There’s something almost frantic about any season of transition, isn’t there?
The urge to wrap up, reflect, and then immediately pivot into what’s next. But what if I told you that your nervous system actually needs something different—a gentle pause—before you jump into vision boards and ambitious goal lists?
Yesterday, I had a virtual meeting with my friend Mia that shifted everything for me. Instead of leaping straight into planning, we did something I’d never tried before: we gave the year just gone a chance to truly land.
The rebellion of looking back first
Think about it.
Most of us treat our years like a series of bullet points—achievements ticked off, challenges overcome, lessons learned.
But what if your body needs to process what actually happened, at its own pace?
This approach lets your nervous system catch up and fully integrate the year—before rushing ahead to the next goal.
Our nervous systems actually need a moment to look back—before we look forward. Pausing helps you settle, process your lived experience, and not leave any part of your story unresolved.
The Nervous System Integration Timeline: How-To
🍃 Step 1 – Draw your timeline:
Draw a long line across the top of your page, marking each month. 
Open up your calendar or diary (for me, that’s Outlook—work and life together). Under each month, jot down your lived experiences with prompts like:
- Moments that shaped me
- Quiet wins
- Setbacks that taught me strength
- Moments / months I felt discouraged
- Moments / months I rose again
As I wrote these out, I gave myself permission to feel it all again. Honestly, this part surprised me—some months hit hard, others were gentler than I remembered.
🍃 Step 2 – Colour code your experiences:
Give each category a colour—whatever feels right to you. Add a coloured dot next to your notes for each category (some moments may get more than one, and that’s perfect).
The patterns you’ll see are richer and more honest than any standard End of Year KPI review.
🍃 Step 3 – Express with colour and shape:
Grab some crayons or markers.
Let your hands choose how to illustrate the year—lines, shapes, symbols, whatever expresses the emotional tone of each month.
Let yourself just notice what stands out—emotion, intensity, ease.
Take your time here.
When you pause and look at the whole piece, you might see things you missed in the day-to-day.
🍃 Step 4 – Drawing your 9-petal flower
Draw a flower with 9 petals, one for each area:
- Health
- Finance
- Career
- Family
- Personal Development
- Spirituality
- Relationship
- Friendship
- Hobbies
Give each petal a gut-feel score out of 10—don’t overthink it, just go with your initial sense.
🍃 Step 5 – What to carry forward—and what to gently release:
For each petal, ask yourself:
- What do I want to carry forward? (Growth areas, supportive behaviours, actions to keep)
- What will I leave behind? (Stories, habits, beliefs blocking growth)
The flower and timeline made it really clear where my energy and growth went this year—honestly, it was relationship, career, and finance for me. Some petals had been in gentle nudge mode, others were just steady.
What I discovered in the spaces between
What struck me most about this slower approach was the patterns I’d never notice rushing into new goals. It showed me not just what I achieved, but how—the rhythms of my growth, the good soil, the early signals I’m pushing too hard or procrastinating.
Your invitation: Let your past land, so you can move forward with clarity
I’m sharing this because it felt like coming home to myself in a way that old-school reflection never did. If you’re feeling the urge to leap into what’s next, I hope you’ll give this a try—whatever transition or new beginning you’re in.
Create your timeline.
Colour outside the lines.
Let the year (or season, or chapter) really land, before you move forward.
Honour both your analytical side and creative wisdom.
Let your body help tell your story, and give space for every kind of growth, not just the shiny parts.
Whatever season you’re in, I hope you find a gentle moment for this.
Sending you magic and love, whatever season you’re in—
P.S. If someone comes to mind who might love this practice, feel free to pass it along.
