Seasonal Reflections – Ruthann M. Wilson

Finishing Strong: Year-End Reflection Practices for Resilience and Renewal

We have arrived at the year’s final threshold, a month that invites us to look back at what has been and forward to what could be.

Each December, I revisit the practice of Finishing Strong. I return to it personally and share the practice as a way of inviting others into reflection. At its heart, it is a practice of reflection and renewal, evaluating progress, celebrating resilience, completing what needs closure, and opening space for what is new. It is intended to help bring the year to a close with intention and set the stage for the year ahead.

This year has carried deep challenges, personally and professionally. I said goodbye to close loved ones and to a company that shaped nearly a decade of my life. There were times when I felt off balance and not very strong in the midst of these changes. As I return to this annual practice, I find myself wondering how strength might look and feel as the year comes to a close.

If your year has carried loss or sudden change, my heart goes out to you. May you honor what you feel and give yourself grace and space to move through it. Perhaps you too are arriving at this threshold carrying what has been hard. If so, give yourself the time you need to honor your feelings with compassion.

We all meet thresholds differently. Change, whether chosen or unexpected, always asks us to release something familiar and step into the unknown. The unknown can feel exciting or frightening, depending on how we meet it.

I invite you to begin this practice wherever you are. Strength isn’t measured by how hard we push, but by how intentionally we align with what matters most.

Four Invitations for Finishing Strong

Evaluate progress toward your goals
Pause to acknowledge what you’ve accomplished and where you’ve grown. Progress is not always linear. This year, consider how your goals have shifted, evolved, or deepened. Some goals may have reached completion; others may have transformed into something new. Evaluation is less about milestones and metrics and more about recognizing the rhythm of growth.

Celebrate what you have accomplished to date
Celebration honors resilience as much as achievement. Pause to notice the quiet strengths, the small wins, and the ways you showed up consistently.

Complete what needs to be completed
Endings carry wisdom. Ask yourself: what calls for closure? What tasks, commitments, or patterns are ready to be released? Completion is not only about finishing; it is about honoring the cycle of letting go, so space can open for renewal.

Make room for something new
Beginnings are thresholds. As you prepare to step into the next cycle, pause to release what no longer serves, so that space opens for what is true for you. Making room is not about adding more; it’s about accessing and releasing things you no longer need or use, things you no longer feel connected to, and things that keep you stuck in the past.

Reflection Prompts for Your Own Practice

Pause and honor: Where have you grown this year, even if progress looked different than expected?
Celebrate resilience: What small wins or quiet strengths deserve recognition?
Seek closure: What tasks, commitments, or patterns are ready to be released before the year ends?
Name a new intention: What practice, project, or way of being feels true to carry into the new year?

Finishing strong is not about perfection; it’s about alignment with what is true for you. As you close this year, may you honor what has been, release what no longer serves, and carry forward only what steadies your steps into the year ahead.

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in you, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

You’re welcome to follow the blog to receive notifications of new posts, subscribe to the mailing list to receive new posts and updates directly to your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

All the best,
Ruthann

Harvesting Inner Wisdom: A Year-End Practice for Clarity, Resilience, and Inner Alignment

You’ve grown more than you realize. Not through milestones or metrics, but through the wisdom within. This month’s reflection invites you to gather and honor what has shaped you this year.

As the year begins to wind down, we are invited to pause and reflect, not on what we have done, but on what has deepened within us. Perhaps it’s gentle truths, clarity, vision, purpose, the ability to name what truly matters, or practices that offered steadiness when the path felt uncertain. This is the harvest within.

We often overlook the quiet growth: the subtle shifts in how we speak to ourselves, the times when we paused, listened, and discerned what was true, the moments we honored what felt true, even if it wasn’t popular, and the ways we affirmed our sense of worth in a world that often moves too fast to honor it. These are the harvests that often go unnoticed, yet they shape how we lead, how we live, and how we show up for others.

There is wisdom in our everyday experiences. It’s quiet but steady, the kind that reminds us of who we are when things feel uncertain and helps us return to what is true. And we are living through uncertain times, personally and collectively. These inner truths, quiet and easily overlooked, are the ones that shape how we live, how we lead, how we listen, and how we return to what matters and stand rooted in it.

The wisdom you have gathered through experiences is worth honoring as you reflect on the year. It lives in quiet choices and the grace you have extended to yourself: the moments you realigned, the truths you returned to when things felt off, the times you allowed yourself to grieve a loss while remaining hopeful about what’s ahead. You have grown more than you know. This is the harvest: not what you have achieved, but what has taken root within you and now shapes how you live.

May you honor what has quietly grown within you this year. Perhaps it’s your ability to name what truly matters, the practices that steadied you, the clarity and discernment that have taken root. You have gathered more than you realize. And it’s enough to carry you forward.

Why Pausing to Harvest Inner Wisdom Matters

Pausing creates space for clarity, integration, and emotional resilience. It honors growth through gratitude and invites quiet wisdom to surface. This rhythm of reflection helps us move from rushing to discerning, from reacting to responding, and from effort to embodiment.

Inner wisdom is nurtured through personal practices like journaling that helps you notice what’s unfolding within you, meditation that steadies your breath and invites calm, listening to your body’s quiet signals, and rituals that help you return to what is true for you.

These practices are not just pauses; they are invitations. Invitations to notice what has taken root, to listen for the quiet truths beneath the noise, and to honor the wisdom gathered through experience. As you move into this space of reflection, let these journal prompts support your inner harvest.

Journal Prompts for Inner Harvest

From disempowerment to insight
What feels out of my hands? What shifts when I ask, “What is this here to teach me?”
Integration
What experiences from this year feel unfinished or unprocessed? What might they be asking me to notice?
Clarity and discernment
What truths have emerged within me? What decisions felt rooted in what truly matters to me?
Emotional resilience
When did I choose to be responsive rather than reactive? What helped me stay grounded in what felt true?
Gratitude and growth
What has quietly grown within me? How might I honor it as the year winds down?

I hope what you have gathered continues to steady you, guide you, and enrich your days.

Thank you for pausing here. If something in these words offered insight or stirred a shift, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

May what is true carry you,
Ruthann

I am holding space for your highest good, and for the highest good of all.

Fall Reset: What to Release and Welcome This September

Do you love September as much as I do?

September invites an intentional return: to steadiness, to routine, to a rhythm that restores balance. As nature begins its quiet transition, we’re invited to notice the shift. Mornings grow cooler. Sunrise arrives later. Sunset arrives earlier. The landscape shifts, slowly but surely. What is ready to be released begins to fall, making space for what is ready to return.

Seasonal thresholds mark natural transitions in the year. Each one carries its own rhythm and invitation: to reflect, to release, to begin again, or to expand into full expression. September offers a moment to pause, reset, and align with what feels true in the new season, not through urgency, but through an intentional pause, awareness, and inquiry.

The Fall Equinox arrives Monday, September 22, 2025: a moment of balance between light and dark. It is a natural invitation to pause, reset, and align.

Each season brings gifts and opportunities for growth as we journey through the year. Let’s explore these gifts through an intentional framework, one that invites pause, awareness, inquiry, and alignment with what feels true in the new season. This framework includes:

Wisdom Seed – a grounding insight to center your attention
Seed Question – an inviting inquiry to stir awareness
Simple Practice – a simple way to engage the senses
Journal Prompt – space to name what is ready to be released and what is ready to emerge

Wisdom Seed

September is a month of return: to rhythm, to routine, to practices that restore balance. The air cools. The light shifts. Nature shifts. This threshold invites us to notice what is changing and respond with intention.

Seed Question

What subtle shift in rhythm or routine is calling your attention this season?

Simple Practice

Take a walk: no destination, no agenda. Notice the subtle changes of the season: the light, the temperature, the landscape. It speaks in subtle ways. Open and receive the wisdom of the season.

Journal Invitation

Whether you pause now or return later, let this prompt meet you where you are:
- What are you ready to welcome?
- What are you ready to release?

Thank you for pausing here. September, too, is a pause, a subtle, transitional threshold for resetting and aligning with what feels true in the new season. If this reflection feels meaningful, please share it with others.

Ways to engage: follow the blog for new posts, subscribe to my mailing list to have posts/updates delivered directly to your inbox, or connect on social media.

If my work has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in how you see, feel, or move through the world, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

All the best,
Ruthann

Summer Reflections: Freedom, Growth, and Abundance

Each season brings gifts and opportunities for growth as we journey through the year.

June 20 marks the beginning of the summer season in the northern hemisphere. Summer themes include freedom, optimism, growth, and abundance.

Suggestion:

Create a powerful affirmation or two (short, positive statements) that align with the themes of the summer season.

Here are a few examples:

Freedom: I am free to choose what is best for my own life.
Optimism: I expect the best for my life.
Growth: I surround myself with people who want to see me grow.
Abundance: I am blessed beyond measure.

Begin and end each day with your affirmation.

Morning: State your affirmation out loud. Write it down three times in a journal or notebook. Sit with it for a few minutes. Repeat your affirmation throughout the day.

Evening: Reflect on your day in the context of your affirmation. Were your thoughts, words, and actions aligned with your affirmation? Write about your day in your journal or notebook.

Summer invites us to embrace growth, welcome freedom, and open ourselves to abundance in ways that feel true to who we are. The affirmations shared here are simply starting points, sparks to inspire your own words of intention. Let this season be an invitation to pause, reflect, and name what growth, freedom, and abundance mean to you. Use that clarity to shape affirmations that speak to your own path.

You can learn more about the power of affirmations here.

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or stirred a shift in how you see, feel, or move through the world, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Spring Reflections: Awakening, Clearing, and New Beginnings

Each season brings gifts and opportunities for growth as we journey through the year. Spring is a season of hope and possibility.

On a personal level, spring invites us to start fresh, be hopeful, joyful, creative, and open to possibility. There are many ways to embrace the season — cleaning and clearing clutter, beginning a new project, setting a new goal, reconnecting to nature and the planet that is our home — just to name a few.

The spring ritual of cleaning and clearing out clutter is a great way to transition into the energy of the season. It makes room for new beginnings. It also opens up space for new opportunities and new blessings to come into your life. A great place to start is to clean and clear your home/space of:

Things you no longer need or use.
Things you no longer feel connected to.
Things that keep you stuck/anchored in the past.

Begin a new project

Life is always inviting us to reach, stretch, and grow. Initiate a new beginning by starting a new project or setting a new goal that will help you stretch and grow. Stay open to possibility and be willing to leave your comfort zone.

Deepen your sense of connection to nature and the planet that is our home.

Spend time in natural settings and experience the beauty of the season as it unfolds.
Plant and nurture seeds/seedlings and watch them grow.
Make direct contact with the earth. Put your bare feet on the ground, sit or lay down on the ground.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. You can receive notifications of new posts by clicking on the follow button or click here to join my mailing list to receive email updates.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

How to Begin the Year with Intentions

The word intention comes from the Latin word intendere, which means to “stretch out,” “to extend”. To be intentional is to be willing to stretch yourself and grow. It is a journey and a process of stepping into your power, clarifying your vision, and staying true to your path. Do you know where you would like to be in the next three months, six months, one year? Here is a quick way to get started.

Spend some time this week thinking about and visualizing where you would like to be in the next three months (or whatever time frame works best for you to get started). Get clear as to what you would like to change, why you would like to make a change, and how you plan to make it happen.

I intend to change:

_____________________________

The reason I intend to make this change:

_____________________________

I invite you to create a powerful intention to pull you forward. State what you intend to accomplish within a specific time frame.

I intend to:

_____________________________

Based on this intention, I commit to taking the following actions:

1. ____________________________

2. ____________________________

3. ____________________________

If there is a gap between your intention and actions, see it as an opportunity to grow. Recommit to your intention and begin again. I have included a worksheet that you can download to work through the exercises. You can access the worksheet by clicking here. Consider using images and/or symbols as a visual reminder of your desired outcome.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you know someone who might benefit from reading it, please share by clicking on a share button below.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, and prosperous year!

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Winter Reflections: Rest, Renewal, and the Inner Journey

Each season brings gifts and opportunities for growth as we journey through the year. December 21 marked the beginning of the winter season in the northern hemisphere.

Winter is a season of rest, renewal, and going within. Give yourself the gift of silence on a daily basis to cultivate patience, peace of mind, and trust in inner guidance. I invite you to read my post Give Yourself the Gift of Silence for inspiration for creating and maintaining a daily practice of silence. You may want to consider practicing silence in the evening as a bridge to nighttime, a natural time of deep renewal that enables you to begin anew in the morning.

If you are located in the southern hemisphere, I invite you to embrace the essence of the message. Winter is a great metaphor for being still and silent; however, the practice is relevant throughout the year.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you know someone who might benefit from reading it, please share this post by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Year-End Reflection Practices to Finish Strong

This year (2024), I’m revisiting the practice of finishing strong. In this short video, I provide suggestions to bring the year to a close in a way that sets you up for success in the year ahead.

Evaluate progress toward your goals.
Celebrate what you have accomplished to date.
Complete what needs to be completed.
Make room for something new.

To support your reflection, I’ve included a downloadable worksheet updated for 2024 so you can work through the exercises step by step. You can access the worksheet here.

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All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Fall Reflections: Harvest, Release, and Completion

Each season arrives with its own rhythm, offering an invitation to pause, gather, and grow.

Autumn is a season of harvest and reflection, a time of thanksgiving, completion, and release of what no longer brings joy or serves your highest good.

🍂 Autumn Questions to Sit With:

What have I accomplished this year?
What didn’t I accomplish that I really wanted to? Why?
Who or what has been my greatest blessing?
What feels complete in my life and ready to be released?
How might I release what is complete with gratitude and love?

Thank you for pausing here. If these questions resonate, I invite you to share them with someone who might also be walking an Autumn path of reflection.

All the best,
Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Set Your Theme for Success: Create a Theme for the New Year

A theme is an idea or concept that reflects what you want to create/manifest in your life this year. It can represent what you desire for your life overall, be specific to a life area (e.g., health and fitness, career, relationships, etc.) or a quality that you would like to magnify in your life (e.g., peace, love, joy, etc.).

Identify a word or create a short phrase that sums up what is most important to you this year. Use your theme to create 3-5 goals. Ensure your goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time bound), use positive language, and affirm what you want to create versus what you want to avoid.

Review your theme on a daily basis. It will serve as a source of inspiration and motivation throughout the year. Consider using images and/or symbols as a visual reminder of your desired outcome.

Need help setting SMART goals? Check out my post SMART Goals: Bring Your Desires to Life.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you know someone who might benefit from the message, please share by clicking on a share button below.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous year!

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace