Did you ever notice that while the holiday marketing and messages promise us tidings of peace and joy, the reality is that the consciousness of overculture was created to get you and I to buy more, consume more, and do more?

And while we all want more meaningful connections, it’s way too easy to say yes to things because of obligation, habit, or fear of missing out.

Every year as we go into December, I love to share ways we can do things differently. Ways we can use what I call our power of “harmonic defiance”—choosing to defy conventions that don’t serve us or feel aligned by choosing a path that creates harmony.

Wielding our power of harmonic defiance in December applies practically and powerfully to the way we make our choices for how we spend our time, money, and energy. If we use it, it gives us the power and wisdom to come into the new year feeling sustained and replenished—emotionally, physically, spiritually, financially, and mentally.

Imagine for a moment a reality in which we experience the following, instead of holiday overwhelm or pushing through to the end:

>> We start the new year feeling clear, both mentally and emotionally.

>> Our physical space feels clear and coherent.

>> We are free of some of the relationship drama or distress in our personal or professional relationships.

>> We have more space in the last weeks of the year and the first few weeks of the next.

Are you exhaling yet?

Doesn’t this possibility feel good, human, the way normal should be?

Setting ourselves up in December so we can start the new year clear and replenished is not just a nice thing to have, it’s what any wise person would do. But how do we do this? Especially in the intense year(s) we’ve been through?

This is where the practice of the “December Downshift” comes in, a practice that supports our personal wellness and productivity.

The December Downshift is a mini “power pause.” Power Pauses use the wisdom tool of “intuitive thinking inquiries,” which reveal insights you miss if you only operate from your mental mind versus your higher and heart-centered mind.

Below are four questions I slow down to ask myself every December. Ask and answer these for yourself so you can end the year feeling good about what you’ve done, clear in mind and heart, and ready to step into the new year reset.

1. What do I desire to complete so I can step into 2022 replenished, reset, and open to receive in my professional life (projects and goals) and personal foundation (health, finances, and home)?

2. What would I love to let go, release, or clean up before the year’s end? These are emotional judgments or baggage, relational realities, or mental patterns that are calling for attention to bring into coherency or leave behind.

3. What connections do I desire to make now (new ones or reconnecting to old ones), and will reach out to before I complete 2021?

4. What would feel good and aligned to move into next year, and by doing so release self-induced pressure (knowing that I can re-engage with this in the new year)?

It helps a lot to write these out and then take simple but mighty action. Share with a friend for extra accountability.
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For an extra resource, tune into episode 171 of my podcast: “Power Pause: Inquiries that Will Support You to Complete the Year Feeling Clear.” 

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