A Clean Finish To The Year
We’re closing the year with a mixed bag: emotions, energy, ideas, and lessons. The point isn’t to choose one and ignore the rest. It’s to be a healthy container that can hold all of it without spilling or shutting down.
This year I’ve noticed lower thresholds on many fronts, trust, emotional tolerance, boundaries. More “on edge” behaviour. Not just anger. More of the quiet lines people say to themselves:
I can’t do this anymore.
I’m over it.
I can’t keep doing this.
I’ve had enough.
Stay in that place long enough and you see the patterns: quick judgment; thicker walls to carry the emotional load; trying to control the outside instead of looking within; a victim stance; “I am the way I am and I don’t care”; and redefining “flow” as “keep my head down and let it be”
People are tired. People are on overdrive. Many are behind on processing what the year threw at them.
Then come the labels, left, right and centre: You’re this. I’m that. This boss is… This organisation is… Like jars in a pantry. Neat labels that don’t change the contents.
The unresolved gets tangled into one heavy block. It becomes hard to see what needs action, what to let go of, what to work through slowly, and what to accept. The real risk is that the tangle distorts reality. A fake story starts to feel true ... about you, your closest people, your work, the world.
Why this matters
It touches everything. How we show up at work. How we lead. How we change. And how we show up to ourselves.
So here’s the invitation before the year ends: create space between you and all of this. Let’s call it the Laundry Bag. It’s not just your laundry in there. You still have to go through it, and it does not define you.
How to do it, simply:
Sit with the bag. Untie it. Take five steady breaths to give yourself room. Pick one item, only one. Ask four questions:
Is this mine to act on now? If yes, choose the next small, humane step.
Is this something to let go of? If yes, name the boundary or sentence that helps you release it.
Is this mine, but only to work slowly? If yes, set a gentle cadence (ten minutes, twice a week).
Is this something to accept? If yes, name it clearly so it doesn’t run the day.
If the item isn’t yours, return it without drama, to a person, a process, a system, or the “not now” shelf. The aim is a clear line of sight, not heroics.
Leaders: do this personally, then try it with your team in your last stand-ups. Use the same language. What’s ours to do now? What’s ours to let go of? What’s ours to work through slowly? What do we accept? What’s not ours? You’ll move from labels to choices.
If you’re at the “had enough” edge, you’re not broken. You’re likely carrying what isn’t yours, believing labels that were never accurate, and operating inside a container that no longer fits. Make space. Open the bag. One breath, one item, one choice.
You got this
Cheering for you,
Jess "Clear your Mind" Tayel
Last “Ask Me Anything Event” of the Year
Join the final AMA of 2025. This is our end of year reunion for practitioners and leaders across transformation, change, program management, product, strategy, HR, L&D, and executive leadership.
Date: Wednesday, 17 December
Time: 6:45 PM to 8:00 PM AEST
Where: Zoom
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/7JJw7tlqSvS1qORJy21VnQ
Bring a question, a challenge, or something you want clarity on before stepping into 2026.
We will explore what you bring to the room. Expect practical insights, honest conversation, and the space to reconnect with others in the community.
