BEFORE THIS YEAR ENDS

A gentle reminder to return to yourself

Author

Positivity Kaizen
December 01, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Hi my friends,
Before this year ends, I want to share something with you. Something simple, but real.
Because the last weeks of the year can feel heavy. You start thinking about what you didn’t do, what you could have done better, what you promised yourself back in January but never finished.

It’s easy to look back with disappointment instead of compassion.
It’s easy to forget how much you’ve grown because you’re too busy counting the things you didn’t finish.

So let me say it clearly. You made it through another year. You handled things people know nothing about. You carried worries that would have broken the version of you from a few years ago. And you are still here. Still trying. Still moving. That alone is worth something.

Growth is not always loud. Sometimes it’s quiet acceptance. Sometimes it’s choosing to get up when everything inside you is tired. Sometimes it’s the smallest shift in your mindset that nobody sees but you.

As we end this year, I want you to return to yourself. Not with pressure, but with honesty. Not with judgment, but with awareness.

And to help you do that, I made a simple one-week Kaizen challenge you can follow from today until the end of the week. A reset. A reminder. A moment to breathe and rebuild.

🌱 The One-Week Kaizen Challenge

A simple reset to help you understand why small daily steps can change everything

Before we begin, remember this.
Kaizen is not about changing your entire life in one week.
It’s about learning how progress feels when you remove pressure, slow down, and improve a little each day.
By the end of this challenge, you’ll understand why the Kaizen philosophy has changed so many lives, including mine.

Day 1: Clear One Space to Clear Your Mind

Choose one small area and reset it. Not the whole room. Just one shelf, one drawer, one section of your phone, one digital folder.
When you clean something small, your mind feels lighter and your thoughts become clearer. This is the first lesson of Kaizen. When your environment supports you, your focus becomes easier.

Day 2: Move Your Body for 10 Minutes

Ten minutes is enough. You don’t need a gym session or a long workout. Walk outside, stretch, breathe intentionally, or do a light routine.
Movement reconnects you with yourself. It reminds you that growth is physical, emotional, and mental. When the body moves, the mind follows.

Day 3: Write Down Three Moments You Grew This Year

Not achievements. Not milestones.
Three moments where you grew as a person.
Maybe you handled something with more patience. Maybe you walked away from something unhealthy. Maybe you stood up for yourself.
Kaizen teaches you to see internal progress, not just external success.

Day 4: Remove One Source of Daily Noise

Pick one thing that drains your energy.
A distracting app. A negative habit. A thought loop that keeps pulling you back.
Remove it for the day. Give your mind some space.
Kaizen is about choosing what helps you grow and letting go of what doesn’t.

Day 5: Do One Thing You’ve Been Avoiding

It can be small. Answer an email. Clean one corner. Start a task you’ve been scared to touch.
When you face even one avoided task, you release mental tension. You prove to yourself that small courage counts.
Kaizen isn’t about perfection. It’s about acting when you usually delay.

Day 6: Spend Time in Stillness

Sit with yourself for five minutes. No phone. No noise.
Let your mind settle. Let your thoughts slow down.
Stillness is where clarity grows. Kaizen teaches that improvement comes not only from action but from awareness.

Day 7: Choose One Direction for Next Year

Not a resolution. Not a big promise.
One direction.
Do you want more discipline? More peace? More consistency? More confidence?
Define the path, not the finish line.
Kaizen is about walking in the right direction, one step a day.

📘 Why Kaizen Matters

If you follow this week with intention, you will notice a quiet shift inside you. Not a dramatic transformation, but a soft change. A clearer mind. Better focus. More awareness.
That is the heart of Kaizen.
Small actions that don’t feel heavy. Daily steps that move you somewhere meaningful. A pace you can sustain for life.

This is why I wrote The Art of Self-Improvement.
To show people that real growth doesn’t come from sudden pressure. It comes from simple steps repeated daily.
If you want to learn this mindset deeper, the eBook will guide you through Kaizen in a way that finally makes improvement feel natural.

Final Message:

Before this year ends, give yourself seven days.
Not to transform your life, but to reconnect with yourself.
Because the moment you understand the power of small steps, you stop fearing the future and start shaping it.

And it begins with this week.

What part of this week’s letter spoke to you?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Send me a message on Instagram @positivitykaizen and let me know what hits the hardest for you.

Until next time, keep growing 1% every day.