End of Year Closure Series: Part 2
As the year draws to a close, take a moment each day to bring closure to all you’ve experienced in this revolution of the Earth around our Sun. This transitional time offers a powerful opportunity to pause, reflect, and prepare for a fresh start. By focusing on reflection, gratitude, and a mindset of growth, we can turn the end of the year into a meaningful ritual of closure and renewal. In this five-part daily series, we’ll use reflection and intention-setting exercises to settle our minds, appreciate all that we’ve accomplished, acknowledge our opportunities for growth, and prepare for a fresh start.
Missed part 1? Read Year-End Closure: Reflect with Clarity and start your closure practice with mindful reflection.
A Practice to Celebrate Your Wins
It’s easy to overlook your own accomplishments, especially when life moves so quickly. But taking time to celebrate what you’ve done is an important way of bringing positive closure to the year. Today, let’s focus on acknowledging your wins—the milestones, breakthroughs, and quiet victories that helped make this year meaningful to you. Have a notebook or pad of paper handy. Post-It notes can be a nice way to capture individual successes and keep them visible in the days ahead.
Begin by sitting in a contemplative posture for reflection: Find a comfortable seat where you feel stable and supported, either on a cushion with crossed legs or in a chair with feet flat on the ground. Sit upright with your spine aligned, imagining a gentle string pulling the top of your head upward. Rest your hands on your thighs or in your lap, relax your shoulders, and let your face soften. Lower your gaze to a neutral point or close your eyes, and bring your attention to your natural breath, allowing it to anchor you in the present.
Once you have settled your mind and breathing into a serene state, begin writing down everything you achieved this year, no matter the size. Did you complete a project at work? Strengthen a relationship? Try something new? Rekindle a friendship? Console a loved one? Even moments of resilience, simply withstanding a hard time, count as wins.
Make It Actionable
- Create a “Wins List.” Write down everything you’re proud of from the year. Be specific and include details that help clarify the successes in your mind.
- If you’d like, put these wins on individual slips of paper and place them in a jar or bowl.
- Keep your list visible as a reminder of your progress and resilience. Review at least one entry per day over the coming weeks to remind yourself of the positive achievements you’ve created.
By celebrating your achievements, you reinforce the value of your efforts and step into the next day with pride and gratitude.
Want more ideas to help you close our the year and start fresh for the one? Read our guide to recentering and realigning for the new year.
