How to end the year well

I know, I know. It's only November (just!). But, after this week, many of us are only planning two more weeks at work before the Christmas break.

Whenever you're "breaking up" (I'll be working until the 21st), who wants to think about work and career stuff over the festive period? We want to focus on spending time with our loves ones, doing a bit of self-care (I plan to read one or two lovely books) and perhaps helping out those less fortunate than ourselves.

Whatever your plans, I know for a FACT that it's beneficial to spend some time finishing this year well so that you can rest over the Christmas period, switch your work-mode off a bit and start next year well. And now is the best time to do that.

So here are my top tips to end 2022 well.

1. Celebrate your successes: What has gone really well this year? What are you most proud of? What unexpectedly good things happened to you? Now, celebrate those successes - post about them on social media, display some photos that remind you of what you've achieved, comment here and tell me about your successes - I'd love to celebrate with you!
2. Practise gratitude: What are the things that you have in your life right now that you're grateful for? Who are your biggest supporters and how can you thank them for the support they've given you this year? Given the positive health benefits of reflecting on gratitude, how might you plan to practise this more next year.
3. Give yourself the gift of strengths: If you have a Strengths Profile report, dig it out. How can you use your energising strengths more and your energy drainers less in 2023? If you don't have a report, DM me and let me know. I'll sort you out. Otherwise, think about those activities that really bring you joy. How can you plan to do more of those next year?
4. What could be even better: Reflecting on the year, what are the things that you wanted to do but you didn't? What could have gone better? With this in mind, what could you plan to do next year to make 2023 even better than this year?
5. Relax: Make a list of all the things that you love to do (read, take a bath, walk with friends, go to the pub, play board games) - try to keep them analogue as we get enough tech throughout the year! Now, get into your "diary" or however you plan you time over Christmas / New Year and allocate some space to do those things.

So, those are my top five tips for some R&R over the holidays. What other tips do you have?

And, don't forget, if you want to have some fun in December reflecting on what you'd like to achieve next year, you still have time to book onto the Graceful Goals programme. ?Join us!?

All the best for a great week ahead! Ali