Every December, the world slows down… but if you’re anything like me, there’s a part of you that still wants to lead yourself well and finish strong. Not through hustle or pressure, but through intention. Over the years, I’ve learned that how you lead yourself at the end of the year becomes the tone you carry into the next one. And whether you feel energized, stretched, or somewhere in between, you get to decide how you land this year and how you rise into 2026.
In this week’s episode of The Kristi Jones Show, I’m sharing why coasting into January never creates the results we want, and how choosing to finish strong in your own aligned way sets you up for real clarity, confidence, and momentum as you move into the new year.
Listen to the podcast here:
Why Finishing Strong Matters More Than Starting Fresh
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Everyone loves a January reset. New planners, new goals, new promises. But the honest truth I’ve learned over decades of leadership and growth is January doesn’t transform you. December does.
The mindset, energy, and habits you carry into the new year are shaped right now. When you choose to finish strong, you’re choosing to stay awake and aware. You’re choosing clarity over autopilot. You’re choosing intentionality instead of waiting for a date on the calendar to magically shift your life.
Finishing strong doesn’t mean doing more. It means doing what matters.
December Is Your Quiet Power Play
December is one of the most overlooked strategic months of the year. While everyone else mentally checks out, you suddenly have space to reflect, reset, and redirect.
When the noise dies down, you can actually hear your own thoughts.
When routines loosen, you have room to make small but meaningful shifts.
When expectations relax, you get clarity you haven’t felt in months.
This is why I love encouraging women to finish strong; not with pressure, but with purpose. You can use this time to reconnect with your vision, clean up what’s weighing you down, or step back into alignment before 2026 begins. Those small moves change everything.
The Real Cost of Coasting
Coasting feels easy in the moment, especially when you’re tired and ready for a break. But the cost sneaks up on you: emotional drift, loss of clarity, and a slow disconnect from who you want to become.
When you coast through December, you often coast into January… then February… and before you know it, half the year slips by and you feel behind.
Finishing strong doesn’t mean you can’t rest. Rest is essential but resting with intention feels completely different than disconnecting and checking out. One keeps you grounded, the other keeps you stagnant.
Three Simple Ways to Finish Strong
Here’s what I walk you through inside the episode — simple, grounded actions that help you claim your direction before the new year even arrives.
1. Let go of something you don’t need to carry into 2026
Not everything gets to come with you. Release one expectation, habit, or obligation that no longer aligns with who you are becoming.
2. Complete one meaningful thing
Pick one task or decision that would make you feel lighter or more aligned. Not a whole list. Just one. This alone can help you finish strong in a way that feels achievable and energizing.
3. Lead like the next-level version of yourself
Ask yourself daily:
What would she do right now? The version of me who already feels grounded, clear, and confident? Respond from that place, even in small ways.
That’s what finishing strong looks like: small, aligned actions that honor your growth.
Leading Into 2026 With Clarity and Intention
Finishing strong isn’t about squeezing out more productivity. It’s about showing up with intention so you can walk into the new year already in motion, already aligned, already feeling like yourself again.
This is the moment that sets the tone and you deserve to start 2026 feeling refreshed, grounded, and confident about where you’re headed.
If you’re craving deeper support, stronger habits, and a community designed for women who lead, grow, and rise together, doors to The Inner Circle open soon. This next round will be powerful.
If you’re looking for coaching opportunities to live your life to the fullest you can learn more here about my one-on-one coaching opportunities or my Flourishing Edge Membership with my Flourishing Edge program.
