There’s feelings that come with the end of the year. For some, it’s a good riddance to the year closing out. For others, it’s a celebration of their successes. For most, however, it’s a combination of triumphs and sorrows.

No matter what kind of year you had, closing out one chapter and preparing for the next can be energetically freeing. It’s kind of like doing a deep clean in the house. We don’t necessarily want to take the time to do it, but when we’re done, we feel fresh, clear headed, and accomplished. Even though it takes some effort physically, we can feel emotionally energized. We don’t always have to save the rituals for the end of a year either. They can be done at any point when we have the need for closure and to form intentions for moving forward.

Sending Off the Old and Making Room for the New

• Clean out virtual closets

Digital collections clutter our spaces too. Clearing out our digital spaces can feel just as therapeutic as cleaning out and organizing a physical closet; except that we can do it while lounging on the couch or in bed. Delete irrelevant emails, unsubscribe from subscriptions you no longer need (not The Hope Builder though LOL.) Organize your thousands of photos into folders and delete the exes, the damning, the blurry and duplicates; you get the idea. We don’t need them to successfully move forward and they can even hold us back.

• Clean out a physical closet or a space that’s been haunting you.

This could be a box of memorabilia kept under the bed for lack of space or clothing collecting creases and hanger shoulders that no longer fits the person you are today. It could be a collection of clothing or items that belonged to someone who has passed. Perhaps it’s time to let it go or preserve what is meaningful in an honorable and loving way.

• Write down your pains and sorrows (and gather items that are related)

What was hurtful in 2023? What surfaced from years ago that came up while you were growing and evolving this year? Burn them in a quiet ceremony of release or have a bonfire, whatever strikes your fancy and whatever suits the quantity of what you need to burn; just get them lit and let go.

• Write down all of your goals and things you want to call into your life in the new year.

Bury them into the ground to allow them to grow. Too woo-woo for you? Just write them down, be specific and place it somewhere safe. It can be where you will see it or not. At the end of 2024, pull it out and see where your intentions took you.

• Write down all of your accomplishments

Likely, there’s more on this list than you realize even if you felt you had a year of stagnation. Just sit quietly and go through the months. Pull out your calendar or favorite social media app for a memory jogger.

• Start a 2024 record of accomplishments

Get a wide mouth jar. Every time you have an accomplishment, write it on a colorful piece of paper and place it in the jar. Throughout the year, the jar becomes filled with beautiful colors. At the end of the year, you can pull out and read each one. I can’t take credit for this one, found it on social media somewhere but love the idea. Get an accomplishment notebook or start a running list in a Google Doc so you can easily add to it. The idea is that whatever you choose, keep it accessible so it’s easy to add more. Use this list to pat yourself on the back or when feeling discouraged if you feel like you’re not getting where you want to go.

Whatever your end of year and beginning of year rituals are, enjoy the process. We will never be back in this place in time again. Cherish the release and the process of setting new intentions and remember, breathe through it all.