The sight of Jacarandas lining the streets, trumpet shaped blossoms creating a carpet of purple, is a sight synonymous with the end of the Australian calendar year. Almost as iconic as the Eucalypt, Jacarandas aren’t native to Australia, but they thrive in the warm Aussie climate and feature in many a backyard gifting us with a striking purple haze across the horizons as each year concludes.
As a high school student I would walk to school, trudging up the street often burdened with teenage emotions, hormones and a heavy backpack laden with textbooks. When the Jacarandas turned purple, and their flowers covered the pavement it always meant exams and assignments. And while holidays were still a good month away, they beckoned with their freedom and sunshine.
At University the long summer break was always within grasp by the time the Jacarandas trees were shrouded in violet with just a couple of assessments remaining. It was a time of last-minute cramming, late nights and lots of anticipation – anxious to pass each subject and excited about Summer and what the new year might bring.
Regardless of what lies ahead for you or your family, Jacarandas in bloom symbolise the beginning of the end of the year. A time of year where change is in the air and the wheel of the year turns once more. It’s the end of Spring and the beckoning of Summer as the days lengthen and temperatures rise.
While the year is not quite done, New Year’s Plans are already underway and a growing list of commitments keeps us on our toes. Preschool kids are attending orientation with their new Kindy classmates, school kids are winding up the year with their current teacher and already wondering what teacher (and buddies) they will be placed with in their class of 2025.
Our social life intensifies along with the weather and you’re already having to turn down invites due to clashing dates. It’s the one month everyone has an invitation for you, and the one month you don’t have free time (why don’t these people call during the rest of the year?!). As the end of the year speeds up at the pace of a bullet train anxiety and stress can also escalate. Whether you are working to end of year deadlines, making holiday plans, supporting loved ones through exams, navigating school or tertiary transitions or simply trying to get through each week till Christmas, it’s important to find ways to press pause and invite some peace into your days.
While there’s the temptation to begin planning for next year, rather than look too far ahead adding even more mental load to your plate, instead reflect on the year that was and cultivate some gratitude as the year draws to a close.
End of year reflection
- Celebrate the achievements and the wins, no matter how little.
- Acknowledge the challenges and how you were able to navigate them.
- Reflect back on how you were stretched and how you grew and evolved as a result.
- What lessons did you learn?
- Cherish what you have in your life right now. The people you love, the roof over your head, the abundance in your life expressed in many forms.
- Acknowledge where you may not have called in enough support, spaciousness or time to rest. Can you commit to more time for self-care in 2025?
The world is a dynamic and sometimes stressful place. The best way to navigate a changing outside world is to tend to your inner world with nourishing practices and soothing soul support. Adaptability, resourcefulness and resilience comes from a nervous system that is regulated and a schedule and life that feels supportive. Moments of mindfulness, snippets of stillness and pockets of pause are how you tend to this part of you, but only you can ensure these happen.
Don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back for all you’ve done this year because before you blink it’ll be done. Perhaps pour yourself a glass of something cold, put on Purple Haze by Jimmy Hendrix, enjoy the vibrant violet jacaranda displays and have a party just for you!
Alison Gallagher is a freelance writer, resourcefulness expert and entrepreneur. She has been featured in various publications including Stellar Magazine, Australian Health and Fitness Magazine, and Cleo Magazine. Alison is particularly passionate about sharing practical tips on how to live simply, sustainably and seasonally.
