My End of Year Completion Ritual

Let's wrap it up, shall we?

The start of a new year feels like hitting the reset button. It’s a chance to pause, take stock, and think about what’s next. What’s working? What’s definitely not working? And where do you want to shift your energy and focus? For me, the promise of a fresh start is everything.

Let’s get started.

Photography by Vivian Johnson

Step One: Physical Clutter, Bye.

I begin with the obvious culprits—the unread magazines, mismatched food storage containers, duplicate wine openers. Then, Jordan and I tackle our closets together (maybe the highlight of my year) and declutter our small file box. This used to take us hours, but now we only own two forks and one t-shirt between us (jk, jk, but it has gotten much more efficient). I also forcefully invite the teenagers to do a mini edit of their rooms - I hand them each a donation bag and ask them to fill it with anything they no longer need, want or use. Then I sort it all into categories—donations, recycling, e-waste, textile recycling, trash—and make it disappear.

Even if you’re staring down an overstuffed-nightmare scenario (we’ve all been there), you can start small with these quick 15-minute wins:

• Paperwork: Gather all loose bills, paperwork, and mail into one pile for review. Seeing it in one place makes it less intimidating.

• Closet: Find five items you haven’t worn in a year and set them aside for donation—no second-guessing allowed. Bonus: clean out your sock drawer and ditch any extra hangers taking up space in your closet.

• Kitchen: Open your fridge and pantry. Toss anything expired, suspicious, or that you just know you won’t eat.

• Bathroom: Clear out old makeup, expired products, and unused skincare from your cabinets and drawers.

• Daily Bag + Wallet: Empty it all out. Say goodbye to gum wrappers, mystery receipts, and expired cards.

Declutter Sprint: Set a timer for 15 minutes and see how much you (or your kids) can tackle in one room. Try to fill at least one donation bag.

Extra Credit: Finally drop off the donations that have been sitting in your trunk/basement/by the door. High five!

Step Two: Mentally Wrap Up the Year

My impulse is always to bypass reflection and get on with the future planning, but it really pays off to carve out a little time to look back at the past year before moving into action mode. I like to flip through my (online) calendar, remind myself of key moments, and answer the following prompts:

• What events shaped this year?

• What do I want to celebrate?

• What do I want to grieve, process, or release?

• Key lessons or takeaways for next year?

Then I ask myself one big question:

How am I spending my time now, and how do I want to spend it next year?

This single reflection can reveal surprising truths about your priorities and how to realign them for the year ahead.

Step Three: The Mini Life Audit

With the year behind me, and the house refreshed, I take a moment to assess how I’m doing right now by rating each area of my life on a scale of 1 to 5 based on level of satisfaction:

• Health and Wellness

• Relationships and Community

• Career and Finance

• Personal development

• Physical environment

Then I brainstorm a few small, actionable changes I can implement that will improve each area.

Here are a few of my micro-shifts from last year:

• Taking a multivitamin every day.

• Setting a weekly coffee date with my BFF.

• Donating 10% of my income to causes I believe in.

• Reading before bed instead of watching TV.

• Upgrade sad sheets and towels

These tiny tweaks don’t feel overwhelming, but they add up to real impact over time.

I hope this ritual helps you clear space—physically and mentally—for all the good things to come. Here’s to starting the new year with renewed purpose, energy, and clarity. Happy 2025!

Just Published: Thrilled to have my essay on how to catch and curb your complaining habit published by Katie Couric Media. Read it here.

Fun Feature: I was thrilled to be interviewed by one of my favorite authors,

Catherine Price

, on how to get your life together (or at least exhale a little). Read it here.

Small Space Crush: This super stylish 330 square-foot stunner (thanks for sharing

Laura Fenton

).

Wearing Daily: These chic $48 huggies (so many compliments on these!).

Reading: The Comfort Crisis - loving this hot take on the power of embracing discomfort.

Curious About: This guy and his very large calendar.

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