The end of the year can be a little stressful. The holidays can bring up all kinds of emotion. Trying to plan your next year can create even more stress. If your year has been a little (or a lot) rough, you can also end up feeling like a failure or just wishing for the year to be done. In the 2020s, that can feel amplified.

How about instead we end the year with some grace, no matter what, and give ourselves something we can look back on with gratitude?

Here’s how to infuse your year-end with power, soul and gratitude:

1. REFLECT ON WHAT SUCKED: Yeah, it’s seriously a powerful thing to do. Go over your challenging situations from the past year, but NOT to beat yourself up. What did you do to help yourself feel better during the situation? How did you soothe yourself? How were you able to move through the emotions that came up? What was within your control that you can choose NOT to do again? I write down everything major that sucked every year and then when I do my year planning for the following year, I know two things:

a) What NOT to repeat in terms of your emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual responses in business and life. Even when circumstances are beyond our control, we do have some control over how we deal with it. When you already know what didn’t work, it’s a little easier not to get caught up in the feedback loop and repeat a negative pattern. You can create a different path and avoid falling into some of the old patterns weighing you down. I actually add stuff like this into my year plan all throughout the year, so I will KNOW beyond a doubt whether I want to repeat a business strategy, use that venue again, hang out with that friend, or run that event because maybe this time it will work if only I… (NO!).

b) How to handle a similar situation if it comes up. For example, maybe you handled a difficult conversation in a relationship in a way you don’t ever want to repeat. If you reflect NOW on how to handle it if it comes up again, you’ll be ready with a new way. What tools do you already have that can help you manage things differently next time?

2. SELF-RETREAT: Give yourself a day, weekend or even just a few hours if time is tight, and make yourself a retreat. The only real rule is to be loving and kind to yourself and put items on the menu that will give you pleasure. Any time unkind thoughts about yourself surface, acknowledge the part of you who thought it, let her know she has been heard, and send her some love. Loving kindness only!

a) BONUS: Make an audio recording of all the positive qualities, skills, talents, gifts and personality traits you carry. Don’t get up in your head about it and get all perfectionist. Just hit the record button and spontaneously tell yourself, in great loving detail, how amazing you are. Be creative with your voice too. You could do a little “spoken word” or make it all poetic or even sing some of it to yourself. Now of course, this will become a resource for you to listen to when you’re not feeling so hot about yourself. Keep it handy!

3. GIVE YOURSELF AN INTUITIVE READING: Create your sacred space. It could be that you light a candle, burn incense, smudge, bring out some crystals, get into the tub with rose petals and read the petals like a tea leaf reading (just thought of that!)… but create your sacred space. Cleanse/clear your oracle cards or tarot cards if you’re using them. Clear your mind with a few deep belly breaths. Put on some healing music. Set an intention and ask your deeper/higher self, and the cards or whatever divination tool you might be using, to give you a reading to help you create the kind of year you desire. Trust the cards and trust yourself. Your Spirit knows what to tell you through your reading. If you don’t have a deck, get a reading from someone else. Reach out to me if you’d like to treat yourself to a Medicine Song Oracle Reading.

4. CELEBRATE! Go back over your year and specifically look for things to celebrate. Not just events either, but things about YOU, like your personal growth, how far you’ve come in your business of life, how you responded to certain situations or people. Client testimonials if you run a business. Remember, some of these will be huge wins and some will be little baby wins. They are all important if they make you feel good about yourself. And yes of course, your accomplishments, whether in business, work, or personal life, celebrate any reason you’re proud of yourself. Also be sure to include the experiences you truly enjoyed. Make a collage or write down all of it. Or you could add it to your audio recording!

5. CREATE 2 GRATITUDE LISTS:

a) All that you are grateful for that has happened this year.

b) All that you will be grateful for that you want to happen next year. And start feeling gratitude like NOW about this. That will start the Universe working on your behalf to help you create experiences that give you those feelings.

FINAL TIP: Almost all of these could fit into your Self-Retreat, or you can do them whenever you want. Just DON’T do the first one (Reflect on What Sucked) on that day. Do it BEFORE your special day because remember, your retreat is all about being loving and kind to yourself and experiencing pleasure. Get what sucked out of your system first. Then love yourself up.

Happy End of the Year to You!

Love & Blessings,

Brenda MacIntyre, Medicine Song Woman

RESOURCES:

• Want to dive right in and get some support? Head over here.

FOLLOW ME ON SPOTIFY – MUSIC FOR THESE CRAZY TIMES:

• Follow My Artist Account on Spotify.
• Follow my Global Pandemic Playlist on Spotify. The studio (CD, not live) version of the songs I sang in the livestreamed concert are also in this playlist.
• Follow the RENEWAL Playlist for springtime on Spotify