'Happy End of Year' comes before 'Happy New Year'

As we approach the end of 2013 and look towards the New Year, I ask you take a moment to consider how you deal with endings in your life. Our lives are full of endings and new beginnings on many levels, and how we deal with endings generally affects how 'ready' we are to make the most of new beginnings.

Endings range from the small everyday activities to major life events. Here are some questions around endings for you to consider to help gauge what your tendencies are around endings:

• The end of each day. How do you handle the end of each day? Do you take care of what needs taking care of (including yourself and your loved ones) so that you can go to bed feeling at peace and ready to tackle what tomorrow brings? What rituals do you have in place to feel a sense of completion of your day?
  
  
• The end of a meal. Do you finish your meal, allow yourself time to digest the food and clear away? Is your body given the chance to feel nourished by the food?
  
  
• The end of a 'project' at home. Do you have outstanding projects at home that never quite get finished? Are there projects taking up emotional and physical space in your home? Getting projects finished gives a sense of completion and satisfaction and clears the way for you to tackle the next project afresh.
  
  
• The end of a job. Whether you leave a job through choice, redundancy or retirement, do you give yourself time to reflect on what was positive, what you learnt from the experience and what you can let go of so that you move to the next part of your life uncluttered emotionally?

What endings might you need to process and take action on as we approach the end of this year? What's been positive in 2013; what have you learnt about yourself and the world and what can you let go of so that you are best placed to have a fantastic 2014?

Perhaps we all need to wish each other "Happy End of Year' before we wish each other 'Happy New Year'!