The simple tools that help us go after our dreams and design our lives

Hello lovelies,Welcome to December! I love the Christmas season - the mince pies, the sparkling lights, the music, the crafting, the gingerbread house making, the wintery films, all the snuggling under blankets and having an actual real-life tree in the house dripping with lights and homemade decorations. I also love this month, of course, because it is THE Goodbye, Hello season - the season of collectively reflecting and dreaming. This is the month where many of us will crack open our brand new Goodbye 2025, Hello 2026 journals for the first time to start the journey of reflecting back on the year we’ve each been through and watch our dreams and desires for the year ahead emerge on the pages of our journals. Getting to do that process at the same time as thousands of people all over the world, feels utterly magical to me! And so in today’s Pep-Talk… I’m sharing a juicy slice of a conversation I had recently with the wonderful Claire Venus ✨ over on Sparkle on Substack, where we talked about the journal, the power of reflecting and dreaming and the different ways we can help turn those dreams into reality. Claire - who has been doing the journal herself this year - shares how it has acted like an anchor for her through a turbulent year - keeping her grounded, reminding her to pause, helping her find the joy threaded through the hard bits, and nudging her back toward the things that fill up her cup.And we went deep into:* Why reflecting back is just as important as dreaming forward* How quarterly and monthly check-ins help to keep you anchored to what is most important to you* Why even the toughest years hold beauty and wisdom when you slow down enough to look* How turning a five-year vision into something visible (big paper, felt tips, wall!) is a really power way to actually help it come alive* The magic that happens when you keep your dreams in front of you, not hidden in a closed journal* The power of doing these check-ins and reflections together - both for the accountability and the inspiration it offersThis conversation left me feeling so filled up and inspired. I’ve included a juicy slice of it in today’s Pep-Talk - and you can watch the whole conversation, over here 🤩The Big Online Share - Goodbye 2025, Hello 202 Since this conversation I have now set a date for the Big Online Share - the 20th January, 2026! Save your spot here!x Selina This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anotherwaywithselinabarker.substack.com/subscribe