The end always makes us think about the beginning. December really does put people in a reflective mood. This month, I've seen so many share their 2022 highlights; the trend even pushed me to make one myself. I really jammed in my best of the best videos–from my island life to me watching Usher's concert in Las Vegas–it was a well-curated one-minute reel of all my highs this year.

My 2022 is definitely an unforgettable one with all the good and bad, but as we close our year and make way for what's to come this 2023, here are some ways on how to finish strong as we turn the page from this chapter of our lives.

1. Make a timeline for the year. It's good to track your life's timeline, even if it's just in the span of 12 months. Per month, list down highlights and lowlights, wins and failures. See how you really LIVED this 2022. Tracking our timeline makes us see patterns that need to be addressed, & concerns that need to be paid more attention to. It also makes us appreciate the highs, while look deep into the lows.

2. List down what you're grateful for and include the details. I personally used to just do bullet points for things I'm thankful for in a day, but adding short details about each item changed my perspective a lot. It made me see how the hand of God moved specifically for me and my needs and desires, and see His fingerprints all over circumstances that brought me joy.

3. Write yourself a letter. This exercise makes us more attuned with ourselves. What do we need the most these days? How can we extend more self-compassion? Are there ways we need to show up for ourselves to thrive and grow wiser? Just write it out. Release it. Writing is not only cathartic, it also makes us aware of the tone we use when talking to ourselves. It's a good gauge to see where we are in our relationship with us, and it's important to nurture this relationship, too, because wherever we are, there we'll be.

4. Do a relationship inventory. What relationships brought you joy? Stress? Value? We need to realize that not everyone in our lives will always be constant as we journey through this earth. Which relationships need some tending to? Which ones affect us poorly that they need less time spent on? Being truthful when it comes to these questions is important. We need to be more intentional with the people we let in our lives, as they have the power to influence us and change us for the better. We can't keep depositing into relationships that leave us emotionally, spiritually and mentally bankrupt.

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5. Have a dream journal. Do you have a destination you've been itching to visit? An item or material possession you aspire to have? How about an experience you've always dreamed of going for? List them down! To dream is one of life's greatest privileges. Also, it's always good to know the WHYs behind these dreams, too.

6. Do a random act of kindness. Whether in financial support or kind, help someone out. Extend that generosity. Be extra patient. Spend time with a loved one feeling extra lonely this season of the year. To sacrifice something to make another smile or feel better doesn't just connect us deeper to the divine as we do God's work, small acts of kindness are also proven to boost happy hormones in the brain. Initiating kindness with no expectations in return makes us more content and satisfied with our lives.

7. Talk to your body and have a sensory shower. Our bodies age each year as they go through the wear and tear of life. Social media makes it a lot harder for us to appreciate our bodies, so set aside time to be grateful towards these fleshy casings that carry us through. My friend, a neurolinguistics practitioner, taught me that having a sensorial shower where I talk to my body and thank it for all the ways it makes me experience life.

8. Declutter your space. Sprucing up your room and downsizing clears not just our physical clutter, but our emotional and mental clutter as well. What better way to ring in the new year with clarity and more space for what's to come (not to mention clean, sparkly desk tops and freshly washed sheets)!

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Lastly, EMBRACE ALL THAT 2022 BROUGHT YOU. The good, the bad, the ugly. Remember my 2022 highlight reel? What didn't make the cut are moments of weaknesses, moments when I was crippled with anxiety, fear, and worries. It didn't include snapshots of me feeling I'm at my ugliest, with no makeup, at my most unglamorous self. But that's still a big part of my year. It taught me to be vulnerable, to look at the dark parts of my heart and give them back to God. It taught me that as much as I plan, it's God's plans that will always, always prevail. The bad makes us appreciate the good even more, because without the other, they simply wouldn't exist. To truly finish strong this 2022, the best advice I would give is… make peace with it, learn the lessons, and keep them with you.

Life is meant to be lived one day at a time.

Here's to more presence in our everyday as we wave hello to the new year.