4 Simple Strategies for Ending the Year Strong and Setting Yourself up for Success

Now is the time of year when we stand back and reflect on what went well this past year. It's also a perfect opportunity to set your intentions for next year, too!

Here are some tips to get you started with reflecting on your successes and failures, reframing your thoughts about them, releasing yourself from any toxic behaviors or feelings that might be holding you back, and then finally recharging by taking care of yourself in these final days of the year.

Hi, my name is Felecia Etienne, and I am a Certified High-Performance Success Coach and Business and Life Strategist for 42% ambitious female entrepreneurs and professionals.  I equip overwhelmed, stressed-out bosses to maximize their time, energy, and productivity so they can be present and intentional with the vital aspects of their life.

Reflection

Self-reflection is the key to self-awareness: it allows you the opportunity to look neutrally at your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Through this practice, we can be introspective without feeling like a failure or that there's something wrong with ourselves because through understanding how these things affect your actions, you can make better choices in life.

Reflection is a time-tested method to help us reconsider our thoughts and actions. When you're given an opportunity for self-reflection, it's crucial that the process not be rushed so as not to disrupt this deep dive into understanding yourself better through observations of experiences.   Taking time to reflect on the year truly is the key to setting yourself up for success in the new year.  Slowing down to recognize your struggles will allow you to take decisive action to start the year powerfully. 

Reflection is a chance for us all to process and make meaning of our experiences. It's an opportunity that everyone should take!

Prompts to support your reflection:

• What was your greatest accomplishment (the area in which you grew the most)

  • Celebrate

• ·What are you better at now than at the beginning of the year? 

• Celebrate

• What's something that is still challenging for you?

  • Celebrate the opportunity to be curious.

• Are you still in alignment with the goals you set at the beginning of the year? If not, shift and take notes of the updates needed in your new year plan.

• What do I need to let go of?

• What are you grateful for?

Reframe 

As you reflect on the year, I have no doubt you faced challenges along the way.  As you reflect on those difficulties, the best thing to do is take a step back and look at what has happened. This will often provide us with an opportunity for growth that could not otherwise be there had our failures never occurred! Reframing is a secret weapon to next leveling your momentum going into the year strong.

I know it's hard but don't forget: All this time spent struggling leads directly into success - so remember how much more rewarding life becomes once you've reframed those difficult moments?

 Reframing can change how we see our obstacles and give ourselves permission for some much-needed self-love.

 Release 

Thoughts repeated too often start to feel like facts.  Some may be empowering, but more than usual, they are pulling you down.   Paying attention to your thoughts, even for just one minute, can help you see if there are any valuable pieces in those thoughts or not!  

Ask yourself whether this thought is helping me take action. Do these thoughts have anything value at all? If they do, then, by all means, continue talking with yourself but don't release them just yet, and don't allow them into your life unless their presence helps improve every aspect of who you are or who you are becoming.

Taking time to release is your chance to change the course of events in favor of something new and empowering.   Release what's holding you back and take decisive action to what will set you up for success in the year ahead. 

 Release Prompts: 

• When life throws you a curveball, how do you react? 

• What thoughts bubble up for me?  

• Are these thoughts helping me achieve my goals or hindering my success?  

• If yes, how can I reframe them and release the ones no longer serving me?   

• Do your thoughts and feelings reflect what is going on in the situation or reality at this time?  

 Re-charge 

We all get depleted from time to time, but what drains and recharges us is highly personal. Start noticing which activities leave you feeling energized so that when an exhausting task does come along your way (it will), you can choose the best option for counteracting its effect on yourself: maybe doing something outdoors like going on a hike or running errands solo would be just right! If sitting around all morning puts thoughts into slumps at work- try scheduling regular breaks with short walks.

Self-care is vital to your success this year. You must start taking time for yourself, whether reading a good book or going on an adventure with friends! Take some steps back and evaluate what goals are most pressing now so they can get done before deadlines approach fast.

Schedule self-care into your daily routine. Mini breaks to focus on deep breathing, no screen time to be in nature, time to reconnect with friends and family. Build a habit of charging every day, and it will be easier to stay in momentum.  

 Here are some great simple habits to stay charged:

• Making an objective for each day.

• Get into a routine and stay consistent with it, so you don't procrastinate.

• Ask yourself, "Will this task help me achieve my goal?" before doing anything.

• Learning how to say no and setting boundaries.

• Reminding yourself that life is too short

• Breaking down larger goals into manageable tasks

• Creating a routine that will work for you

• Taking breaks during work to rejuvenate yourself mentally and physically

Conclusion 

It is with great pleasure that I've helped you reflect on your year, reframe it in a new empowering way, and release any toxic thoughts or feelings. Now it's time to take action! Take the Level Up & Thrive Assessment now for free.  It's a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the critical domains in your life and set yourself up for success.  I'm so excited that you took the time to read this blog post.   These are four simple strategies, but they're essential ones if you want to level up and thrive like never before!