As we approach the end of the year, it’s important to take a moment to reset and refresh before the start of 2026. By creating space and clarifying our priorities, we can let go of what no longer serves us and focus on our wellbeing. This will allow us to start the new year feeling energised and ready to tackle whatever comes our way. By making time for ourselves, we can take control of our lives and begin crafting a vision for the year ahead. It’s important to remember that taking care of ourselves is not selfish, but a necessary act of self-care that will ultimately benefit not only ourselves, but those around us as well.
Here are 5 simple steps from Women Rising to reset and refresh before the end of the year and begin crafting your vision for 2026.
1. CREATE SPACE
If you want to reset and refresh before the end of the year so you can start 2023 off on a positive note, you need to create some space to reflect on what’s working, what’s not working, where you need to shift your energy and what you need to let go of.
A gentle reminder here that you can start small. This isn’t about creating an enormous amount of space in an already full life. It’s about carving out an intentional window of time to reflect on your priorities for this holiday season, decide what you can let go of, get clear on your needs and consider how you will make time for you and your wellbeing in 2026.
Take a moment now to block out some space in your calendar for this reflection. Do you have 30 mins available this week? If your schedule is looking incredibly packed, where else could you find the time? Could you switch off your phone 30 minutes earlier one evening this week, pour yourself a cup of tea, and sit down with a notebook to work through this process? Could you set aside a small window of time this weekend to take yourself to a cafe and have some me-time?
Creating space is a beautiful act of self-care and something we often forget to do. It’s about finding those micro moments in your day and in your week just to be with yourself in quiet reflection. It’s about having the courage to get honest about where your time is actually going and establishing some healthy boundaries to protect what’s most important to you.
2. CLARIFY YOUR PRIORITIES
Once you’ve created a pocket of space for yourself, the next step is to clarify your priorities for this final part of the year. At the end of the day, what is it that’s really important to you? How do you want to feel this holiday season and how are you going to create that for yourself?
It can be so easy to take on way too many things, particularly as women, and get caught up in feelings of overwhelm and trying to be everything to everyone. Pretty soon you’re running on empty and it doesn’t feel like you’re making headway on much, if anything. Clarifying your priorities is about taking a step back and getting honest about what’s important to you. It might feel like everything’s important, but the reality is, it’s time to let go of some of the things on your plate and be discerning.
3. DECIDE WHAT TO LET GO OF
Following on from the last step, an important part of clarifying your priorities is about deciding what to let go of. Because the truth is, you can’t do it all. No one can. And if you want to reset and feel refreshed before you start 2023, then chances are, you’ll need to let go of some things.
As you think about all of the things on your to-do list, reflect on where you can free up some time. What can come off the list? What can be delegated to someone else? What are the things you need to stop doing so you can feel more balanced and emotionally well?
4. FOCUS ON YOUR WELLBEING
It goes without saying that for you to feel refreshed, you’ll need to make sure that you put some time aside to focus on your wellbeing. Creating and maintaining optimal wellbeing is a goal for the vast majority of women in our Women Rising program but it’s also one of the things they struggle with the most. When there are so many things we need to get done and so many people in our lives that are counting on us in some way, women will often push their own needs – including their wellbeing – to the bottom of the pile.
This is why being intentional about your wellbeing is so important – you want to be consciously creating your wellbeing with the actions that you take every single day, not just hoping for the best with random strategies. When it comes to wellbeing, the key here is to get back to basics. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you nourishing and moving your body? Are you making time to relax and restore your energy frequently? If you need some tools to help you focus on wellbeing, here are 5 simple strategies for optimal wellbeing.
5. START DREAMING ABOUT WHAT COULD BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU IN 2026
Once you’ve created a little bit of space and are feeling more refreshed, it’s time to start dreaming and crafting a vision for what you want 2026 to look like.
