We’re standing at the edge of a new year, a fresh start.# What I’m Leaving Behind: Release, Heal, and Step Into Your Next Level
We’re standing at the edge of a new year, a fresh start. There’s so much talk about what we want to gain in 2026—the goals, the resolutions, the new habits. But I’ve learned that you can’t welcome the new until you’ve made peace with the old. You can’t build your next level on a foundation that’s cracked with past pain, old habits, and energy that no longer serves you.
Before we can step forward, we have to look back and decide what we’re not carrying with us.
This isn’t about dwelling on the past. It’s about honouring the lessons, releasing the weight, and intentionally making space for the blessings that are waiting for us. This is one of the most important new year reflections you can have. It’s a sacred act of clearing out your spiritual and emotional closet. So, let’s get real. Let’s talk about what we’re leaving behind.
The Art of Letting Go
Letting go of toxic patterns is a phrase we hear all the time, but what does it actually mean? It means looking at your life with radical honesty and identifying the cycles that keep you stuck. It’s the uncomfortable but necessary work of acknowledging what you’ve outgrown.
This year, I had to finally admit that I was addicted to the struggle. I believed, subconsciously, that if things weren’t hard, I wasn’t working enough. This pattern led to burnout, anxiety, and a constant feeling of being behind. The moment I named it—”I am romanticizing the struggle”—was the moment I could begin to detach from it. It was a cycle I learned, and it was a cycle I could unlearn.
True healing and growth begins when you stop participating in your own self-sabotage. It’s about choosing peace over chaos, even when chaos feels familiar.
What I’m Leaving in 2025
This is my personal list. Maybe some of it will resonate with you. I invite you to create your own as you read.
1. Second-Guessing My Intuition
How many times have you had that gut feeling, that quiet whisper telling you, “Don’t do it,” or “This isn’t right,” only to ignore it and regret it later? I’m leaving that behind. My intuition has never led me astray, but my fear of being wrong has. In 2026, my gut gets the final say.
• Affirmation: My intuition is my most reliable guide. I trust its wisdom without question.
2. The Fear of Being “Too Much”
Too loud, too ambitious, too emotional, too bold. As women, we are often conditioned to shrink ourselves to make others comfortable. I am done playing small. I am leaving behind the need to water myself down for people who are committed to misunderstanding me. My “too much” is my magic.
• Affirmation: I embrace my full self. My intensity is my power, not a flaw.
3. One-Sided Relationships
I’m leaving behind any connection where I am the only one putting in the effort. The friendships that only call when they need something. The partnerships that feel like a constant audition. Energy is a currency, and I am no longer investing it where there is no return. This is a non-negotiable part of stepping into your next level.
• Affirmation: I attract and nurture relationships built on mutual respect, support, and reciprocity.
4. “Someday” as a Timeline
“I’ll start ‘someday.'” “I’ll travel ‘someday.'” “I’ll launch the business ‘someday.'” “Someday” is where dreams go to die. It’s a polite way of saying “never.” I am leaving behind the passive waiting. If I want it, I will take the first small, imperfect step today.
• Affirmation: I am the creator of my own timeline. I take inspired action now.
How to Release and Make Space
Letting go isn’t a one-time event; it’s a daily practice. Here are a few actionable ways to support your journey of release.
The “Release” Ritual
This is a powerful exercise to do before the new year. Find a quiet space and a piece of paper. At the top, write “What I’m Leaving Behind.” Let yourself write freely. Don’t censor or judge your thoughts. List the habits, fears, names, and memories that feel heavy.
Once you’re done, you need to release it. You can safely burn the paper (my personal favourite), tear it into tiny pieces and throw it away, or even bury it in the dirt. The physical act of destroying the list sends a powerful signal to your subconscious: “This is over.”
Curate Your Reality
Your environment—both physical and digital—profoundly affects your energy. Go through your phone and mute or unfollow accounts that make you feel drained or less-than. Clean out that one cluttered drawer in your home. Give away the clothes that remind you of a version of yourself you’ve outgrown. Creating physical space helps create mental and emotional space.
Fill the Void with Intention
When you let something go, you create a void. It’s crucial to fill that void with something positive before an old pattern tries to creep back in.
If you’re releasing a toxic friendship, fill that time with a new hobby or by reconnecting with a supportive family member. If you’re letting go of negative self-talk, replace it by listening to empowering podcasts or repeating affirmations. Be intentional about what you allow into your newly cleared space.
Stepping Into Your Next Level Is An Inside Job
The most transformative part of this process is realizing that you hold all the power. Stepping into your next level isn’t about waiting for external validation or permission. It’s an internal shift. It’s deciding that you are worthy of peace, joy, and abundance right now.
Releasing what’s heavy is not an act of failure or giving up. It is an act of profound self-love. It’s the ultimate declaration that you are ready for what’s next. You are telling the universe that your hands are open, ready to receive the blessings that 2026 has in store for you.
So, as we close this chapter, I ask you: What are you leaving behind? What old story are you no longer available for?
Share one thing you are releasing in the comments below. Let’s hold this space for each other and step into our next level, together.