As 2023 comes to a close, are you starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by all that’s left undone? When you think ahead to 2024, does anxiety rise in your chest along with the thought, “How can I make sure I’m further ahead this time next year?”

But - wait! Aren’t we valuing feminine leadership here? And doesn’t that mean being in tune with the seasons and cycles of the earth and our bodies? Winter (in the northern hemisphere) is a time of going inward, resting, and yes - DREAMING! My Celtic ancestors called this the dreaming time - the time to envision a better future. It is not the time to act, but rather the time to be still. Patriarchal societies will always devalue winter and try to override them towards consumption and goal-crushing. Let’s push back by lying down and getting into some winter dreaming.

Here are 7 R’s for planning your New Year’s with ease and flow!

1. Reframe

Let’s begin by reframing the end of the year, New Year’s resolution, and the winter season herself.

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, we must have compassion, allow for change, and give ourselves grace. Being sacred feminine leaders means allowing for the seasonal and cyclical shifts that naturally arise with all things. Not only do we change rapidly, but we need to give our dreams, visions, and goals room and permission to change as well. If it helps ground you, cultivate a relationship with your Highest Self - the part of you that is eternal, is worthy, is good. This stays steady through all the ebbs and flows around it.

Lean into the dream time of the dark winter season. What if instead of making it a mad dash to numb through consumption (cookies and shopping!) - we took our power back by making it a sacred time of year? What is your deepest heart’s intention as you close out the year? Perhaps you’re longing for authentic connection with a family member, to give back to your community generously, or to finally learn how to take a real soul sabbatical.

2. Reflect

We can’t move forward without first looking back. Take time to pull out your journal and really reflect on the past year, the end of the year, and how you want next year to feel.

Reflect on the past year. What lessons did you learn? What is the high point? What is the low point? What did you gain? What did you lose or let go of? Who were you a year ago? Who are you now, and what is the biggest cause for the difference? How have your values shifted? What about your overall goals and dreams? What’s most important to you right now?

Reflect on the end of the year: What is the one thing you would love to see happen before the new year? What’s one thing you’re leaving behind in 2023? From the section above, what is your deepest heart’s intention for the end of the year?

Reflect on next year: This time next year, how do you want to feel? What will you do throughout the year to feel that way? What matters most to you in 2024?

3. Regulate

Now that we’ve reframed this whole goal-setting process and reflected on what’s real for us, let’s ground into our bodies and regulate our nervous systems. So many people bypass this step and jump straight into strategy, but can’t you feel how that’s another masculine-energy override of a deeply feminine-energy process? Our bodies hold profound wisdom, and yet we are all trying to numb and escape them at every turn! Let’s practice coming back home to our bodies - and thereby the present moment - several times a day. If it helps, set an alarm on your phone every couple of waking hours to remind you to drop inward, take a deep breath or two, and anchor into your precious body!

To regulate your body for this grounded visioning practice, I recommend the following dynamic practice:

Sit on a yoga block, bolster, or cushion with a hand on your heart .
Send your highest self unconditional love - if a visualization helps, it can look like a bright white light streaming into your heart.
Begin tapping all the EFT points - 5 rounds. You can use the mantra, “Even though I’m feeling (insert difficult emotions here), I completely love and accept myself.”
Start scrubbing your fascia - your face, scalp, neck, shoulders, chest, armpits, upper arms, lower arms, palms, belly, hips, upper legs, lower legs, spending lots of time on the feet.
Do a few yoga stretches - cat cow, down dog, pigeon, whatever feels good.
Rise and stretch.
Slowly begin moving with the music. You can start gently shaking out each arm and leg, then your head, until you are jumping up and down.
Eventually break into a full-on ecstatic dance for at least 1 whole song (this will take some intuitive DJing on your part).
Slowly return to jumping, then shaking, then swaying with your hand on your heart.
Thank your higher self for this embodied practice. See if she has a message for you. Send a message to her.

Nervous system regulation has astronomical benefits, and it's a skill many of us need to cultivate and practice because we weren’t taught how to do it. Regulating your nervous system helps you be more present, have better social engagement, and access the part of your brain responsible for critical thinking. It helps you have better relationships and get your needs met. It even helps you experience your spirit more fully and live the life you came here to lead!

4. Request

Notice what it feels like to be more embodied and regulated after your practice. With the body’s wisdom center online, it’s time to request even more assistance and guidance from your unseen helpers. Call on your guides, ancestors, the divine, and the earth to inspire and direct your vision.

If you have Tarot cards or Oracle decks, this is a great time to pull your cards for the year. You could pull a card for each month, each season/quarter, or 1 card for the whole year. Do what feels right for you, and trust the guidance that comes.

If you have another divination practice, now is the time to use it. Runes, pendulums, scrying - whatever resonates. I believe divination is a powerful tool to unlock our intuitive wisdom.

If you have spirit guides, lean on the power of the elements or directions, now is the time to call them in. Ask them a specific question as you sit in meditation and pay attention to what visions arise. Trust that you are led.

I recommend asking them to show you visions of the next year, of what you need to know as you plan, of what your most aligned outcome can be.

5. Re-envision

Sit in meditation and envision every area of your life this time next year: job, romance, friendships, family, fun, home, wellbeing, learning, as well as any other areas.

What are you doing? How are you feeling? Who are you surrounding yourself with? Where are you? How do you dress? What is your morning and evening routine? How would you describe your energy, and what is feeding it?

Rather than journal your responses, sit in the visualization as long as you can, sinking into the imagery and codifying it in your brain as a potential future reality.

6. Review

When you’re ready, come out of the visualization and take out your journal to riff on the following questions.

First, write down what you saw and what sticks out to you from the visualization.
What limiting beliefs need to change to shift your energy?
What new beliefs or mantras need to be added in?
What habits, routines, and rituals can support these shifts?
How do you currently spend your time, energy, and money? How does it need to shift? What can come off your plate - hint: anything that doesn’t spark the way you want to feel!
What can you automate and delegate so the responsibilities don’t all fall on you?
What boundaries, limits, and structures do you need to bring in to support more spaciousness and flow?
What resources, supports, and accountability can you call in to ensure success?

7. Realign

Rather than do a traditional strategic plan for the whole year, I recommend taking it 1 quarter at a time for optimal follow-through! This allows for any shifts that need to happen quarter to quarter to ensure alignment with what’s present for you. That’s less pressure to stick to something you came up with 9 months ago that isn’t alive for you anymore.

Map out the goals for the next quarter that feel challenging but not impossible, keeping in mind the effect the winter season (northern hemi friends) has on your energy.
Within those goals, map out the activities each one requires (for example, if my goal was to gain 10 new clients, my activities would be the campaigns to book those clients).
Under each activity, break it down into as small of tasks as possible (if my activity were to launch a new coaching program, some of my tasks might be sending a marketing email and crafting a sales page).
Schedule a deadline for each activity.
Write in the ongoing habits that will support your goals, for example sending a weekly newsletter or posting to social media daily.
Use time blocking in your calendar to map out the time you will need to meet your deadlines for each activity. I’ve found what works best are regular weekly time blocks for the same ongoing tasks.

And there you have it! The 7 R’s for a more peaceful and calm New Year’s planning experience. How do you feel? I hope you feel more regulated, more supported, and more free to change your mind. I hope you feel more emboldened to take back the end of the year with rest and intention. I hope you can embrace the dark season of dreaming without feeling the pressure to take action, numb, or escape.

Grounded Vision Sessions

If you’d like space held for you around your 2024 visioning process, I have a beautiful offer for you: Grounded Vision sessions!

A 2-hour virtual zoom session or in-person session in a Womb Temple in downtown Frederick!
A powerful self-intimacy ceremony to get in touch with your soul’s vision
Divination, oracle reading, and ancestral channeling to guide your 2024 planning
Hands-on fascia healing and nervous system regulation (in-person only)
Guided self-massage for fascia healing and nervous system regulation (online only)
Collaborative strategic planning session for 2024
Leadership coaching to clear your deep blocks around imposter syndrome, inner critic, burnout, and fear
Powerful space holding to access your highest, most authentic truth and take aligned action
Emailed notes within 24 hours
Unexpected and unplanned energetic shifts, activations, and downloads!

Come book your Grounded Vision session with me today - 4 sessions are available at a heavily discounted rate of just $150! I would love to hold space for you as you experience the 7 R’s for yourself!

Happy grounding + visioning!

7 R’s to plan your New Year with ease & flow