I know this time of year can feel full and fast.
So before we move on, I want to offer you a pause.
A moment to settle.
A breath to let your shoulders drop.
A soft landing — right where you are.
If you’re anything like me, there’s often a quiet desire beneath the busyness, the hosting, and the celebrating — a longing to reflect, to integrate, to slow down… and to step into the new year with intention and nourishment.
That’s why I’d love to invite you into one of my favorite New Year rituals.
It’s simple, spacious, and soulful — designed to gently shape the year ahead with clarity, care, and intention.
I do this ritual every year between the winter solstice and my birthday on January 12th — a magical three-week portal for slowing down, listening deeply, and letting the next layer of your soul’s truth rise.
I've taught this process in countless workshops, retreats, and even in my book, and it remains one of my favorite things to share.
So this year, I’m inviting you to do it with me shared right here in your inbox.
💕 Just a meaningful way to begin the new year — with intention, reflection, and heart.
Because it’s always more powerful when we do this work in community — sharing what’s arising, cheering each other on, and rooting into what really matters.
🔮 Part 1: Retrospection
When we consciously close one chapter, we give ourselves permission to step into the next with even more presence and care.
So, before we move forward into 2026, let’s zoom out for a moment—and take in the wider view of this past year.
A simple noticing of what was true for you. The highlights. The awe. The wonder. The challenges. The life lessons.
Feel free to reflect or journal on these questions:
📝 What were the big moments this year—the highlights, the milestones, the turning points? I like to go month by month.
📝 Were there any overarching themes moving through your life? Taking risks, letting go, resting, rebuilding?
📝 Did you experience any major transitions this year? What did they teach you?
📝 What genuinely worked for you this year? What are you most proud of?
📝 What feels ready to be released—something to let go of, forgive, or do differently?
📝 What life lessons revealed themselves along the way?
As you reflect, notice the values and virtues that kept showing up. Circle them if you like. They often point quietly, but clearly, toward what matters most, and what you may want to prioritize moving forward.
Take your time with this. Let it breathe.
Over the coming days, I’ll be sharing the remaining three parts of the ritual — one at a time, right here.
If you’re someone who loves a slow, soulful New Year’s practice, this is your space to settle in…
To let each part simmer.
To give your truth room to rise, in its own timing.
This is a ritual I return to every year.
Not to plan harder — but to listen more deeply.
And every time, when I look back…I’m in awe of what has quietly, powerfully unfolded.
In the next few posts, I’ll explore how I shape a year around rhythm, presence, and soul.
Part two will land here in just a few days — and I think you’re going to love it. 💗
With love,
Sue