The Gift of Completion

Many of us want to start the new year with good intentions to fulfil our hopes and dreams. Last year was a tough one for a lot of people and many probably would rather forget it.

Before we make goals for 2026, however, we need to make sure the past doesn’t creep in to influence our thinking. Resolutions or plans created on top of the events of last year are likely to drag the past into 2026. Rushing into the next thing without reviewing honestly what just ended leaves us incomplete. How can we be clear and creative about what’s next when we’re dragging around a ball and chain?

New strategy, ideas, plans, and big decisions are better made from a clear space of completion.

There may be things that upset us or matters we neglected and regret we never dealt with or acknowledged. And conversely, there could be accomplishments we did not recognise or celebrate, never stopping to savour or learn from them, instead rushing into the next thing as if nothing happened. Now is the time to do that work.

Big organisations often do this especially badly. The sophisticated ones may conduct ‘lessons learned’ but often don’t bother going into how people feel, leaving our motivations, regrets and disappointments unaddressed.

So here is a quick guide to completion. There are three parts:

1.    Where did I feel connected, consoled, or satisfied this past year?

2.    Where did I feel disconnected or desolate?

3.    What have I learned?

It’s a good idea to go through the diary from last year, review photos, and maybe journals and notebooks to remind ourselves what happened and how we were feeling at the time. Maybe we had a great accomplishment at work. How did that feel? Beautiful times with friends and family. How did that feel? Or something we regret. Or a relationship that deteriorated. Or maybe a tragedy. All we need are the main headlines of what happened each month and our response.

There’s nothing to do with these feelings except to note them down. By the time we’re done, we may realise there are matters to tidy up, messages to send, people to call, beers to be shared, or sadnesses to let go of. That’s all the completion part. It can take a while but is worthwhile.

Once it’s done, however, we’re clear to create. The difference is noticeable. We aren’t dragging the past around with us.

So please—give yourself the gift of completion this year.