Hi hi! I'm so thrilled to have you tuning in—whether you’re reading this or listening to the podcast version. I’ve just enjoyed a frothy cup of matcha and spent a bit of time on Canva creating some juicy graphics that go along with this episode (see below for more!).
At the time of writing this, there are just 18 days left in December and 19 days until 2023. OMG, so wild. So, so wild. 2022 has been such a time warp.
I'm guessing if you're reading the title of this, you're expecting a certain flavor to this post, but hopefully, I surprise you ;)
A lot of the time when you see posts like “how to close out 2022,” it's like, let's do this! Let's go big. Here's how to make the most of the rest of the days of the year!!!
And that's great if that is the vibe and the season that you're in. However, not all of us are there. And so I want to propose that, like many things, there's never one way to do anything.
When I was first starting in this industry about a decade ago, there was very much the end-of-year vibe of “go hard and hit your goals!” And now I'm seeing the anti-hustle, anti-hit goals vibe that reveres slowness and stillness. There's no rush, just relax, enjoy, and rest.
That's also beautiful, but I don't think you have to do it one way, or there should be any shame if you're choosing to do it whatever way you please. So that's what we're talking about inside of this post today.
My desire is to guide you to close out 2022 however the fuck you want. And before I do, I’ll share what’s present for me, personally.
My Current Experience Of Closing Out 2022
I am so not bothered with business goals right now. Like having the pressure of launching something or hitting a certain income target or needing to create posts every single day or emails or whatever—that just feels so untrue for me.
I have been really feeling called to do things that are homey, cozy, and family oriented. And it's kind of funny because I feel like a lot of this year has been me grappling with the identity of what is it like to be a thriving CEO business owner and mom and wife and friend and this and that and all the things?!
I mean, I really, really, really resisted embracing the title of “mom,” embracing family, embracing the homemaker type of vibe. I wanted to prove that I could still be this wildly successful business owner and keep my identity of who I was before I gave birth. And if that feels true for you, that is fantastic.
But what I've been realizing is I actually don't want what I wanted previously. So much has shifted and I am no longer kicking and screaming about not having the same amount of time that I had previously. It's just wild how much I've surrendered to a new rhythm of life recently.
I’ve shared inside various spaces that I've been in an internal Winter season for so long. And while I’ve fought it like whoa previously, I’m FINALLY allowing myself to rest and surrender in this space. Of course, I still have moments where I think, “Oh, I should be doing more…or maybe I should be spending more time doing this…maybe I should care about my business a little bit more right now…” But for the most part, I'm okay with what I'm creating and how I am being and showing up in my life in this season.
I’m laughing out loud as I share this because Jake (my husband) came home yesterday and I told him how I spent my day and he was like, “Oh, my gosh, are you sure you're not pregnant right now?!” Because at the very end of my pregnancy, I was in nesting mode and doing all the stuff for the home and getting ready for our baby.
I shared with him how I woke up yesterday and spent some time with Aisy. We went on a walk and then we came back and she helped me make some breakfast. Once our nanny came, I did a bit of work in the morning, but what was so interesting is that I found myself not wanting to be at the computer. There was sadness around it. I couldn’t help but wonder, “Why am I sitting here and not hanging out with Aisy or doing something that feels soul-filling right now?”
Then I had to go to a physical therapy appointment for my shoulder because I have a frozen shoulder after overusing it getting out of bed when I was super pregnant and then after with a C-section and all that stuff. So I did that and then I went to Bermuda’s Chef Shop and I bought a bunch of cookie supplies, trinkets, and ingredients.
Once I got home, I made some peppermint bark with Aisy and our nanny, Jane, and it was so fun! Aisy was mixing up the chocolate chips and trying to sprinkle some stuff in and it was so cute to see her picking up on the things I was doing and trying them out herself.
And guess what I’m doing with that peppermint bark? I’m going to gift it to people. I bought these little bags to wrap them in and will write a little holiday message to friends. I’m also planning on making my Gluten-Free Glazed Gingerbread Donuts to give away as well (and of course, enjoy some myself). Now…if you know me, doing something like this is unheard of. In the past, I sadly would’ve poked fun at people who had the time and space to do something so leisurely!
And what else did I do yesterday? Oh, I created a whole new system for helping us get organized with things that we need to do in our calendars and creating shared reminders with Jake so we're all synced up.
And I organized our plans for New Year's with some friends, so we're all set for that.
Then I went to work out…etc. etc. etc.
I was sharing all these things that in the past I would’ve thought of as silly and frivolous. It was just funny because I'm actually really enjoying doing things that support our family, home, social life, and all that.
I’m sharing this little story up front because I want to invite you into my world and share what's present for me and what I've been feeling—which for me, is very much the season of Winter.
Now…I want to talk a little bit about the different seasons that you might be in and how you can close the year in the most aligned season for you and really claim it and be unapologetic about it.
To be clear—when I say season, I’m referring to your internal season. While the physical place you live might be experiencing the season of Summer, let’s say, perhaps internally, you’re in the thick of Winter. Let’s explore this further…
Internal Season of Winter
Typically the season of Winter has this vibe of surrender. There's slowness, lots of rest, and allowing what's no longer aligned to die away. There’s a shedding and even a death that can happen. Naturally, that can feel uncomfortable, crunchy, and uncertain. You might experience a Dark Night of The Soul.
Instead of go-go-go and achieving #allthethings, you might feel much more tender and internal. It could be a great time to lean into the sacred, take time carrying out nourishing rituals, and connect deeper to nature.
This can look like unplugging from the grid and tuning out all the external noise so you can focus on your internal world and be very present with what’s in your immediate environment.
Maybe you’re floating in the void and surrendering to the mystery and the magic that happens in this space.
If you’re in this season, there's a real retreat that can happen. There's a lot of stillness. There can be darkness. And wow, is there depth here. There's also radical trust because while it can feel like you’re drowning, you know that you’re ok. You know you will find a way to float and swim.
There's the need for trust and patience and perseverance. This is different than the perseverance of summer where you're pushing, executing, and taking action. This is persevering on a spiritual, soul level. You understand that maybe you can’t really do anything about what’s transpiring, so you choose to surrender.
I know it might not feel amazing, but how can you surrender to this space? And how can you say, “All right, there’s medicine here...” Maybe for you, it’s about really slowing down and not launching something into the world. It's not about pushing to achieve a certain goal, because what's required of you right now is to rest, to replenish, to renew yourself. So when you’re feeling inspired again, when you’re feeling like it's time to take action towards certain goals, you have the energy and you’ve taken the time and the space to recharge.
So if you are in winter, what does this mean for you? Take a peek at the prompt below and fill it out for yourself!
Internal Season of Spring
Maybe you’re in the season of spring where the vibe is exploration. You might be in the swirl of ideas, tapping into incredible visions, daydreaming, and future planning what’s coming next for you.
If you’re in this season, it can be helpful to let your imagination soar and explore the infinite possibilities available to you. Get curious around, “What if I did this? Or what if I did this?” And don’t use that rational brain too much! Simply allow yourself to play.
Speaking of play, this is the perfect season to make time for lots of play! There’s childlike and free-spirited energy to this season. If you’re familiar with tarot, you can tap into the essence of The Fool.
This might look like trying a new hobby, learning something new for fun, or experimenting with new ways of being. It’s all about exploring and being curious!
There’s also an air of preparation for what’s to come. Again, more from a place of wonder and inspiration and exploring the multitude of paths you could take. You’re not zoning in on one just yet, but you’re starting to feel into what might be the most aligned one or ones for you as you prepare to move towards Summer.
Practically speaking, now might not be the time for you to go ALL IN on something or try to hit that goal and push push push before the end of the year. But it’s also not a time for rest or stillness. There’s activity happening and excitement bubbling up. So hone in on it!
This can be a very mental time where ideas are dancing all around and inviting you to dance with them. It might be helpful to chat out your ideas with others, do a visioning workshop, pull tarot cards, or journal around what’s coming through.
Metaphorically speaking, it’s important that you take the time to get the soil ready and begin to plant seeds and set them up for the greatest success possible come Summer when it’s time to nurture and grow.
So what does that look like for you? Where do you desire to be spending your time and your energy? What would feel most supportive, especially over these next few days or so, as you leave 2022 and enter 2023?
Feel free to use the template shared above or journal around this!
Internal Season of Summer
Maybe you are in the season of summer. The vibe? LFG—LET’S FUCKING GO! Aka the typical, “We only have so many days left until the New Year, so let’s go hard. Let’s hit our goals!!!”
If this feels true for you you feel jazzed up and pumped to hit the ground running and make big moves, then it’s time to capitalize on this energy! Allow yourself to enter the vortex of passion, devotion, and drive so you can realize your big vision and goals!
It’s important to note that this season is a season. It’s not a forever mode. So if you’re ready to turn the switch to “ON” you’re saying yes to a sprint. You’re ready to zone in and focus and push. But not from a place of depletion. From a place of having a fuel tank of fuel that is oh so ready to be used.
You also want to make sure that even though you’re going to be sprinting and expending more energy than normal, you’re doing it in a sustainable way and that you are well-sourced.
If you took the proper Winter, if you set yourself up for true alignment in Spring, then the energy should be there in Summer for you to pour your passion and your heart into this experience or whatever it is that you're going after.
Yes, this could be a certain project you’re working on in your business or a launch, or it could also apply to your home life. Maybe you’re ready to deck the halls and go balls to the walls for the holiday season—amazing! You have lots of energy to socialize and do the most and that feels fun and fulfilling for you.
Tune into what’s true for you, your business, your relationships, your health, your home, and your life... What is a goal that might be really exciting for you to go after right now? How can you really lean into the possibility of what's available for you when you fully devote yourself to this thing? And how can you set yourself up for success during this period of time? What needs to be prioritized? What needs to take a back seat so you can really just zone in?
One other thing that I want to say here that's important is, yes, you could aim for hitting a certain goal by December 31st and that might really serve you. Having that tight timeframe where you are going all in might be perfect. But I also want to invite you to think about how you can say yes to this season of Summer and go all out but that it doesn’t have to happen in the next 2 weeks. Maybe it goes into mid. Or maybe you hit your goal on February 13th or whatever it is. That's okay too, right?
Get honest with yourself and tap into whether it would it serve you to “go hard” and do all the things and hit a certain goal by the end of the year…or not. Really check in— For what purpose? Is this true for you? Or is it just because there’s a bunch of hype around this mentality? What would happen if you actually just hit your goal 15 days into the New Year? Feel into that and really consider what you want to prioritize and how you are going to approach this.
You can use the template shared at the bottom of the Winter section to create clarity for yourself!
Internal Season of Autumn
Lastly, we have the season of Autumn. And the vibe here is typically introspection. This is all about preparing yourself to wind down. So maybe you are just exiting a launch period, or maybe you're exiting the season of Summer where things were pretty intense and you realize if you keep going, you're going to burn out. So you know it’s time to slow down. It's time to take stock of how maybe that past launch went, or how that season of “go, go, go” went.
Really look at what went well, what was difficult, what you want to keep doing moving forwards, where you can improve, etc. So you’re feeling into what was and being incredibly discerning about how you can move forward in an even more aligned way.
There are notes of celebration, gratitude, and pride in Autumn. It’s important that before moving into another season of Spring or Summer you really take time to pause and process everything that happened. Reflect, give gratitude, celebrate!
Now here’s the biggie—even if you didn't hit all the goals that you wanted to, how can you celebrate yourself for what did happen? Were there lessons you learned along the way? What are you taking with you? And even if you didn't hit those goals, how has the way life transpired actually been a great gift? And why did it need to happen the way it did?
A little caveat here: I'm not saying that everything should have a silver lining. Absolutely not. There could be some things that were really, really difficult this year, and that just fucking sucks. I'm not saying that you need to say, “Oh, that happened for a reason!” If it feels important for you to find a silver lining or see the gift in it or the lesson in it, beautiful. But if not, hey, be in your feels and just love up on yourself.
As I’ve mentioned, discernment is present in Autumn. This can seep into being discerning about who is in your space and who you’re gathering with. Maybe you’re not feeling the big HOORAH of Summer, but you’re not in the super intimate den of Winter where you’re in solitude. So consider who you’re sharing your limited and possibly dwindling energy with at this time.
Autumn is also the preparation period for deep transformation and alchemy. The Winter season will follow and things will fall away and die. So in this Autumn season, you're preparing for that. You're preparing your mind, body, and soul to really begin to surrender.
There can be power in this season of owning what is and who you are. You know you can't go back and change things, but you can reflect and gain wisdom that can be applied to the future. You can slow down and allow Autumn to invoke the transformation that is necessary in order to allow you finally rest in the darkness, the stillness, and the coldness of Winter.
If this feels like the season that you're in, what would be most supportive for you to close out the year? What are the things that you want to prioritize above all else, and what are the things that you want to release or let go of? How can you harvest what you’ve grown? What needs to happen in order to prepare for the surrender of Winter?
Again, feel free to scroll up to fill out the prompt at the end of the Winter section to support you in solidifying how you desire to close out 2022.
Confidently Claim How You Will Close Out 2022
Okay, so obviously, there are many more ways that we can look at this or many more ways that we can close out the year. But I love, love, love, love the framework of the seasons because nature is such a beautiful teacher. We have to remember that we are not robots, operating on one speed of “GO” (hi, Summer!). We are human beings who are a part of nature, and therefore, benefit greatly from learning to follow nature’s seasons, cycles, and rhythms.
Now I would love to hear from you. What season are you in? What's the vibe of that season for you? What's the rhythm of it? What are you prioritizing above all? How are you closing out the year in a way that is most supportive for you, regardless of what everyone else is saying and doing? Because really, truly, there's only your way. So confidently claim it and let me know by sharing it with me in the comments!
Let’s Co-Create Magic Together In 2023
Xx Lex Intima
Right now you’re reading Xx Lex, which is my Substack publication. This is a free entry but there’s so much more depth and goodies for you inside of our paid subscription. Through the end of 2022, it’s only $11 a month or $111 a year.
When you become a paid subscriber, you become an Xx Lex “Intima” member. Intima is exactly what it sounds like. It is a very intimate experience where I am sharing the most personal bits and pieces of my life and literally letting you in on my journal entries and the conversations I'm having with my most sacred circle. These are things that I don’t want to share with just anyone. I want to keep it private and personal. There's a lot of magic inside this experience and I would love to invite you to join us!
The Council
Now, if you want to really dive deep and experience the highest level of support, transformation, and magic, the doors are now open to The Council.
This is a unique fusion of a mastermind x group experience x deep-dive immersion x mentorship x sacred circle x practice ground for LIFE.
This is a seat at my most intimate, high-level, and juicy table—where we sit as sovereigns of our own thrones and circle to receive counsel and guidance from one another.
9 inaugural seats are officially open and one is waiting for you to claim it.
As a member of The Council, you will have a seat at the table with me and other transformational leaders, healers, and humans who are ready to go beyond the boring basic business tactics and really live a FULL-RANGE life full of meaning, fulfillment, love, depth, intimacy, community, and magic. This is for people who want to link arms and do life with me and the other members of this experience.
The Council prioritizes real, raw, deep intimacy in person and in highly personal and intentionally curated online spaces in between.
We celebrate the messy magic that comes with sharing what’s alive in the now.
This is so you get to do LIFE (not just business) with other magical, sovereign, sacred, silly, and spicy beings.
Nothing is off limits inside of this experience and I’m so looking forward to supporting you in ALL areas of your life—business, relationships, purpose, sexuality, spirituality, personal development, home life, hobbies, lifestyle, etc. I’m here for the full spectrum, baby!
This is where we get to link arms, look into each other’s eyes, and journey heart-to-heart, together.
Each person’s unique request, desire, and need is a thread that weaves together the unique tapestry of our sacred circle and contributes to the bespoke magic we co-create.
Want to learn more and explore the invitation to The Council further? Comment below or DM me on Instagram @lexidangelo.
We begin in January 2023 and I would love to have you claim your seat at the table!
Share this post