I was inspired by my annual January freezer-food month for this year’s New Year Reflection. For a few years now our family have been forced to endure us eating up the miss-match of freezer meals and some mystery take-away leftovers in January to be able to empty, defrost and finally restock the freezer. I can’t say my family relish the prospect of freezer-food January, but they know that there can be some hidden gems alongside the pot-luck meals that makes it just about bearable.

But how do the contents of my freezer relate to this year’s New Year’s Reflection?

The first link is that until you dig deep, you don’t really know what is at the bottom of your freezer.  Getting to the bottom of our mind can take time, and by dedicating some time to find out what’s mulling around or is hidden below is a positive step forward.

When we look in our freezer, we start to find things that are so out of date (we’re talking more than 12 months), or, food that we can’t tell what it actually is.  The same with reflective practice, when we contemplate on our life, there can be habits and practices that had a meaning back in the day but no longer support or help us.

Sometimes we have our freezer full of one thing (in my case half empty packets of burger buns), big food items that take up so much space that there’s no room for anything else.  Until we make space in our life, are willing to let go, or ready to stop doing certain things, we don’t have the mental or physical capacity to bring something new into our lives.

So, in order for you to move forward positively to 2026, it’s good to take a personal stock check of what’s in your ‘inner freezer’ – skills, talents, dreams, hopes.

Here’s what to do.
1. Find 20 minutes where you can be quiet and contemplative.
2. Bring along paper and pen, or an electronic device which you can answer these 5 Reflective Questions. You may want to set a 3- 4 minute timer for each question, or just free flow from one question to the next.  It’s up to you.
3. Read each question, then write what comes to mind and keep on writing even when you think you have nothing more to say, as there is always more.
4. Once done, you may want to create an action plan, set a reminder, or find your way of how you are going to take what you’ve discovered and put it into action.
5. Let’s go!

Reflection 1
Looking back, what mattered to you that slowly slipped out of sight?  And what do you need to remember about it?

Reflection 2
What is taking space in your freezer that no longer serves you, and what is the cost of holding onto it?

Once we’ve cleared our inner freezer, what we may want to do is to fill it up with something different, possibly something we’ve not focused on before. Our intention this year may be different from last, so it’s important to discover what we need today and in 2026 for ourselves, as well as those we nurture.

Reflection 3
In 2026, if you filled your time and energy doing the right things, what would they be and how would they make you feel?  (This could be emotional, physical, or spiritual).

Reflection 4
What do you want to keep at the top of your freezer this year? The things that you can pull out quickly when life gets busy and messy.

We’ve all heard that it could take 21 days to make a new habit, and some say it’s as short as 18 or as long as year. But the reality is, changer and forging new habits is complex.  We’re all unique wonderful individuals with our own pressures and environments, so it makes sense that there is no magical number for change.  However, there are some tried and tested coaching and change methods that we can rely on.

  1. Have a clear and specific goal – but make it small, smaller than you think
  2. Find the emotional meaning – the passion, your why for doing it
  3. Learn as you go – when you forget or do it wrong, take a moment to find the learning
  4. Repeat and practice – set a date, time, or amount, some kind of measure
  5. Don’t stop – maintain your goal or it will fade

Reflection 5
What one tiny, specific change are you willing to commit to in 2026? A small start that will have the biggest impact on you, and you are willing to go the extra mile for.

We know that change isn’t easy, but what is harder – doing nothing at all.  Now that you’ve emptied and refilled your inner freezer, it’s time to take that first step forward to 2026.  We’d love to hear what you discovered!  Please get in touch and let us know how you got on.