System Reset: Don't Wait for January to Design Your Life
A practical protocol for closing the year without the crash.
December is often a glitch in the matrix.
It’s that strange mix of gratitude, exhaustion, and the sheer mental load of Christmas. You are likely in the middle of managing holiday logistics, family plans, and the end-of-year rush, all while the world is already queuing up the “New Year, New You” messaging. It’s a lot of input when you are just trying to get through the week without your internal hard drive crashing.
Okay, let’s pause.
I built the DWJ Life by Design framework because I was tired of crashing into January on empty. I needed a system that didn’t require a total reboot when I had zero battery left. I wanted a softer, data-driven way to close the year—one that honored real life, real bandwidth limits, and real joy.
We aren’t here to “manifest” a new year. We are here to design a transition that actually works for the woman you are right now.
📋 The Bottom Line
If you want to prepare for a new year, do not wait for the calendar to flip.
Audit your life as it is right now.
Select just one or two areas to optimize.
Execute one micro-action that fits your current capacity.
You do not need a full life overhaul. You need a simple, honest system reset.
📊 Running Your Year-End Diagnostic
When December hits, I stop looking at my to-do list and start looking at my data. I review my life through the 8 DWJ Life by Design Areas:
Health
Career or Purpose
Finances
Relationships
Personal Growth
Physical Environment
Fun and Recreation
Spirituality and Contribution
Step 1 is getting the data. If you haven’t assessed where you currently stand, stop guessing. I’ve created a tool to help you get a clear baseline of your current satisfaction levels.
👉 Take the Personal Life Evaluation Assessment (PLEA) here
Once you have your baseline, ask yourself one question for each area: Is this system draining me, charging me, or sitting on pause?
Usually, the pattern is clear: Over-functioning in work, under-nourishing the body. Seeing this data is uncomfortable, but it’s necessary. It tells us what to build next.
🛠️ The DWJ Life by Design Framework
We don’t rely on hope; we rely on a plan. To close the year without burnout, we use the D.E.S.I.G.N. methodology to move through our three core phases: Define it, Design it, and Live it.
Phase 1: Define It
Before we fix anything, we have to know what we are looking at.
1. Discover (The Audit) Start by naming your current reality. Where is the system lagging? Where are you tired? This is where we look at the data from your assessment and identify your Need. It is valid to say, “I am overwhelmed.” The follow-up is, “What resource do I need?” (Rest, help, structure, silence?)
2. Envision (The Blueprint) Don’t try to design the whole building. Zoom in on one room. Picture what “better alignment” looks like in just one life area.
Health: “My vision = Calmer mornings, not marathon training.”
Finances: “My vision = Weekly check-ins, avoiding the fear-based avoidance.”
Phase 2: Design It
Now that we have the data, we build the plan.
3. Select (The Priority) December is not the time for maximum output. Pick one micro-priority.
Action: Drink water before opening the email app.
Action: Send one text to a friend who feels like a sanctuary.
4. Implement (The Build) Turn that priority into a repeatable Protocol.
Trigger: When will I do this?
Contingency: What is the backup plan if the day goes off rails?
Example: Instead of “I will journal daily,” try “I will execute a 5-minute brain dump on Mondays and Thursdays.”
Phase 3: Live It
This is where the system gets tested in the real world.
5. Grow & Nurture (The Optimization) Review the data without judgment. If a protocol fails, it’s not a character flaw—it’s just a bug in the system. Adjust the design and try again. This prevents the “all or nothing” crash in January.
🚀 Ready to Build Deeper?
If you want to move beyond reading about these systems and start actually building them with a community of Life Designers, I have something for you.
We are opening the doors to DWJ Life by Design. This is the space where we take these concepts out of the “idea” phase and put them into “action.”
👉 Join the DWJ Life by Design Membership
⚡ Quick Action Plan: Start Today
You don’t need a long workshop to start. Here is your code for today:
Select: Circle the top 2 life areas from your assessment that are flagging for attention.
Define: Write one sentence: “In this area, I need [X].”
Design: Choose one action that takes less than 10 minutes to execute.
Journaling Prompt: “I am closing out this year as a woman who is learning to [Action]. In the next seven days, one small way I will honor that is [Micro-Step].”
Remember: Define it. Design it. Live it.
You don’t have to wait for January. One system check and one tiny action today changes the trajectory of your whole year.
Let’s get to work.
AI Life Design Coach
Digital Wellness Journal | DWJ Life by Design