few deep, slow breaths and connect with yourself before journaling your reflections to these questions:

1. How do you want to move through the rest of 2023 given all of the circumstances happening in this season of your life?
2. Is there one word that captures the essence of how you want to end the year?
3. How are you already living into that word?
4. Do you want to lean more into that word or are you ok right where you are?
5. If you want to cultivate more of your word, what are 5-10 things you could do (or stop doing)?
6. Which of those ideas lights you up and feels the most aligned with your intentions? Circle it and set aside time in your calendar for that.
7. What other wisdom is bubbling up for you?

As you finish this clarity exercise, give yourself a pat on the back for trying something new. Connecting to yourself and your inner wisdom will serve you well as you end 2023 and welcome 2024.

I’m cheering you on as you FINISH THE YEAR STRONG ON YOUR TERMS. 👏👏👏 -Ciara