Gift Yourself a Restful End of Year: The Magic of a “Clean Break” (on Repeat)

I love the holiday break. But it has nothing to do with the presents, the parties, the music, ugly Christmas sweaters, or even the food.?

It’s the break. We’re talking about a break literally and figuratively in our work life and even our year.

The funny thing is: I work through the holidays. Actually, a lot. Think Ebenezer Scrooge working in his accounting firm. That’s sort of me too (without the old-school ledger or the three ghosts, at least I hope not this year!). I’m sure Scrooge had year-ends like every other accountant I know.?

Humbug be damned.

The point is: it’s my busy period and I am in the office between Christmas and New Year’s. So it’s not as “breaky” as it should be for many of you. (For the record, I work a lot less in the Spring, which is when I do ski, binge watch Netflix, and drink pina coladas in Mexico.)

But I still find time for rejuvenation, recharge, and renewal this time of year — when I approach it with the right way.

After 44 Christmases past, I have made almost every mistake in the book and have learned a lot about what to do (and not). What I have realized I really need this time of year (and you may too) is what I call a “clean break.”?

BTW — If you think this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s become an annual message, since I need to remind myself and I hope it inspires you too!

“Clean Breaks” and Why They Matter for the New Year

There’s a double entendre to the way I think of an end-of-year “clean break.” First, imagine a “break” like a cut, chop, or severance with the past. I stole the term from my friend and mentor Karen Stewart who is a leading divorce expert in Canada, owner of Fairway Divorce, and author of Clean Break: How to Divorce with Dignity and Move On with Your Life.?

Don’t worry, I’m not implying you need some sort of “Eat, Pray, Love” moment where you break away from your spouse, family, and job to move to Tibet. (But maybe you do, no judging!)

A clean break can be about “divorcing” your old self and your old projects, tasks, to-dos, and ways of working.

But therein lies the double entendre. Breaking up with (or taking a clean break from) your past projects gives you the freedom to take a “break” as in rest, recharge, and relax. It’s a pause to restore your creativity and enthusiasm for life.

Tips to Make This Year’s Break the Best One Yet

From my practice over the past years, here’s what I have learned are the best ways to leverage your clean breaks for the end of year.

1. Maximize “out with the old” — find the endings and stopping points.??

As David Allen , the author of Getting Things Done OR the GOAT of personal productivity says,

“Sometimes the biggest gain in productive energy will come from cleaning the cobwebs, dealing with old business, and clearing the decks—cutting loose debris that's impeding forward motion.”

To make change possible, we need to clear the backlog of our old self.

Reflect on what is weighing you down at this endpoint of 2024 and what could help you feel lighter or more mentally detoxed. You may have a project you’d feel relieved to finish. You may have a few key people you need to follow up with. You might have a messy office or a messy closet of clothes (or both, in my case).?

I personally have several work tasks that are giving me a psychological hangover of sorts. While they aren’t the hardest or most involved things I want to get done, they are the tasks I know I need to push myself on to give myself the restful holiday break I want.

2. Take advantage of the PAUSE button–slow down.

The holidays are the one time of year when the world hits the PAUSE button. You can be off the hook from the busyness of life for just a bit. So, take advantage. BIG advantage. The rest of the year will suck the energy (sometimes, even the life) right out of you through its deadlines, deliverables, events, kids schedules, and so much more. This is not the time of year to go full tilt. There will be plenty of that in 2025. Make sure you pause, take a breath, and have a few days without plans, rushing, or goals.

3. Let yourself turn the page–leverage the “temporal landmark.”

In Daniel Pink 's excellent book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, he explains that the New Year is what social scientists call a “temporal landmark.” Just as we rely on landmarks to navigate space, we use temporal landmarks to navigate time. Putting our cynicism about resolutions aside, there is power in new beginnings. The New Year gives us the focus and motivation to make improvements happen.

?4. Make mini “clean breaks” your new norm for 2025 (and beyond).

But what if you don’t need to wait until the next New Year to reap the benefits of a clean break? What about making mini clean breaks your new markers, beacons, or mantras throughout the year? In fact, you can look for opportunities to get tasks and projects to “good enough” so that you can move on.

Instead of obsessing about my unreasonably long to-do lists, I motivate myself by focusing on the next clear stopping point – a mini moment where I can mentally move on, while the project awaits its next step (mine or someone else’s).

It’s a bit like a Jedi mind trick, which I’ve learned to play on myself.

It’s akin to “celebrating,” but to be perfectly honest, the idea of “celebrating” every time you check off a to-do is a bit fromage to me. Clean breaks, on the other hand, resonate with me because they’re about moving forward and giving yourself a breather. (But you can still “celebrate” with a latte, Instagram scrolling, or a cat video if you want.)

So, for the 2024 year-end and 2025 (and beyond):

• What do you need to consider to close 2024 and approach 2025 with a fresh start?

• What are the most restful and rewarding things you can do during your break?

• How can you use the end of 2024 to your advantage?

• How can you create healthy cut-offs or stopping points without waiting for the next New Year?

And as I pause until my first newsletter of 2025, I’m grateful for your interest in Leverage Your Knowledge and wish you a happy, healthy, and restful end to 2024 and all good things in the coming year.

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