Why Slowing Down Helps You Start Strong
Photo by Simon Berger
As we move into the last week of 2025, I wonder what your experience has been. Are you skidding into home plate with dirt on your pants at high velocity—or barely puttering across the finish line? Some of us may be somewhere in between.
No matter what your experience has been as we wind down the year, we do have the advantage of starting with a clean slate—and the promise of new goals and, perhaps, new energy.
I’m starting to pay closer attention to nature and how it serves as an example of the cyclical patterns in our lives. During this season, the days grow shorter, and the weather naturally encourages more time indoors. Trees lose their leaves and appear barren for a few months. Animals hibernate or move slowly, conserving energy.
Figuratively, spending more time reflecting internally is a way to reset, recover, and rest. It’s important to slow down and think about what has happened, what we want to happen, and how we may want to do things differently moving forward. Without a pause, we continue on autopilot—often wondering why we don’t get different results.
One of the most important exercises I ask myself and my clients to complete this time of year is a Year-End “Clean the Slate” process. It consistently proves to be enlightening, empowering, and a profound reflection of what actually happened throughout the year.
I use my calendar and photo gallery as my guides, because that’s where the factual evidence lives. My memory has a habit of adding incorrect details that can shift the reality of what truly occurred. Once I review my calendar, I follow prompts to navigate the process and capture the events of the year.
(Click here for the exercise)
One important rule I recommend is letting go of judgment while completing this reflection. I often revisit The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz to prepare myself to receive the gifts this exercise provides. These agreements help me set a clear intention for the process—one that is fully in service of growth and future opportunity.
The Four Agreements are:
Be impeccable with your word
Don’t take anything personally
Don’t make assumptions
Always do your best
Give yourself the gift of self-reflection as you build your intentions for the new year. Our actions follow our thoughts—so be thoughtful in creating, receiving, and allowing all that you deserve.
Celebrate all of it.
Cheers to your new year,
Martha Lynn
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