5 Rituals to Wrap Up the Year at Work Positively

Ah, the whirlwind of Christmas!

Many of us love the festive spirit??- but let’s be honest:

December often feels like a marathon where we’re juggling deadlines, wrapping up projects, buying gifts, attending work parties, friend gatherings, and school holiday events. ??

It's like a festive triathlon where you’re sprinting, juggling, and trying not to drop the hot wine!

Yes, it’s busy, chaotic, and a little overwhelming—but hey, that’s the magic (and madness) of Christmas! ??

As the year comes to a close, having intentional workplace rituals can foster connection, reflection, and renewed energy.

Here are five impactful practices leaders and employees can adopt:

?? Share the Year’s Highlights

If you have been following me for a while, you know that I am a big fan of reflecting on our daily or at least weekly highlights. This practice helps us combat our negativity bias and boosts our positive emotions.

Now, let’s apply this idea to our year-end review. Take time to recognize and celebrate all the great achievements you and your team have accomplished throughout the year—both professionally and personally!

Engaging in this exercise is a wonderful way to remind everyone of the positive events that have occurred and to acknowledge the successes that stem from their hard work.

??How to do it?

• Start your next meeting by asking everyone to share their highlights of the year.
• Create an open text poll via Mentimer / Slido or other interactive tools and ask each participant to share their biggest highlights at work for 2024
• Create a page/group on your internal communication platform where all employees share their team highlights.
• Ask your colleague/team member in your next 1:1 catch up
• Ask someone during your coffee break

?? Organise a Team Shout Out Session

Many people in the workplace do not receive enough positive feedback.

One great end-of-year tradition is to encourage everyone to “shout out” the accomplishments of their colleagues.

Host a brief meeting in which each person shares a success they are proud of and recognizes a colleague's contributions. This will help foster camaraderie and strengthen a culture of appreciation and gratitude.

Ask everyone to come prepared with notes of praise and specific achievements they've observed from others over the year.

Encourage them to reflect on key projects and initiatives, not just those from the last few months. Remind them to consider the impact of those accomplishments on the team, their goals, and the company as a whole.

?? Recap the Year with your Team

It's essential to take a moment to reflect on the past year.

This reflection is crucial for personal growth and a successful team start to the new year.

Consider the following questions to reflect with your team:

?? What are you most proud of achieving this year, and why?

?? What feedback have you received this year that has helped you grow?

?? Which colleagues did you enjoy working with the most?

?? What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?

?? What would you adapt/change/improve for the next year?

?? How did you generally feel while at work?

?? What did you/could you do to take care of your well-being?

?? What do you think could have gone better this year, and what might you do differently next time?

Reflect on these questions and evaluate what you can do next year to keep this positive trajectory and areas for improvement.

?? Express What You’re Saying Goodbye to in 2024

The end of the year is the perfect time to reflect, let go, and embrace acceptance. It’s not just about celebrating successes but also releasing what no longer serves you—mentally, emotionally, or professionally.

?? Ask yourself:

• What am I holding onto that I don’t need anymore?
• Which feelings, behaviours, or habits am I ready to leave behind in 2024?

?? Here are some examples to inspire your reflection:

• Let go of perfectionism: Release the constant pressure to be flawless and make space for embracing progress over perfection.
• Say goodbye to self-doubt: Let go of the nagging feeling of "not being good enough" and start recognizing your worth.
• Move past persistent frustrations: Release the stress from a project that didn’t go as planned—it’s time to learn, forgive, and move on.
• Ease financial worry: Shift your focus to what you can control and start planning for financial peace.
• Reduce unnecessary pressure: Let go of overloading yourself and commit to a healthier work-life balance.
• Reflect on negative behaviors: Acknowledge moments where you wished you acted differently and use them as stepping stones for growth.

By intentionally saying goodbye to these burdens, you create space for fresh opportunities, healthier habits, and a more positive mindset in 2025. Encourage your team to do the same—it’s a powerful way to start anew!

?? Visualise How you Want to BE in 2025

Planning the next year is not about expressing our new resolutions that we won’t be able to maintain.

80% of New Year's resolutions fail by the beginning of February

I’m not a big fan of resolutions! Setting goals is important, but you have to do it properly.

Goal-setting in psychology is an essential tool for self-motivation. It gives meaning to our actions and the purpose of achieving something higher.

I personally prefer to set my goals by imagining what kind of person I want to be in 2025

?? For example, the following questions might help you to set your goals and vision for next year:

• Where are you now, and where do you want to go next year? (not as a destination but more as a state of being ??)
• How do you want to feel in 2025?
• Who do you want to be in 2025?
• What do you need - to be that person?

?? Then, use the SMART framework to achieve your goals

• Be specific
• Make sure it's measurable
• Make sure your goal is achievable
• Is it realistic?
• By when do you want to achieve your goal (timing)?

Setting goals properly helps trigger new behaviors, helps to focus and to sustain that momentum in life.

The december break is also a great way to spend time with our loved ones, do things that make us happy, eat good food, take time for ourselves, watch Xmas feel-good movies...

Enjoy the small things that matter, and be grateful for them!

Wishing you all a Wonderful & Happy Christmas

Aurelie

Behind the Scenes: What I’ve Been Up To

The last month, I've been part of the G20 Wellbeing Leaders Forum - went to the French Alps to lead a workshop on team's purpose, and facilitated different webinars and workshops for multinational companies.

Thank you all for making my year a wonderful one!

Wanna know more about my sessions? DM me or get in touch via my website

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