How to Let Go of the Past Year and Start Fresh in 2026 | Ep #54

🎙️ Welcome back to Leadership Beyond the Title Podcast! 📜 Summary If you've been saying "new year, new me"…but still feel like you're carrying the emotional, financial, and spiritual leftovers of 2025 into the new year, this episode is your invitation to finally put those bags down. In this reflective solo episode, I share how I've been navigating one of the hardest years of my life — grief, transition, layoffs, DEI rollbacks, political tension, burnout, and the quiet pressure to hold it all together. And I walk you through the four powerful practices I'm using to create a true completion ceremony for the year — so you aren't dragging the old season into the new one. We'll talk about why "moving on" doesn't work without reflection…how grief keeps us holding onto identities, jobs, people, and things that no longer fit…and how God invites us to release what we've outgrown so He can make room for what's next. You'll learn: ✨ the 3 S's reflection framework — Successes, Stuck Points, and Shifts ✨ how to interrogate negative thoughts with compassion instead of shame ✨ why grieving is a spiritual and emotional practice — not a setback ✨ how identity markers shape the way you see yourself — and your future ✨ and the simple 5 Wants & Desires exercise to align you with your "why" This episode is for anyone — especially Women of Color — who have been strong for too long, who are still holding emotional receipts from the past few years, and who are ready to close the chapter with intention, faith, and self-compassion. Because you deserve to walk into 2026 lighter, clearer, grounded, and complete   📖 Chapters 00:00 If You're Ready to Close the Books on 2025 Why so many of us carry emotional "baggage" into the new year. 06:30 When the World Feels Heavy DEI rollbacks, layoffs, political noise — and how it impacts our nervous systems. 10:30 Completion vs. Avoidance What it truly means to say, "I am complete." 14:30 Reflection: The 3 S's Framework Successes, where you were stuck, and the shifts you're being called into. 22:00 Interrogating Negative Thoughts with Compassion How to question shame-based beliefs instead of living inside them. 28:00 Grieving, Releasing & Letting Go of Old Identities Clothes, papers, people, jobs — and who we used to be. 36:30 Five Wants & Desires — and Knowing Your Why Why purpose matters more than money or achievement. 42:00 Identity Markers & Becoming Who You're Called to Be How you see yourself physically, spiritually, relationally, financially & beyond. 45:30 Thank You as a Faith Practice Journaling gratitude for what hasn't happened yet — and trusting God anyway. 50:00 Final Reflections — Walking Into 2026 Lighter Completion, not perfection. Release, not pressure. Faith, not fear. ⭐ If this episode supports you, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a gentle, faith-rooted reset heading into the new year.   🔗 Work With Me: 1:1 Leadership & Career Coaching If you're a woman of color who wants to grow your career without shape-shifting, overperforming, or silencing yourself — my 1:1 leadership coaching is designed for you. We'll get clear on the kind of leader you are (and want to be), create simple ways for you to be seen at work that don't require you to be loud or "on," and strengthen the relationships that actually influence decisions — so opportunities come to you instead of you waiting to be picked. 🔗 Apply for 1:1 coaching by booking a call here: BOOK A CALL HERE Where to Find TaSheena Sign up for "A Seat At The Table," my Weekly Newsletter that empowers WOC leaders and their teams to build their own seats at the table. LinkedIn | Instagram | Website | TikTok