A Soft Close To Your Year

 

A Gentle Year-End Reflection: 3 Questions to Close the Year Softly

By the UWM editors

 
 
 

The last days of the year can come with pressure — to reflect, to reset, to restart. For some people, this feels motivating. For others, it feels heavy. Most of us fall somewhere in between.

This is your permission to approach the end of the year gently.

No long lists.
No big resolutions.
No high expectations.
Just three simple questions that help you honor where you really are.

Take a moment to pause, breathe, and answer these at your own pace.

1. WHAT felt nourishing this year — even in small ways?

We tend to focus on achievements, productivity, or the challenges we overcame. But nourishment is what carried us through everything.

Think of:

  • moments that softened you

  • people who supported you

  • choices that strengthened you

  • simple habits that helped you stay grounded

Small nourishment counts just as much as big growth.

2. What quietly drained you — and what do you no longer want to carry?

This isn’t about blame or regret. It’s about honesty.

Consider:

  • obligations that didn’t match your energy

  • patterns that left you depleted

  • habits or rhythms that felt heavy

  • expectations that weren’t yours to hold

You don’t have to fix anything yet. Naming is the first step in releasing.

3. What’s one thing you want to feel more of in the year ahead?

Not a goal. Not an achievement. A feeling.

Some people want:

  • steadiness

  • clarity

  • ease

  • inspiration

  • connection

  • space

Your choices in January don’t need to be drastic. If you know the feeling you want, you can move toward it in small, sustainable ways.

A Final Word

You don’t need to end the year perfectly. You don’t need to start the next one with force.

Let this moment be a soft transition, a bridge between what has been and what could be.

We’ll be walking a gentle path, as well.

 
 
 
Be/WellUWM Editorsurban living, gratitude, slow living