Letting Go at Year’s End: What to Release Before the New Year

The end of the year often comes with quiet pressure—to evaluate, improve, and plan for what’s next. But before moving forward, it helps to pause and release what no longer serves you.

Letting go is not about failure. It’s about making space.

Common Things Providers Carry (Unnecessarily)

Many child care providers enter the new year holding onto:

• Guilt about not doing “enough”

• Old routines that no longer fit

• Expectations that don’t reflect real-life capacity

• Comparisons to other programs or providers

These weights can follow you into the new year unless they’re acknowledged and set down.

What Letting Go Can Look Like

Letting go doesn’t require big changes. It might mean:

• Releasing the idea that everything must be perfect

• Accepting that some seasons are harder than others

• Allowing your program to evolve instead of staying fixed

• Giving yourself permission to adjust expectations

A Simple Year-End Practice

Take a few minutes to reflect on these prompts:

• What drained me most this year?

• What expectations felt heavy or unrealistic?

• What am I ready to release as the year ends?

You don’t need to have answers for everything. Naming what you’re letting go of is enough.