How to End Your Year Feeling Empowered: A Simple Reflection That Changes Everything

Every December, I notice something in myself and in almost every woman I work with.

We forget.

We forget the good we created.
We forget the moments that made us stronger.
We forget the ways we showed up with courage when no one else saw it.
We forget the quiet obstacles we climbed, step by step, all year long.

And we forget something else that matters deeply when we’re reviewing our year.

We forget how many people we helped.

Even on the days when we felt tired, stretched thin, or unsure of ourselves, we made an impact.
We supported, listened, encouraged, guided, and held more people than we realize.

This year has been heavy in a way that’s hard to even articulate. Every day, it feels like there is another sucker punch headline... rising prices, policies that harm vulnerable people, families torn apart by ICE, entire communities living in fear, protections being dismantled, and discrimination aimed at women, transgender people, and people of color. Stories of violence, cruelty, and war crimes make you wonder what kind of world we’re in. It’s shocking. It’s exhausting. And it’s heartbreaking to witness the dismantling of institutions that once felt steady and the erosion of compassion in our leaders. 

Our democracy has eroded. It feels helpless and overwhelming. 

 And yet… You stayed awake.

You paid attention. You cared even when it hurt.

And yet you didn’t look away.
Maybe you called your representatives or marched.
Maybe you volunteered, donated, or voted as your life depended on it.
Maybe you helped one person at a time.
Maybe you simply stayed present in a world begging you to shut down.
And every one of those actions is a success.

This is why a gentle year-end reflection matters so much. It helps you remember the woman you were this year and the one you’re becoming.

A Reflection Ritual to Begin Right Now

Before the new year starts, before the holiday, take a moment and ask yourself this simple but powerful question.

Who did I help this year?

Not perfectly.
Not constantly.
Not without moments of fear, overthinking, or doubt.
Just… who did I help?

Write down every single person.
Family.
Friends.
Clients.
Coworkers.
Neighbors.
Strangers.
Anyone whose day became lighter because of you.

These small acts of kindness are part of your real story.
They shape your year far more than the moments you struggled.

Because your year wasn’t defined by what was hard.
It was shaped by how you showed up.

Why This Year-End Review Matters

Every year, without fail, I do a personal review of my year. I’ve done this ritual for decades, and I’ll never stop.

Why?
Because when I don’t write things down, I forget the best parts of my year.

I forget the joyful surprises.
I forget what I completed.
I forget what I overcame.
I forget how I grew into the woman I’m becoming.

And when we forget the good, the hard parts begin to tell the whole story, and they don’t deserve that much power.

A year-end reflection helps you reclaim the truth of your year.
It helps you recognize your strength, your skills, and your resilience.
It helps you let go before the new year begins, so you don’t carry unnecessary regret or self-judgment into the new year.

This is why I teach this practice in every retreat, every workshop, and every Vision Circle. Clarity is empowering. Remembering who you are is one of the most powerful things a woman can do.

Something You Can Do Today

Before you go to bed tonight, try this simple reflection.

Write down five people you helped this year.
Then write down five ways you surprised yourself.
Then write down five things you completed, even if they felt small.

This is how you begin a meaningful year-end review.
This is how you reconnect with your own inner wisdom.
This is how you gently release the disappointments and regrets you don’t want to bring into the new year.

You are not starting over.
You are carrying forward every quality that got you through this year: your strength, your compassion, your courage and your heart.

Over to you

For today, give yourself a moment of stillness.

Count what was good.
Count who you helped.
Count the strength it took to be you this year.

You are far more extraordinary than you remember.

You’re a badass for making it through this year... and for showing up in all the ways you did.