When “Good Riddance” Becomes a Habit

As 2025 draws to a close, I’m noticing a familiar theme in posts and conversations.

“This year can’t end fast enough.”
“Nothing went right.”
“I’m so ready to be done with this year.”

What stands out to me isn’t just the frustration, but how often the same message reappears year after year.

That’s not a judgment. It’s human nature.

When we focus on what went wrong, our brain naturally looks for more evidence to support that belief. That’s confirmation bias at work. When one difficult experience starts to color the entire year, availability bias often joins in. We end up judging the year by what’s easiest to recall, rather than by the fuller picture of what also went right.

Hard moments deserve acknowledgment.
They don’t deserve to define everything.

Growth and difficulty often exist side by side. A year can be challenging without being a failure. Progress does not always announce itself loudly, and many meaningful gains are easy to overlook when stress, loss, or exhaustion take center stage.

This is one of the many ways cognitive biases quietly shape how we view our years, our decisions, and ourselves. I explore this in greater depth in my upcoming book, Cognitive Biases That Mess With Your Mind (and How to Outwit Them), with a March publication goal. The book focuses on how cognitive biases show up in real-life decisions at work, at home, and in caregiving, especially when stress is high and the stakes are real. Awareness is often the first positive action we can take.

When we slow down long enough to notice these patterns, we create space for choice.

So, as we step into a new year, I invite a different reflection question:

What positive actions do you plan to take in 2026 that will increase your success, whatever success means to you?

Not resolutions.
Not perfection.
Just intentional action.

Success might mean steadier energy, calmer communication, clearer boundaries, better focus, or fewer regrets at the end of the day. Small, intentional actions compound over time, especially when they are chosen with awareness rather than reaction.

As you close out this year, reflect honestly but gently. Acknowledge what was hard without letting it define the whole story. Then look ahead and choose one positive action that's within your control.

Here’s to 2026.
May it be a year of wise choices and positive outcomes.