Differently

A Year-End Reset

• Carla Reeves

Share episode

Send Carla a message!

The world feels faster, louder, and more crowded than ever—and that’s exactly why we need to hit pause.

Today's episode is about my own reset and an invitation to take yours. You’ll also get a set of powerful year-end prompts 

If you’re ready to stop surviving your life and start creating it, this conversation is your cue to slow down so you can speed up with intention.

Please subscribe and share with a friend.

Learn more about Carla:
Website: https:/www.carlareeves.com/
Connect on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reevescarla/
Connect on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@differentlythepodcast

Go to https://carlareeves.com/free-class to get The Class schedule, sign up, and/or pass it on to a friend. Each month is a new topic. Come hang out and learn with us for FREE!

Book a Complimentary Strategy Call with Carla: https://bookme.name/carlareeves/strategycall

  • If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to share it with a friend.
  • A free way to support our show is by leaving a five-star rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It’s a chance to tell us what you love about the show and it helps others discover it, too.

Thank you for listening!

SPEAKER_00:

A deep change in the way that we live requires a deep change in the way that we think. I'm Carla Reeves, and this is differently. Hey friend, happy December. I have missed you. Some of you have reached out wondering where I have been, and I just want to say I appreciate that so much. It in almost five years of this podcast, I have never missed a Thursday episode, but this month required a pause. Um, I just could feel it in my whole body, and I have been prioritizing time to just get quiet, reflect, be with family and loved ones, and not forcing things because I made rules for myself that I had to post a podcast every Thursday. And I just felt that the podcast deserved a reset too. So much has changed this last year. Not so much in my external life, but I just feel a lot in my internal life. Maybe you feel that too. And it just feels like the podcast is just shifting slightly. And I just needed to give it a little rest so that those shifts and changes could reveal themselves. So I think this is going to be the last episode of the year because I'm just going to take the rest of the year, which isn't very long now, to be with family, to be quiet, to think about what's next with the podcast and the business and all of that. And I want it, that's really what this podcast is about, because I want to encourage you to do the same thing. I don't know about you, but I just have been feeling like this end of the year is just feels more important than maybe any other year. It feels like the world is changing, the paradigm is changing, our reality is changing, the way we do business is changing, AI is changing so much, um, things are moving faster, and I have been feeling like I need to look back more this year before I move forward. And not even so much look back, but just reflect and get quiet. That's actually what I did in the last in December's free class. So if you haven't come to free classes, I host them every month. I will continue to do that in the new year. And it's really a time to set aside and carve out space in your schedule to actually do the writing. I know sometimes people struggle to make the time to write, but then when they do, it's so incredibly valuable. So these classes are a structure for you to carve out that space in your life and do it in community and do it with a little bit of guidance where I give you some prompts and you can just take that time to reflect. It's been amazing to watch the women let down their shoulders, sigh relief, get new clarity, feel new inspiration for their life. And so if you're needing some of that, come join us in the new year. And in a few minutes, I'm gonna give you some of the questions and prompts that I gave them in the class that we wrote through together. God's been really taking me back to my roots and where my business really began, which if you've been listening to the podcast for a while, you know the story. But it started when I was a young mom, feeling a little overwhelmed and losing my own sanity, um, becoming so absorbed in being a mom, which I dreamed of my entire life, which I absolutely adore. But I was losing myself and I felt God call me to write. And God's just been reminding me of that thread that has really run through everything that I've taught and teached, and people I've coached, the writing is such a through line through it all. And it's a through line in my life. I don't even know if that's a word, but it's a thread that runs through my life, that has been one of the most grounding habits. And as our world starts to speed up, I want you to be thinking too about what grounds you. I notice um in my circle that, and in myself that I've been spinning more, spinning more in my head, spinning my wheels. And with all that's going on in the world and all the information that we have at our fingertips and the pace, I think it's more important than ever that we as individuals learn to calm our own minds, calm our souls, get quiet so that we can hear God in our lives. And that's been one of the most grounding things. And I wanted to read you something that I wrote 20 years ago when I created my first guided journal. It's on the back cover, and it was just a note that I wrote. And this is for you, friend. Imagine a place where you find a calm, wise voice that affirms you and is kind to you. You go there to replace worry and fear with clarity and wisdom. You discover a playground where you can invent who you are and discover your purpose. Going there becomes a ritual that restores peace of mind. This is writing. Sink into a writing practice that restores who you are and what you are up to. Watch your life expand beyond the pages of your journal. Happy writing. So that was 20 years ago, and I just that message is so true today today. And if there is one gift that I can give you this Christmas, it's it's a journal, it's an invitation to open a notebook, grab a piece of paper, open a Google Doc, and just let your thoughts come out, sink into your heart, get quiet. It's not even so much about the writing. The writing slows you down long enough to hear your own true voice, to hear God, and to feel a peace that you long for. And this next year, as I move forward with this podcast and this business, I'm gonna continue to make spaces for you to come right with free classes every month. I'm creating a get out of survival series of classes that you will be able to take and actually get your survival model so that you can stop surviving and really start creating your life. I'm really excited to tell you that I have been working on a journal. I am gonna publish um or self-publish another journal. And I haven't done that in 20 years. So I'm really excited about that. That's a physical product that you will actually be able to buy, and I will let you know the details as soon as it is available. There's gonna be more. So stay tuned and remember like self-care is truly self-discipline. This world wants us to think that we need to be more focused on ourselves and taking care of ourselves. And while that is good and true, it's the self-discipline that actually has us show up and do the things we know that we need to do. They're sometimes hard to do, but they're the real things that are good for us. And I invite you to gift yourself that this year and take some time to reflect. And I want to give you some questions to do that. Questions I brought to the class and I've been asking myself is what did you set out to do this year and what actually happened? That's a really fun question to look at. Like approach it with blameless discernment. But just like, not what did you set out to do and how many of those things did you not do, but like with curiosity, what actually happened? Because sometimes I find those things that actually happened are even better or more aligned than what I set out to do. Then go through your photos on your phone. What were your favorite moments? I had somebody do this in the class, and she realized she was thinking in her head that, like, oh, this year she didn't get to do all the things she set out to do, and she was feeling really down about it. And when she went back and reflected, she realized, like, wow, it's been a really great year. So the mind is not always trustworthy. Um, you got to go deeper. This is a question I love. What relationships played the most significant roles in your life? Often that one surprises me. When I in my mind, it's one thing. And when I get quiet, I'm like, oh wow, that relationship really played a role. And it made me want to reach out to those people to tell them, How did you grow? What strengthened you this year? What will you leave behind? And what will you carry forward? Then I like to choose an image or a word or something that represents my vision for 2026. What's going to guide me? What am I going to set my eyes on and head towards, even when things get hard? What am I going to set my eyes on again and again and again that's going to lead me forward this next year? This is a question I really loved this year. It's if you took your vision and turned the volume all the way up, what would that look like in the world? Sit with that one. And then whose lives would be different because you said yes to that? And the last question, what would you need to let go of in order for that to be real? So, contrary to what your mind may be telling you, that there's no time, there's time if you make the time, and if you make this a priority, I promise it will give back to you so much. I believe that when you take the time to care for the condition of your mind and your soul and tune into God, that He will create time for you to do all the other things. So, Merry Christmas to you, happy holidays to you. I thank you for being a listener of this podcast. And as I get quiet to finish out this year and focus on the things that are really, really meaningful, I hope that you're doing the same. As you close the year, remember, slow down to speed up. I can't wait to see you in 2026. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Differently. Hey, if you're ready to stop circling the same thoughts and start creating real momentum, check out my coaching experiences. There's a 12-week experience for a big shift, or there's a monthly writing and coaching partnership for ongoing clarity, creativity, alignment, and momentum. You can find all the details at Carlareeves.com. And if you enjoyed this episode, please help me grow the podcast and leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts and share with someone you love. Until next time, stop surviving your life. Start creating it.