Year-End Mind Sweep: Closing One Chapter and Opening Another

How can decluttering ease the shift from one year to the next?

Quick quiz: Who do you think wrote the following?

“People cannot change their habits without first changing their way of thinking.”

A philosopher? A poet? A relationship expert?

None of the above. The answer is Marie Kondo.

It wasn’t long ago that the KonMari method of decluttering our homes captured the world’s attention. As Kondo writes in her best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, we can tidy both our spaces and lives by only keeping items that “spark joy.”

Yet embracing Kondo’s organizational wisdom isn’t as simple as ditching an old couch or linen set. Underlying the KonMari method is a mental shift almost as old as time. Kondo recently cited the Shinto belief that minimizing one’s belongings strengthens the mind and spirit. Social philosopher Richard Gregg’s 1936 book, The Value of Voluntary Simplicity, focused on limiting one’s possessions to create a more meaningful life.

Those possessions aren’t just physical items. As the calendar turns from one year to the next, it’s important to pause and reflect on what we mentally carry with us: unresolved thoughts, emotions, even grief. Then, it’s vital that we let go of some of them.

Dwelling on bad memories makes them stickier in our brains; the connections between neurons activated by these thoughts actually strengthen as we contemplate them more, according to Scott A. Small, director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Columbia University. Small argues that to calm this part of our brain and dull painful memories, we need to be social and engage with the outside world. If we do, we’ll restore a healthy balance to our brains.

Basically, we need to declutter what’s in our heads. Call it a mind sweep, if you will.

A life of “voluntary simplicity” is certainly good for our physical and mental health. A 2021 review of nearly two dozen studies found a significant correlation between practicing minimalism, or prioritizing goals over frivolous desires and excess, and an increase in well-being.

Mentally decluttering can even open up room for setting intentions as we transition into a new year or phase of life.

How can we set better goals for ourselves?

Even if we enter a new year with a clear head, it’s easy to get overwhelmed if we don’t set reasonable expectations for what we can accomplish. But how do we do that?

Studies on Expectancy Theory have shown that, time and time again, we are motivated to achieve goals that we give weight and think we can actually achieve. If we shoot too high, we lose interest and stop making progress.

It’s fine to set ambitious goals, but breaking them down into smaller chunks helps us reach them. A recent study found that crisis counseling volunteers completed more hours of training if they were prompted to finish just four hours every week (or eight hours every two), rather than just receiving a year-end goal of 200 hours.

Achievement starts from within, too. A great way to work toward your goals is to embrace a mindful approach. A 2020 study of 800 college students found that those who scored high on a mindfulness measure set more realistic goals for themselves. By casting aside self-judgment and criticism, they could embark on self-improvement.

Why do rituals help us transition?

As a new year approaches, we might find ourselves sitting with some degree of uncertainty. No one knows for sure what the future will hold.

Rituals can help us navigate this period. Research has shown that these repeated actions and behaviors comfort us by providing a sense of control and predictability, reducing stress and anxiety. While many associate them with religion, rituals have existed for thousands of years outside spiritual communities. Today, we find them everywhere from the batter’s box at a baseball game to the writing desk of an author.

What’s important—and what separates rituals from habits—is that these behaviors hold meaning to us. One runner may always put on their left shoe first; another might start with the right. Both are rituals because they allow these athletes to enter head spaces to perform their best.

“Rituals delineate a sacred space to keep people connected to the present moment,” Michael Norton writes in The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions.

Creating an end-of-year ritual can help situate you in the present and thus ensure you’re on steady ground heading into the future.

What are some rituals to mark the transition between years?

To start, you might take some time to reflect on the past year and look ahead to the next one. If you’d like more concrete ways to track your growth and gratitude, here are five ideas for New Year rituals:

The “three pages” ritual. Write three simple lists: What I’m letting go of, What I’m grateful for, and What I’m carrying forward. Keep it focused, honest, and human—no pressure for perfection.

A letter to the past year. Write a short note beginning with “Dear Year, thank you for…” and “I’m ready to release…”. This helps acknowledge both growth and difficulty and creates emotional closure.

A note to your future self. Date the letter one year from now. Gently encourage yourself to pursue your hopes and dreams, while offering reminders to stay true to your values.

A meaningful moment jar. Fill a small container with slips of paper capturing meaningful moments from the year (lessons, joys, surprises, healing moments). Seal it as a time capsule to revisit in a future season.

A one-word intention card. Choose a single word to guide the coming year—something like steadiness, trust, wonder, devotion, healing, slow, openness. Write it on a card, keep it visible, and let it anchor your direction rather than dictate your goals.

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Taken together, these small acts—a few pages of reflection, a letter to yourself, a jar of moments, a single guiding word—form a kind of mind sweep. They clear enough space for you to see where you’ve been, notice what matters most, and step into the next chapter with a little less clutter and a little more calm.

If you’d like gentle prompts to return to this practice throughout the year, you’ll find them inside The Humane Space app.