Closing out 2025 with honesty (and intention)
This episode marks my final conversation of 2025—and wow, what a year. I’ve seen so many people online saying that this year absolutely kicked their ass, and honestly? I get it. It was a wild year.
But it was also a beautiful one.
And this is where perspective matters. Every year holds duality. There are moments that, viewed through one lens, feel like a total train wreck—and through another, feel like profound growth. Before we rush into planning what’s next, we have to be willing to witness what actually was.
That’s where my end-of-year process begins.
Why I reflect monthly (and why it matters now)
I don’t wait until December to look back. Every single month, I do a reflection on the month behind me and projections for the month ahead. That means when December arrives, I have twelve living journal entries—twelve honest snapshots of my year.
Reading them feels like rereading my own life.
If you want to truly understand a year—not just remember the highlights—this practice alone will change everything.
Step 1: Setting the tone
The first thing I do is set the tone for reflection.
This isn’t about goals or metrics. It’s about energy.
I go through:
- photos
- journal entries
- writing
- personal notes
- archived memories
And I ask one question:
What did this year feel like?
Not what happened—what energy did it bring into my life?
This gives me context before I try to make meaning.
Step 2: Deep reflection (by category)
Next, I move into structured reflection. I look at each month through specific life categories:
- Experiences
- Relationships
- Health & Body
- Mind
- Business
- Money
- Soul & Environment
For each month, I reflect on:
- what went well
- what didn’t
- the highs and lows
- the lessons I couldn’t see at the time
This is where wisdom is extracted—not judgment.
Step 3: Celebration (yes, on purpose)
Before planning anything new, I celebrate.
Not passively—physically.
I name what I’m celebrating:
- growth edges I moved through
- people I supported
- changes I made
- risks I took
Then I anchor it in my body. A meal. A massage. A moment of acknowledgment.
Celebration isn’t optional—it teaches your nervous system that growth is safe.
Step 4: Closing the year + setting intentions
Only after reflection and celebration do I move into intention setting.
I ask:
- What am I no longer available for?
- What am I bringing forward?
- What am I calling in?
Then I write intentions for the year ahead in script form—as if it already happened—across the same life categories.
This isn’t manifestation fluff. It’s identity rehearsal.
Your nervous system learns through repetition and story.
Step 5: Strategy that actually supports your life
Intentions without strategy create frustration.
This is where structure comes in.
- plan financially (quarterly + yearly)
- block future planning dates into my calendar
- email myself reminders for future decisions
- schedule space, not just work
If something matters, it goes on the calendar—or it doesn’t exist.
Let’s talk about “letting it be easy”
Here’s where I get a little opinionated.
“Let it be easy” has been wildly misunderstood.
Ease does not mean effortless.
Ease does not mean avoiding friction.
Ease does not mean floating through life without plans.
Ease comes from being resourced.
And resources are created through:
- structure
- systems
- realistic planning
- aligned boundaries
Expecting ease without preparation often turns into avoidance, dissociation, or quitting too early.
Structure creates freedom. Always has.
Regulation ≠ calm
Being regulated doesn’t mean you’re calm.
It doesn’t mean things go perfectly.
And it definitely doesn’t mean nothing challenges you.
Regulation means you have the capacity to meet challenges as yourself—not in survival mode.
That capacity is built intentionally.
ADHD, all-or-nothing, and planning that actually works
One of the biggest shifts I’ve made—especially with ADHD—is breaking everything into 15-minute tasks or less.
Nothing lives on my to-do list as a vague “big thing.”
Everything is broken down.
Everything is doable.
Everything creates momentum.
For my fellow all-or-nothing women:
overnight transformation is a trap.
Instead, I set a macro goal and work backward six weeks—building micro goals that give me consistent proof of success.
Consistency comes from attainability, not pressure.
Before you add—remove
This might be the most important piece of planning for 2026:
Take things away before you add anything new.
We don’t need more habits.
We need more space.
That’s why I left social media—and why I’m deeply questioning where efficiency tools (like AI) help versus quietly disconnect us from ourselves.
Every decision has a cost.
Alignment is choosing the cost you’re willing to pay.
Final words for the year ahead
If you want 2026 to look different, something has to change.
Structure doesn’t limit freedom—it protects it.
Planning doesn’t kill alignment—it makes it sustainable.
And ease isn’t something you wait for.
It’s something you build.
I love you.
Thank you for being here.
Happy New Year.
xx, Ash
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