Standing at the threshold of a new year can feel like standing at a portal with one foot in what was, one foot poised to step into what could be. For women over 60, this moment holds power. This phase of life offers you the freedom to live the life you’re truly here for, perhaps more than at any other time in your past. It’s time to take the reins and live fulfilled.
Fulfillment requires intention. It asks us to examine what we’re carrying and decide what deserves a place in our future. I’ve created a five-step process to help you move into 2026 with clarity and purpose, including the most liberating question: what needs to be released?
Step 1: Honor What Was, Choose What Continues
Before you can move forward, take time to reflect on 2025. What are you genuinely proud of? What were your high points and happiest moments? This isn’t about perfection or achievement by someone else’s standards. Look into your wise self and recognize what brought you alive.
Now comes the releasing part. Identify two or three things you want to leave behind. Maybe it’s a draining obligation, a pattern that no longer serves you, or a disappointment you’ve been carrying. Write them down. Check to see if any forgiveness is needed toward yourself or anyone else. Forgive and move on. Now tear up the paper, burn it safely, or simply throw it away with the intention to move ahead with your life.
Next, note two or three things you want to carry forward into the new year. What provides you with fulfillment, a sense of meaning, or real satisfaction? Write them down to take forward with you. Perhaps you’re poised to create something entirely new in your life. This is your moment. Keep your notes at hand for our final step into 2026.
Step 2: Acknowledge Your Web of Support
We don’t grow in isolation. As you prepare to move into 2026, pause to reflect on the support you’ve received throughout the past year. Who held you up? What communities nourished you? What unexpected moments of support surprised you?
Express gratitude for these connections. You don’t need to thank anyone (unless you want to!). The power is in recognizing the foundation of support that exists in your life. It could be friends, spouse, child, pet, an unexpected book or article that served you, a spiritual community, or a neighbor. Think broadly.
When you acknowledge how others have contributed to your journey, you carry that sense of support with you into the new year. You remember you’re not alone in the life that lies before you.
Step 3: Recognize Your Courage and Build Self-Trust
You are resilient; you have strength. You may seldom pause to notice this. Reflect on how you’ve grown over the past year. Where did you show strength? How did you adapt when life threw challenges your way? When did you persist despite headwinds? Consider the pride you feel in stepping up during tough times.
You can trust yourself. You are more than surviving; you are growing and creating. It is time to appreciate the woman you’ve become through experience, choice, and perseverance. As you prepare to move into 2026, hold onto that self-trust. It’s the compass that will guide you forward.
Step 4: Lighten Yourself – Let Go of What Weighs You Down
Now we return to releasing, but with deeper awareness. What no longer serves you? What is complete for you, yet you still carry it? For example, my husband still worries about his former employer, even though he is now retired. I raised my grandson, who is now almost 24. He is responsible for himself. I no longer help him carry on the details of his life. I had to consciously allow myself to let go and move more fully into living my life.
Let go of the outdated beliefs about who you should be, along with habits that drain rather than energize you. Your 50-year-old beliefs about who you would be at 65 may not be true. What your friends are doing may not serve you. Certainly, the media does not reflect who you are. Most importantly, examine the ageist thoughts that may limit your choices.
Do you catch yourself thinking, I’m too old for that or That ship has sailed? These beliefs are weight you don’t need to carry. The truth is that this phase of life offers unprecedented freedom to pursue what matters to you. Let go of anything that tells you otherwise.
If you don’t feel lighter after this reflection, revisit it. Sometimes we need multiple passes to uncover lingering burdens. The goal is to embrace who you are today and make space for more fulfillment in 2026.
Step 5: Envision Who You’re Becoming
You’ve now appreciated the woman you are, recognized the support in your life, acknowledged your strength and resilience, and released what no longer serves you. You’re ready for the final step: envisioning who you’re becoming in 2026.
Take a moment to center yourself. Breathe deeply and allow yourself to sense what’s calling you in the new year. What genuinely pulls at your heart? Who is the woman emerging? What does she care about? How does she spend her energy?
After this reflection, write down what you envision. Then, identify the first small step you’ll take toward a fulfilling 2026. Decide upon one manageable action that moves you in the direction of your vision.
Your Portal Awaits
The new year isn’t just another turn of the calendar. It’s an opportunity to step through that portal with intention, having released what weighs you down and claimed what truly matters. You have the freedom now to live the life you’re here for. The question is: will you take the reins?
May 2026 bring you fulfillment and the courage to become who you’re meant to be in this year of your life.
A worksheet to help you reflect and document your thoughts can be found here: Fulfillment in 2026.
As always, if it would help to talk about your journey, you can schedule a 30-minute chat with me.
Let’s Talk:
What was one positive thing you will take away from 2025? What have you released?
