December 25th has a certain stillness to it.
A quiet pause in the middle of a loud month.
A day when the world slows down just enough for us to hear ourselves again.
It’s the perfect moment to step back — not to plan, not to optimize, not to set goals — but simply to notice.
We often rush into January thinking about what we want to add: new habits, new routines, new commitments, new ambitions.
But the older I get, the more I realize something simple:
Growth doesn’t start by adding.
It starts by releasing.
Because everything compounds — not only our good habits, but also our noise, our stress, our unnecessary commitments, our automatic yeses, our emotional clutter.
And most of us are carrying far more than we need.
So before the year turns, I want to offer just one question — nothing to fix, nothing to execute, only a moment of awareness:
What do you not want to carry into the next year?
A habit that drains you.
A commitment that isn’t yours.
A pattern that keeps you small.
A role you’ve outgrown.
A belief that no longer fits who you’re becoming.
Don’t overthink it.
Just notice what feels heavy.
What no longer aligns.
What’s ready to be put down.
Creating space is not avoidance.
It’s strategy.
And space compounds too.
You don’t need to know your goals yet.
You don’t need a plan.
You just need enough clarity to see what no longer belongs.
Before you add anything next year, release what’s been quietly costing you.
Your future self will feel the difference.
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I’m Gregorio Sanchez, founder of The Compound Life and father of four daughters. I write about how small daily choices in health, mindset, and productivity compound into clarity and purpose.
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