It’s the season for office parties, and I am in a festive mood. In this holiday-themed post (and on the podcast, too), I want to share a few of the ways in which I reflect on, celebrate and end the year. If you are a fellow freelancer or small business owner, you might find inspiration for your own celebration here.
Like you, I’ve been to a lot of office parties and work do’s, and most of them weren’t all that festive and bright, but some years it all came together and we had a lot of fun together. So in my “Office Party for One” I’ve tried to keep the best bits of what I enjoy and add my own twist of reflective spirit to come up with a end of year celebration that brings me joy and is highly practical, too.
Party hat optional.
Reflect
All of my rituals for the end of the year start with reflection, either on the blog, or in conversation or written down in my progress reports. If you’d like to play along, here are some of my favourite reflective prompts for the end of the year:
- What do you remember most?
- When did things not go as planned?
- How have things shifted over the past year?
- What do you want to take into the new year?
- What can be left behind?
- What do you want more of in 2026?
Most of the time, just clearing the decks feels like a win as work starts to compete with preparations for the holidays, so I set aside dedicated time to try and capture and reflect.
One of my favourite activities is to go through my emails and social media and file away any positive feedback or inspiring interactions I’ve had (for which I keep a dedicated folder). Sometimes that includes more formal feedback, from workshops I have run or from coaching clients or project evaluations, and often it also includes personal messages, like a meaningful thank you note or encouraging DM.
I also file away certificates or details about any professional development I’ve done, ready to refer to when I big for new projects or renew a professional certification.
Once the reflection is done, it’s time to celebrate.
Celebrate
One of the biggest joys of being my own boss is that I get to decide what to do for my office party, and whom to invite. Some years, that means it’s just me, a good book and a warm cosy evening in front of the fire. Or even an early night. Some years I venture into the city and enjoy a festive afternoon or even a night out. Often my husband gets an invite, and we join forces for our “office party” and exchange small gifts, Secret Santa style.
Remote working has so many advantages, and I generally love running my business from home. That said, joining in with festive fun, and feeling the buzz of people, the glittering street lights and the enticing smells of Christmas market treats makes an end of year celebration a lot more fun.
End the Year
The end of the year is my quietest time of the year as most of my clients and collaborators down tools. I take advantage of no longer being the one whom everyone calls in case of emergency, and so I take a week or two completely off, to rest, recharge and spend time away from screens.
Sometimes I use the time to make progress on creative projects (my book in progress is looking at me, demanding my attention) and sometimes I just switch off and use the time to get outside, play games and cuddle the dogs.
My OoO auto-reply goes on, my inbox goes quiet and I tidy away work for another year.
I’ll be sharing my end of year reflections in the next post. What will you take away from 2025?
Happy Holidays!