The Femme Cast

How To Close Out One Year & Set Powerful Intentions For The Next (My Personal Anti-Resolution Process)

• Maria @TheFemmeCast

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2024 was a shit show, no doubt. But for me, it was also a year of transformation, healing, and growth. In this episode of The Femme Cast, I’m sharing how I navigated the hot mess that was 2024, made peace with the chaos, and turned it all into fuel for an even more powerful 2025. This isn’t your typical New Year’s resolution talk—this is about closing the year with intention and setting yourself up for the next chapter in a way that actually works for YOU.

I’m breaking down my anti-resolution process, which is all about finding clarity in the middle of the storm, letting go of what no longer serves us, and leaning into the lessons we’ve learned along the way. I’ll walk you through how to reset your energy, your mindset, and your intentions without the pressure of unrealistic goals.

This episode is for you if:

  • You’ve been through a challenging year and are looking for a fresh, authentic way to reset.
  • You’re tired of traditional resolutions and want a grounded, flexible approach to personal growth.
  • You’re ready to release what no longer serves you and make space for new beginnings.
  • You want to step into 2025 with clarity, purpose, and confidence, without the pressure of unrealistic goals.

Ready to close out 2024 with intention and step into 2025 with clarity and purpose? Hit play and discover my anti-resolution process for setting authentic, sustainable intentions that actually align with who you are. 

🎧 Let’s make this next year your best one yet! 

Want to join the conversation? DM me on Instagram @thefemmecast and let's chat: https://www.instagram.com/thefemmecast/

Are you ready to rewrite your love story? If so, head to my pinned post on my Instagram for a step-by-step guide on attracting the relationship you truly deserve! Or DM me 'REWRITE' for a direct link to the post. no sign-up or email required: https://www.instagram.com/thefemmecast/
Are you ready for a massive breakthrough in your relationships and your life? If so, click the link below to book your 90-minute Healthy Love Intensive with me. We'll laser-focus on clearing the blocks holding you back, creating a powerful shift that attracts the loving, supportive and emotionally available relationships you've always dreamed of—no chase, just flow: https://thefemmecast.com/healthy-love-intensive/

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MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

Hey you guys, what is up? Welcome back to the show. I'm so excited and grateful to have you here and happy freaking holidays. Another year, you guys, is done and by the time you're seeing this, we're probably getting ready to ring in the new year Maybe the day of new year's, depending on where you're listening to this. I'm going to try and post this a couple days before, so you guys have some time.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

But what a year Like, what a fucking year. I don't know about you guys, but this year has thrown me so many curveballs. I'm about to flip at the bird, like, just right there. And it's so funny because I was literally just, you know, exchanging reels with my friend, because you know that's what the real was, but he commented something to the effective and we said 2025 was going to be our year or some shit like that. Right, and we both had a good laugh and it's like or no, he said, and we thought 2024 was going to be our year, cause we both had a really tough like I mean really tough year this year. So many curveballs, like I mean I think we handled it like champs, but fuck, like it wasn't easy, you know, and we're going to get into it. So, but? And then to his, and then, right below that, he said but don't worry, he's like because 2025 is going to be our year, and I'm like, shh like, don't even say it, it's a jinx.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

And so I went frantically searching for this meme that I had seen years ago, and I couldn't find one for this year. I found one for 2022. And actually I'm going to pause and actually pick it up right now. Give me one sec. Actually, I paused the recording, so for you, it wasn't much of a pause at all, to be honest, but it was a pause for me. So, but it was a pause for me. So, um, I went back and I frantically searched for oh gosh, and I think I threw it in my trash. Hang on, let me go grab it out of my trash. Okay, there it is. Um, I went back and feverishly searched for this meme that I had seen a couple of years ago, like nobody like, and this is exactly what it said. I found it. So I'm not going to paraphrase it this this is the meme I found it for. I didn't find one for 2025, but I found it for 2022 and I literally sent it to him, scratched out the 2022 and wrote over it 2025. So here's what it says Nobody claim 2020,. Well, originally it said nobody claim 2022, which in this case we'll say 2025, as your year.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

We're all going to walk in real slow, be good, be quiet, be cautious and respectful and don't touch anything. That is how I'm feeling going into 2025. Like, let's not jinx it, okay. Let's not say 2025 is going to be our year. Yes, it's going to be fabulous and we're all going to accomplish amazing things, but let's just remember, life sometimes has an agenda. So, you know, we make the best with what life throws us at sometimes and that's the best that we can do. And you know what, if you're getting through this year and you've barely made it, you know like you're like fuck, how did I make it through all that shit, that shit show, that was 2024. Um, just remember we survived 2020. That's all I have to say. Um, no, but seriously, um, you know what does? It really is true, like what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and I know that's a cheat, that's a cliche, but I'm going to, we're going to. That's one of the things that we're going to bring up here today.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

But basically, what I wanted to share with you guys today is, you know, every year I kind of do a bit of a reset, right. I kind of close off the gear and I, you know, I take with me the things that I want to take with me and I leave behind the things that I don't, and I set my intentions for what I want in the new year, you know, and I've kind of evolved that process. I kind of evolve it year over year. It's always just a little bit different. I always change the prompts just a little bit. But I just did my, my practice today, um, I lit some candles, I played some music.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

I, you know, I just I really just got into the vibe of what I wanted to create for 2025. And when I say play music, I'm not talking meditation music, I'm talking like a song that really defines or embodies how it is that I want to feel, you know. So it can be anything you want it to be. Really, it doesn't have to be meditation music Like, fuck, I meditate to Tupac sometimes. That's so bad, anyways, but you know what I mean, right, like it's about the vibe and the energy of what it is that you want to create. Like that's kind of what you, that's the mood you want to set right. What do you want your mood for 2025 to be and how are you going to kind of set that mood while you're doing this practice and so much fun and I love it.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

And I don't just do it in the new year. Sometimes I do it like quarterly like. So I'll do it anytime there's some sort of like a transition period that I'm going through, right, whether it's mid-year, every month, quarterly, whatever right. I kind of I kind of take a temperature check of you know what's gone by, what I want to bring with me, what I want to leave behind, that sort of thing, right. So I kind of went through and you know, I looked at my prompts and I added some prompts that I felt like were really meaningful for me this year and I'm going to share them with you guys. I'm also going to share with you what some of my answers were right and to just give you an idea. And that's really one of the things that I really and that was one of my intentions really for this year is I do want to start being more open and authentic about some of the things that are happening in the moment. I talk a lot about stories that have happened in the past, but I really want to be more open about things that are happening in the moment. And there's another podcast episode that was supposed to get posted before this that did not get posted only because the holidays just got away from you guys, like, honestly, and I've I've had so many things come up in the last couple of weeks that have made it a little tricky to navigate, so I did end up taking a bit of a hiatus over the last couple of weeks, but we're getting back on track, so you're going to get some updates right now that you probably should have got a couple weeks ago. But anyway, let's get's get into it. Okay, let me just take. Let me just take an inventory of 2024.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

Okay, so late 2023, I lost my job, which was really fine for me at the time, you know, because I mean there was a lot of healing that I needed to do in the way that it actually happened and there there was still a lot of like anger and resentment that was left over, like how it was. The whole thing was handled, but ultimately it was the best thing for me, because I really just needed a break, I needed a timeout, I wanted to focus on number one finding something that really like suited me and and fulfilled me but also allowed me the time to work, do this work and work on my passion projects and, you know, be there for my clients and show up on podcasts and create content. Like there was so much inspiration that was coming through and I felt like my work was getting in the way, like I you know I do juggle quite a lot, so it was just it was just getting a little overwhelming. Plus, you know, being a caregiver for my parents, you know that was stepping up a notch. There was just a lot of overwhelm happening all at the same time. So it really was divinely timed.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

But then, going into 2024, you know, as I'm taking my time and thinking, okay, you know what, I'm just going to ride this out. I've got an employment benefits, you know I've got savings, you know we're good for a while. Like I can just kind of, like you know, coast and take my time to find something that I really, really, really love and that really, really, really love and that really, really, really supports not just me but also, like, all the other interests and things that I've got going on that require my energy and attention as well. Right? So you know I'm looking around and I'm taking my time and you know I'm not really finding what it is that I'm looking for. I'm dabbling here and there All the while I'm creating content, getting really excited about that.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

Then, probably like early on into the year first I think it was my dad got sick, Then my mom got sick, then my dad got sick again, then my mom had a horrible fall and ended up having like an L2 fracture. She spent two months in a brace. Like the last second half of the year was just atrocious. By July my unemployment benefits had been cut off and I'm like, okay, you know, now I have to like really like. I have to really like buckle down and look for something. No more fooling around. The job market was horrible. I'm like, okay, you know what. September will roll around, everything will be fine, the jobs will open up again. No big deal. Like. I've got some stuff coming in, I've got stuff happening that I can lean into. It's all good. Come September my mom has a horrible fall, l2 fracture. She's in a brace. She can't do anything. She has an infection Like she requires constant care, has an infection like she's. She requires constant care and all the while, my dad still needs a whole lot of support.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

So me and my sister are losing our minds by this point, like, is this the time where we start to call in help? Do we start to look at, like what do we do? Like how do we navigate this? Like it became really overwhelming. And you know, with my benefits having right now, at this point now, I'm living off savings. So you know, with my benefits having right now, at this point now, I'm living off savings. So you know there was a big hit that I took financially as a result of all of this.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

And all the while all this is happening, you know I've got stuff stirring up in all of my other relationships where I'm seeing things that I didn't see before. It's kind of like the rose colored glasses came off of some of my relationships in my life and I was just like you know what. I've been holding on to you for years and I've been doing everything in my power to hold on to these relationships. It is time to let these go. We're going to talk more about that. And in my romantic relationship, too, there were some things that were, you know, as much as it was a very loving and that were. You know as much as it was a very loving and like just a perfect, not perfect, it wasn't perfect. If it was perfect I wouldn't have left. But it was such a loving and soothing relationship to be in that I got so much comfort out of and it was really hard to let go. But I knew the time was coming that I had to let it go. So there was that happening All the while I injured my back in the process. I'm actually going to the doctors in a couple of days for a follow-up appointment to see what the heck's going on there. And you know, like all this, to say like it was a fucking shit show, like at one point I was terrified, I was going to lose my apartment, you know. So it was a hard year, but it wasn't without purpose and that's kind of what I want to bring home.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

So as I'm doing this reset, I'm kind of keeping all of that in mind, right? So here's how I work through my reset. Okay, so for my reset, these are the questions. So, if you have, if you don't have, a paper and pen, pause this right now. Go grab a paper and pen, if you can, if you're not driving or whatever, or if you're driving or you can't, you know, write right now you're doing something, come back to this later. You know, listen to it now, but then come back to it again later with a notebook and a pen. So these are the questions, right? I'm going to try and post them in the captions, if I remember, because a lot of times I don't remember these things.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

So, overall, the first thing you're going to do is you're going to want to pick a theme for what you want for 2025. What do you want 2025 to feel like? What do you want it to be? What do you want to embody in 2025? And then let that be your guiding star in all of this. Right, and this is something that's new, because I wanted to give my practice a direction and I will say this. I'm going to say this I am very much anti-New Year's resolutions and that's kind of why I do it this way Not about resolutions.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

I think resolutions are just more rules that we put on ourselves, and I fucking hate rules. Anybody who knows me knows I hate rules. Like, I don't even like wearing a watch, but I have a really cute watch now, so I wear it. But otherwise, like I don't like to have a schedule, I don't, I just don't. I like to have routine things that I do just to give me some sense of structure, but I want to be able to kind of loosey-goosey, manage everything.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

So where was I going with this? Okay, so pick the theme, right, that's the first thing you're going to do, and then, oh right, the resolution. So this is something that you would do instead of resolution. So instead of sticking, like setting a plan for certain things that you're going to do, like setting a plan for certain things that you're going to do, you can set goals that way you want to achieve, but how you achieve them becomes flexible, right, and you know you can kind of make the objective to check in with yourself and what feels aligned for you and what you want daily, rather than saying I'm going to stick to working out 60 minutes a day, four times a week. Yeah, how many have made that resolution and actually stuck to it? Hands up, because I know I've made it many times. I've never stuck to it once. Okay, so you'll get the theme when you'll get a better idea of what I'm talking about as we move through this. But keep that in mind. So pick the theme, and then here are the questions that you're going to want to journal on, and again, I'm going to try and remember to write them below.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

Three things that I'm grateful for and I like doing things in threes. Three is magical for me, so I always do things in threes. Three things that I'm grateful for, three lessons that I learned along the way in the previous year, so in 2024. Three things that I'm leaving behind that was a good one that kept me journaling for a while. Three magical intentions that I'm setting for the new year or the new period whenever you're doing this.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

Three things I would do different if I had already achieved those intentions. So, if those intentions were already true, what are three things that I would be doing right now, knowing that it's already done? Right, this is the embodiment piece. Right and this is really important when it comes to setting intentions is we can't wait for our external results to change. We have to embody who it is, that we want to be in, the life that we want to live now, the best way that we can right, and what's available to us in the moment. So that's going to be really important.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

And then and this isn't just three, this is just. This is where you can start to build sort of like a daily practice. But again, do it and you let it be interchangeable, let it be flexible. What would that look like on a daily basis? And that's your last question. So, if you so, whatever those, whatever those three things are that you would do differently now, what would that look like on a daily basis? So you know three things that you might do differently. You know they might just be one-off things that you check off on a list, or maybe there's some daily habits that you want to start kind of cultivating and nurturing in order to fit, to create those intentions, to support those intentions. Right, and I did put some daily habits, but I didn't do it, I wasn't very rigid with them. So you'll see what I mean, okay. So here's mine. I'm going to share them with you. Here we go, okay.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

So my theme is authenticity. So one of the things that I've really struggled with, obviously, as a people pleaser you know what I'm talking about, you guys it is really hard sometimes to just kind of just let yourself, just be yourself, that when I feel insecure, if I feel threatened or if I feel like, you know, things aren't going the way that I want them to go. In a relationship that I might revert back to an inauthentic version of myself, whether it's to keep the peace, whether it's to keep the relationship, whatever right, there is still that default setting with me and I have to be very conscious of it and sometimes it keeps me from you know, even, sometimes even just sharing honestly, like with you guys, what's going on in my day to day. Like when I, when I went through my breakup this year, it was a big moment of, oh my God, am I a fraud? Now, like, if I break up with this person, does that make me a fraud? Like I help people find healthy relationships.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

And the truth is it doesn't, because it was a healthy relationship. It wasn't perfect, but it was very loving. It just didn't. It just wasn't what I needed right now. It wasn't even though there was love. It wasn't serving me in the long term to stay in that relationship and I had to make that hard decision and for me, I mean, that is the most self-loving thing that you can do, right, because it's not the easiest thing to do. It takes some strength to be able to do that and it took me a couple of weeks before I was certain, okay, like I've, because there was a part of me that was afraid I was going to go back. Like, okay, I've done this and I'm going to regret it, and I know I'm going to probably waffle and go back and, you know, kind of wobble back and forth a few times before I, you know, I stick to this, but I did it, you know, and every day gets easier and it was literally just recently it was literally just a couple weeks ago that this happened and it was literally just recently. It was literally just a couple of weeks ago that this happened.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

So, you know, I want to be more real about things like that and what's happening, kind of what I struggle with still today. Like I know, I always share with you guys story. I never lie. Like everything that I've shared with you guys on this podcast has been 100% authentic, but it's always like past tense. I kind of want to share a little bit more behind the scenes of what's going on today and what I'm struggling with today. So that was one. You know, for me, authenticity is my theme for 2025. So I just want to be as transparent as I can. I want to be the same version of myself wherever I go, like regardless of who I'm with, and I no longer want to entertain people, places or things that want anything other than the authentic version of me. I just don't Not there. Not there for it, not here for it. I just don't have time or patience for it, and that's kind of the overall theme with what I did here today.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

So three things I'm most grateful for. I am so grateful for actually having found a job towards the end of the year. Hallelujah, that is perfect because the hours are great, the work is work that I love, it's easy and, you know, I can still support my parents, work on the podcast, you know, do things and projects behind the scenes that won't interfere with my work. So it's actually perfect. It creates a perfect balance and I'm working with a great team, so it makes it, you know, so much easier. So super grateful for that. I am super grateful for my relationship and the support that it gave me throughout the year, because I don't know if I would have made it through the year in one piece without that person. I'm going to cry now.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

Who was there, um, and yeah, just just sending so much love and gratitude right now, um, for them for being there for me, for listening to me, for holding space for me when I was like at my worst, and knowing that he was going through a challenging time too and I think that's where a lot of the friction came is that we were both going through really challenging times and there were a lot of times where we needed one another, where we just could not be there for each other. Um, and that created some friction between us and it created, it made it very difficult for us to move forward in the relationship, just because he was dealing with so much and I was dealing with so much. I just had to call it because, you know, we were only holding it, because now we were not just dealing with our own shit, now we're dealing with each other's, and it was only, you know, it was only holding us back because we couldn't move forward, because both of us were in a position where we were dealing with other stuff, you know. Um, so, yeah, anyway, just taking a moment here to like gather myself, because it's making me a little emotional, um, and I'm just, you know. Third thing is, I'm just so grateful for the transformation that occurred as a result of all these challenges Like there's and I I've written it here and I'm not going to share it yet because it's not public yet, but there's some I went through a profound shift in all of this when everything peaked, probably in I think it was around October, everything started to really peak and I had this profound shift, aha moment, realization that has to do with the healing process, right, you all know and if you've worked with me, you know, I'm a huge believer in emotional energetics and how the emotions that we hold on to can really shape and alter the kind of life that we create.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

Right, and we hold on to and bury and disengage from so many powerful emotions that come through us on a daily basis and we don't process them properly. They get stuck in our energetic field and they they muck with our energetic signature, right, only because we've never learned to really process or move through them. So I had this fucking experience that was just mind blowing, um, and you know, had I not gone through this whole pro, this whole year of you know, being challenged over and over and over and over again, and just like it just literally felt like life was just like flipping me the bird, you know, around every corner. Um, you know, I don't think I would have discovered that and it's, it's become it. It's just it's becoming a really important part of the work that I do and it's changing the way that I do things. So more to come on that. Stay tuned. Um, I'll give you a hint.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

If you saw my post about rage a little while ago, that got a lot of attention. That's your first clue. Okay, so three lessons that I learned. This is great. This is my favorite part, and I might not get through all these questions because we're already on 22 minutes, I think. So, number one the more difficult the season, the greater the blessing, the lesson, the gifts or the rewards that come out of it.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

I don't believe we go through difficult seasons in vain. I really don't. I do believe that difficult seasons are intentionally put there to help us to evolve, to transform, to heal what we've been ignoring or perpetuating again and again. And you know, I do believe that they are very purposefully and intentionally put in our path so that we can evolve. And, as I said in the previous you know comment, when I was talking about, like some of my, the gifts that came out of this year, you know, I would never, ever, have stumbled across that powerful perspective on emotional energetics had I not gone through this experience, like all these experiences that I talked about, because it was at the peak of my rage that all of this started to make sense and started to come together and I was like, okay, maybe there's purpose to all of this, you know, and it was truly, truly, truly profound. So I really can't wait to start sharing that with you guys in the new year. But there's still some things that I kind of want to what's it called Clarify Perfect? Not that it needs to be perfect, but I'm still filling in some of the gaps in in in the practice. So stay tuned for more um.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

Second thing I learned, or lesson that I learned if they want to leave, let them don't waste your energy trying to hold on to people, places and things that don't want to be involved with you anymore. Or and I will say this, it's not that any of these people and this isn't my partner, this is just other people in my hemisphere. If there are people in your life where you feel like you constantly have to make the effort, you feel like you constantly have to tiptoe around their moods, or you feel like you have to think about what you say or what you ask or how you engage with them, because you always seem to, you always feel like you kind of say the wrong thing around them or they take everything that you say the wrong way. Or, you know, maybe you feel like you have to be this inauthentic version of yourself in order to keep them entertained or keep them happy or keep them connected. You know what? Let them go. Let them go.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

There are some relationships that I've been in my life for years that over the last couple of years, have become really uncomfortable, and I have had conversations with a lot of these people, like I've had conversations say listen, I don't like the direction the relationship is going in. You know, I feel like there's this distance between us. I feel like something's going on. I feel like there's something funky there. Do you want to talk about it? You know I'm here, you know whatever, and you know it never.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

It always ended up getting brushed under the rug. No, nothing, everything is fine, everything is good. Meanwhile, all the behaviors that I was seeing were getting worse. There was, I felt, a huge disconnect. I felt like I was constantly having to watch what I say and what I do around these people, and I just felt my energy being drained, like the life being sucked out of me every time I spent time with them, because I knew I was being an inauthentic version of who I was.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

And so one day I was like, why am I holding on to these relationships anymore? I mean, they're clearly not making an effort to hold on to me, so why am I holding on to them? Is it because of you know, and sometimes we get, we do, we get caught up in oh, but it's been X number of years and we've invested so much and we've been through so much. Great Hold, great hold on to those memories. But that doesn't mean that that person has to be in your life for the rest of your life. Relationships have expiry dates, unfortunately, a lot of the times.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

You know not everybody. Yeah, we'd love to have you know those people that you know are ride or die that we stay with for the rest of our lives. But you know what the reality is. People change, people grow, people evolve and sometimes we grow apart and that's really all that happens. So, rather than trying to hold on to them and trying to like, cater to them and I just, you know what I know me, I know my worth and I know what my energy is worth to me and this expenditure of my energy is just not where it's not serving me, because any time spent in an inauthentic version of yourself I don't know what the exact ratio is, but let's just say it burns so much more of your energy and life force than being your authentic self.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

You know, being your authentic self and not having to worry about who you are and what you're saying and how you're showing up and what. Having to worry about who you are and what you're saying and how you're showing up and what people are perceiving about you, when you can let that go and just be authentic, you have so much more energy. And not to mention, you know, coming into more alignment in relationships and opportunities. Right, because now you're putting yourself out there, right, your true self, and so what is meant for you is coming for you when you're putting yourself out there, right, your true self, and so what is meant for you is coming for you when you're an inauthentic expression that wastes so much of your energy, because it's like you're fighting your own current. When you do that, right, it's like, imagine swimming upstream. Right, it takes so much more energy and force to do that, not to mention all the stuff you want is flowing downstream. You're going in the opposite direction of what you want. You're bumping into things that you don't want, trying to get your ass upstream. You know what I mean. Like I think that's the best analogy to kind of you know, put sense to it, but that's energetically. That is what's happening, right. So let them go. If they want to go, let them Just. Let them Bless them, thank them for what they brought to your life while they were in it, thank them for the good times and be done. You know you don't need to be bringing that with you in 2025.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

And the third thing, um and this was the hard one that sometimes the loving thing to do is leave, even if you love them. So, even especially because you love them, if you're with somebody, like for me, where I knew there was just so many things that we were dealing with and we couldn't be what we needed for each other right now, and there was also going to be a lot of challenges for us being together and really the most loving thing I could do for both of us was to let it go, because he deserves to be with somebody that he can be with right now and who can, you know, kind of not support him, because I think we're all responsible for our own shit. But you know, there is something to be said for two people coming together to hold space for one another when they're going through stuff. You know we both deserve that and so, because I love myself and because I love him, I made the call and just said you know it doesn't.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

Sometimes love really is not enough. You know, we can love so many people. You know there's no limit on how many people we can love and obviously we love everybody differently, but we can fall in love with somebody. But that doesn't mean that we're meant to be together and everything, everything about our journey together was only affirming that this, this was not our time to be together, that this was not our time to be together. I don't even think we'll ever be together in the future. To be quite honest with you, I think what we needed to share together is done and it was beautiful and it was exactly what both of us needed. But I think for both of us now it's time to move on. And you know what, for both of us, luck shifted after we broke up. Luck has shifted for him because we still kind of you know, loosely keep in touch.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

It wasn't a sour ending at all and that's what really made it so hard. He was so loving in the end and so like understanding and like he said the most beautiful things and he's been so like he's just been so good about everything, and so it actually made it harder. I was telling my friend the other day I was like, you know, I kind of wish he would just be a dick, so he could just not not feel like you know what I mean Like it would be so much easier if he was a dick. But he's not, he's actually like a really kind hearted human. Um, anyway, where was I going with this? Oh, all that to say that you know we had talked recently and we checked in and you know there's good things happening for him and there's been good things happening for me too. So I feel like you know what that's confirmation, you know, because I really do feel like when you're in an aligned relationship, not to say that everything is easy it's not but when you start to feel like your relationship is stagnating you and it's kind of blocking you. That's a sure sign you're not in the aligned relationship and you'll know that, because when you end it, it'll open up the door to opportunity. You know what I mean. So, anyway, so, celebrating that actually for both of us, to be honest, cause he deserves it too Um, okay, I think we have time for one more um things that I am leaving behind in 2024 and not bothering to take with me, as I mentioned, people that have been trying to um, people that I've been trying to really really go out of my way to keep in my life, who have been draining my energy, my life force, people who don't seem like they really want to be there anymore.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

I'm just kind of letting them go. I'm leaving behind people who don't genuinely want what is best for me. This is a big one, you know. People always say to me you know well, why did you let go of that person? Or why aren't you, weren't you in relationship with that person anymore? Because they never wanted the best for me. Like, well, what did they do? Nothing. They just never wanted the best for me. If I'm going to be in relationship with people, if I'm going to invest my energy. If I'm going to invest my time, if I'm going to exchange my energy with people, they have to be people that genuinely want the best for me. They genuinely have to be people that will want to celebrate my wins. You know, they don't have to hold space for me when I'm, you know, when I'm not winning Although I think you know that that is a quality that I look for in a closer relationship.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

But it just in general, like if you're not somebody who is happy for me when things are going well for me, or worse, if you're a person who gets a little bit nasty when things are going well for me, you gotta go and you don't have to do anything really to me other than that for me to really cut you loose. And it's not to say that, listen, I can be an acquaintance to very, very, very many people. Again, I can mingle with the rest of them. But in terms of who I let in and let into my close proximity emotionally, energetically, physically, mentally you have to want what's best for me and that's a minimum standard. If you don't, I have no desire to entertain people who say they want the best for me but secretly want me to fail, or are envious or jealous when things go well for me. I mean, I think we all. I think there's a difference between oh man, you know, that's so cool that that happened to her. Oh man, I wish I had that, you know.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

Like, I think there's a difference to when people actually start to get angry and it creates animosity when you start winning, and then they start to compare it to themselves and it's just, it's a gross energy. I have no time for that at all. I have no space for that in my life. I think that's probably the most negative energy that you can bring in a relationship and I just don't entertain it anymore. Period, end of story, no explanation required, no, nothing. If I see that kind of behavior, my thing is to just well, I'm not going to debate it, I'm not going to debate it, I'm not going to have a conversation about it. I literally just say not for me, like unsubscribe, and that's just the way that I've been. It's probably because, like God, you guys, I grew up Greek, like I don't know what your background is, but I know Greek, italian, most Mediterranean cultures.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

Actually, I think, like we believe in the evil eye, like it's a real thing, and so, like, if I think that you are not genuinely happy for me when things are going well for me or, worse, if I feel like you're unhappy when things are going well for me, I don't want you around. I really don't Like bye, I don't want you around. I really don't like bye. Um, so yeah, that's a boundary for me. I mean, it's not for everybody, but it is for me. I I encourage you to try it on, because you know there's something to be said for being around, surrounded by, even if it's a smaller number.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

I would much rather be surrounded by people who are cheering me on, who are happy when I'm winning, who genuinely want the best for me and, you know, maybe from time to time can hold a little space for me when I'm not winning. You know, I felt like I was, you know, years ago. I felt like I was surrounded by people who were angry when I was winning and happy when I was not winning. And you know, life, life wasn't meant to be shared with people like that. You were meant to be supported. You're meant to be around people who want you to win and you know, sometimes life doesn't teach us that, but it is what we deserve, you know. So we can challenge what we believe about that. Take that away and process that, if you will, and let me know what you think in the comments.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

And the last thing I will share and I'm probably gonna have to cut this off is no longer making self-care optional. Now, and I'm gonna preface this with saying, up up until this year, my self-care was mandatory. Right, it was a mandatory thing that I did on a regular basis. I did a little bit every day. I had my self-love Sundays that I did like as a ritual all the time.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

And you know, coming into this year, with everything that I was dealing with, and especially, I think, with my mom's injury, because that was a very trying experience energetically, mentally and physically, and so I mean, there were days I wasn't even drinking water, like we were so in it, you know, and we were, so both me and my sister were so overwhelmed, so like it was daunting, like we both had moments of like breakdown and tears and just how the heck are we going to navigate this? Like we just didn't know dealing with, which is an unfortunate side effect of our current the state of our healthcare currently. But we had no idea what we were getting into. And then when we got into it, there was no getting out of it. So I was like, oh my God, anyway, you know, all my self-care went out the window. You know, I mean I was barely sleeping, my back was aching. So again, I've done something to my back. I don't know what the hell I've done to it. I'm still waiting for the results to come back. So my back was aching, I wasn't sleeping, I was eating junk. I've probably put on an additional like seven pounds, 10 pounds from what I was, and I was already overweight to begin with, perimenopause hello. And yeah, I wasn't drinking water, I was drinking, I was hydrating on coffee, where I had quit coffee like several months ago, like it was just, it was just not good, like I think my adrenals probably need a detox after that whole the last six months, you know.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

And so, and then self-care took a backseat in my daily practice. Yeah, I tried to do it here and there, but it wasn't the same. You know I wasn't, I wasn't putting the same intention into it and you know, it was kind of I wasn't full hearted like wholeheartedly in the practice when I was doing it and I kind of did it intermittently and anyway. So, and I I witnessed the effects of that. You know, without that check-in every day of okay, well, how am I feeling today, why am I feeling this way, what do I want to create for today and how do I align with who I want to be today, you know, without having that check-in, it's like a getting back in your lane moment, like how do I get back in my lane? Because life will throw curveballs at you. You guys, it isn't going to happen.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

And what I found was after it got really intense and I felt the crunch. You know, it's always the crunch of time, right? That's what always gets us is that crunch of time, and I started to feel like there's no time for me to do my practice. What ends up happening is I don't do my check-in and I start just navigating life by being reactive and reacting to things as they're coming at me, rather than intentionally creating what I want to create. And that's exactly what was happening. I was reacting to life, I wasn't intentionally creating it, and so when you're reacting to it, you just end up attracting more things to react, and it ended up. I ended up in complete chaos. React and it ended up I ended up in complete chaos.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

So it was when I had to like I literally had to force myself to say no, not doing this shit, no more, we're not doing it like this, no more. We're going to sit down, everybody's going to sit down. We're going to do our daily practice and we're going to get re-centered and refocused on what really matters, what doesn't, what we're going to do, what we're not going to do and what intention we're going to set for today, even if it's the littlest thing, like I'm going to drink more water today because I've been dehydrated and my body needs water Okay, that is my intention today, you know, even if it's something that simple, and then maybe the next day it's something a little bit bolder, and then more and more and more, until you finally get back on track and get back in your lane and intentionally creating the life that you want to create, right, I don't care whether it's five minutes a day, 10 minutes a day, 20 minutes a day have that check in, right? So, even if you do like the reset, like we talked about at the beginning, if you journal on these questions, I'm not even going to go with the rest. The other ones I missed are the intentions that I'm setting for 2025, things I would do differently, like we could go on. This could be like a one hour and a half episode, but I'll stop at that because I think you get the recap of what 2024 meant for me, the recap of what 2024 meant for me. Let me know if you can relate to any of it. But basically, you know, if you can, if you can just take that five minutes to say every single day, okay, well, this is the. This is what I've intended to create in 2025.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

So, what would I do today? This is your last journal prompt. What would I do today, knowing that my intentions for 2025 were already here? But if either maybe, maybe they're already guaranteed, they're guaranteed, you know they're coming or maybe you asked from the person who's already manifested those things that you've already achieved X, how would you show up today? What would you do? Where would you put your energy, your focus, your intention? What sort of things would you act on today? What decisions would you make today? What would you wear? How would you spend your time? What projects would you focus on?

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

You know, really make decisions from that next level version of yourself, from who you want to be, and if you can just check in every day, every day. Do this for yourself. This is who I want to be. What am I going to do today? If? What would I do today If I was already her, if I was already in her shoes, all those things had already happened. I had already manifested the job or the car, or the home, or the relationship, or whatever, the healing, the transformation.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

If it was already here and if I was already that version of myself that I wanted to be, that I set the intention for by the end of 2025, I'm going to be fill in the blank. How would I show up today? What would I do? Where would I go? What would I say? What decisions would I make, down to the littlest decisions, and practice that embodiment every single day and keep aligning with that version of you that you want to be.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

So this is where that flexibility comes in. So sure, some of my daily practices look like being more intentional around my daily practice making healthcare a priority for me, moving my body in ways that I enjoy and that energize me, making sure I get my water intake in eating more balanced meals, trying to eat more fruits and vegetables right, rather than sticking to those rigid goals that we set for ourselves. Make it a little flexible and in a way that really supports who you want to be at the end of the year, right, and then really embodying that daily. So that is my practice Take it or leave it. Take the parts that resonate. Leave the rest.

MARIA @THEFEMMECAST:

Let me know in the comments how you found it, what sort of things came up for you. Let me know what you're excited to leave behind in 2024. Um, and actually, let me know what your overall theme is for 2025. Like, sky's the limit, guys. Like I put authenticity, but it could be anything Love, gratitude, peace, serenity, mindfulness, wealth, abundance, power, passion, courage, whatever. Throw a word and comment it. Let me know below wherever you're seeing this. You're seeing this on Instagram or any podcast app or whatever, or just if you're getting it in your emails, just reply to me at mariaatthefemcoachcom, dm me, whatever. Let's get a conversation going, because I'm really curious what you guys are doing out there, how 2024 has been for you and what you're looking forward to in 2025. If you love this episode, please leave a positive rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you're seeing this. Until next time, you guys. Massive love.