The week between Christmas and New Year’s is strange.

The noise fades. The calendar slows. And for the first time in weeks, there’s room to breathe.

Most advice jumps straight to goal-setting — new plans, new systems, new ambitions. But before any of that works, something else has to happen first.

You have to clean up what you’re still carrying.

Unfinished tasks. Systems you outgrew. Financial stress you pushed aside because there wasn’t time to deal with it. That weight doesn’t disappear just because the year changes.

And when you build new goals on top of old clutter, progress feels harder than it needs to be.

This is the moment to pause and ask: - What worked this year that I should keep? - What didn’t work but I tolerated anyway? - Where did I feel the most stress — and why?

Clarity doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from deciding what no longer belongs.

That applies to your schedule, your systems, and your finances. Clean information creates calm decisions.

Before you rush into “New Year, New You,” give yourself permission to reset first.

The strongest plans begin with a clean foundation.