renewal – Ruthann M. Wilson

Rebuilding Confidence: Steady Practices for Wisdom and Strength

Like stones balanced one by one, confidence is rebuilt through steady practices and the wisdom we carry forward.

When change arrives suddenly or asks more of us than expected, confidence can wobble before it steadies again.

Transitions in our lives and work can shake our confidence, especially when they ask us to stretch, release, or reimagine what comes next. Yet they also invite us to rebuild with the wisdom we’ve gained and the lessons we’ve carried forward.

Confidence is a steady trust in yourself: in your abilities, your choices, and the decisions you make. It is fluid. It grows through reflection, practice, and affirmation, becoming stronger each time you act with trust and intention.

When confidence is shaken, it doesn’t return all at once. It’s steadied slowly, through practices that keep you grounded, through visibility, and through acknowledging the contributions you have already made. And each time we rebuild, we do so with greater wisdom, carrying forward the lessons that shape us into someone stronger and more resilient.

Confidence is not about certainty. It’s about continuing to choose and act with trust and intention.

When confidence is shaken or feels diminished, pause and ask: Which practices help me feel steady, where do I want to be more visible, and which contributions do I need to acknowledge, honor, or celebrate as I rebuild with the wisdom I’ve gained.

Confidence is built in small, steady practices that remind us of our worth. Here are three ways to begin:

Morning Pause: Each morning, name one true personal quality you will bring into the day and let it remind you of your worth.
Micro-action: Choose one small act each day that expresses your gifts.
Reflection: At the end of each day, note where your presence made a difference.

If you’re moving through a season of completion or transition, you may find resonance in a recent reflection on Finishing Strong and honoring what you’ve carried to this point.

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

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Warmly,
Ruthann

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.

All the best,
Ruthann

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.

You can receive notifications of new posts by clicking on the follow button. You can share posts with others by clicking on a share button below. Join my mailing list to receive email updates (Join mailing list)

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

Year-End Reflection Practices to Finish Strong

This year (2023), 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 2023 so you can work through the exercises step by step. You can access the worksheet here.

All the best,

Ruthann

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

Winter Reflections: How to Go Within for Inner Growth

I received the Chrysanthemum plant in the picture as a birthday gift three months ago. It was filled with beautiful white Chrysanthemum flowers in full bloom. It was given to me by someone special who knows how much I love flowers. It brightened the room for weeks. I was sad when the flowers began to wither and die. I know it’s a part of the cycle of life; however, it still made me a bit sad to watch the plant transition to its current state. My sadness has shifted to acceptance and I am now sitting with this beauty each day during meditation as a reminder that winter is a time of rest, renewal, and going within. It is a necessary phase of the cycle of life that requires strength, patience, and trust in the process to begin again.

Each season brings gifts and opportunities for growth as we journey through the year. Winter is a wonderful time of year to commit or re-commit to a daily practice of being still and silent. I invite you to read my post “Give Yourself the Gift of Silence” for inspiration in creating a daily practice. You might 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.

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

All the best,

Ruthann

New Year Reflection Practices

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous year! I have included links to posts to help kick off the new calendar year.

All the best,

Ruthann

Year-End Reflection Practices to Finish Strong

This year (2022), 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 2022 so you can work through the exercises step by step. You can access the worksheet here .

All the best,

Ruthann

Winter Reflections: Rest, Renewal, and the Inner Journey

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

Winter is a season of rest, renewal, and going within. This is wonderful time of year to give yourself the gift of silence by creating time in your day to be still and silent.

I invite you to read my post “Give Yourself the Gift of Silence” for inspiration in creating a daily practice.

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

All the best,

Ruthann