Change Podcast

#415 - Monday Motivation: “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

Welcome to another short but empowering episode of Monday Motivation, giving you a dose of inspiration as you head into your week...

Today, we explore this powerful quote about not being able to change the beginning of your story, but choosing to change the ending - and how you can apply it to the final month of the year:

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” — C.S. Lewis

Here are three key takeaways you can expect from this episode:

  1. How to gently accept the parts of this year you wish had gone differently - and turn regret into learning and self-compassion.

  2. Why tiny, courageous steps matter more than dramatic change - and how one small action today can shift the direction of your whole year.

  3. A simple December reflection practice to help you design how you want the year to end and start stepping into your Future 2026 Self now.

Take this opportunity to learn how to turn reflection into momentum, and use the final weeks of the year to consciously create the ending you really want.

As always, I’d LOVE to hear what resonated most with you - so please share and let’s keep the conversation going in the Dream Life Podcast Facebook Group here.    

…and remember, it all starts with a dream 💛

Dream Life & kikki.K Founder

P.S. If you’re ready for guided support, explore Dream Life Coaching here: https://www.yourdreamlifestartshere.com/course 💛

SHOW NOTES:

  • Download our free 25 Prompts PDF here... 
  • Buy Kristina's book, Your Dream Life Starts Here
  • Follow Kristina on Insta and TikTok
  • If you feel it's time to take a leap and invest in you, join:
    • My Platinum Coaching Program where in December our focus will be on "Hello Future You! Design Your 2026 Dream Life". Dream big, create your vision, and get clear on what matters most for your best year yet. Learn more here.  
    • My Dream Business Book Club here. In December, we'll be reading and learning from:  The Slight Edge, by Jeff Olsen. It's a key that makes all the other business books and insights you consume actually work.
    • My online personal Growth Book Club GROW, December, where we'll be reading and squeezing the learnings out of Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less, by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang. Learning how to rest - the smartest life hack of all. Learn more here.

RESOURCES:

TRANSCRIPT:

Hi there, and welcome back to your Monday Morning Motivation episode.

Happy Monday to you – and happy 1st of December. I love when the first of the month falls on a Monday, and I especially love December. It’s the last month of the year, and I honestly cannot believe how quickly this year has gone. I know we say that every year, but for some reason this year feels like it has gone faster than ever.

It’s been a very full, very exciting year, with lots of challenges too. I’m sure you can relate. There are always ups and downs – and how we deal with them is what makes the difference.

This article is inspired by a quote I love from C.S. Lewis which we discussed in this recent podcast episode. The quote goes like this:

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

I’m going to say it again: you can’t go back and change the beginning – you cannot change how this year unfolded – but you can start where you are and change the ending.

I don’t think there’s a more perfect quote for the 1st of December, on a Monday, at the start of the last month of the year. December is a beautiful month of reflection, and also a month of incredible possibility.

Even if your year hasn’t unfolded the way you imagined back in January, you still have the chance to decide how it ends – right here, right now – with the choices you make today.

I find that so empowering.

Every single one of us has moments from this year that we would love to rewrite. Maybe you didn’t stick with that habit. Maybe you didn’t chase that dream. Maybe you forgot, a little too often, to put yourself on your own priority list.

It’s okay.

As I always say: progress, not perfection. We are all works in progress – and the beautiful thing is, you get to begin again as many times as you need.

You don’t need a new year. You don’t need a new Monday. You don’t need permission. You just need a moment of intention.

So let’s make that moment today.

It happens to be a Monday, and it’s a new month, and it’s almost a new year – which is a perfect time. But if you’re listening to this at a later date, don’t wait. Start today.

Here are three simple ways to live this quote, starting now.

Number one: Accept what’s behind you – gently.

Instead of wishing you’d done things differently, ask yourself:

  • What did I learn?
  • What did that season teach me?
  • How did it shape who I am becoming?

Reflection is so powerful. If you use any of our journals from the Dream Life Store, you’ll know this. We have so many journaling prompts, and those pages aren’t about judging yourself. They’re about noticing, learning, and understanding.

Small steps create big change, and every reflection is a step toward clarity.

Number two: Take one courageous step today toward the ending you want.

Not ten steps. Not the whole staircase. Just one step today.

Ask yourself: What’s one tiny action my future self – my wiser, more grounded, more joyful 2026 self – would want me to take today?

Maybe it’s sending the email. Drinking the water. Writing the dream down. Opening the journal.

Maybe it’s saying no to something that drains you, or saying yes to something that lights you up.

Remember, tiny steps count. In fact, they’re often the ones that change everything.

There’s no “right” time. There’s just time, and it’s about what you choose to do with it.

When I have big dreams and I feel like I haven’t made the progress I’d hoped for, things rarely change through dramatic or drastic action. It’s always about starting, and starting small.

Just start really, really tiny – and you’ll build momentum.

I remind myself of this all the time. Even though I’ve practiced it for a very long time, it’s easy to forget. When we have big dreams and big goals and big expectations of ourselves, it can feel hard to take that first step because we think it has to be a huge one.

Remember: tiny steps count.

Number three: Decide how you want the year to end – and step into it now.

I love the idea of designing your ending.

Imagine it’s December 31st and you’re looking back at this month. Ask yourself:

  • Who was I this month?
  • How did I show up?
  • What did I choose to focus on?
  • What did I stop tolerating?
  • What did I allow in?

This is where your true power lies – in intentionally choosing how you want to close this chapter.

It all begins the moment you give yourself permission to imagine what is possible, and then take the smallest meaningful step toward it.

Here’s a gentle invitation for December…

If you’re craving support as you design your own ending to this year, I have something special for you inside the Dream Life Coaching Program.

Our December theme is “Be Your Future 2026 Self Now.”

It’s all about stepping into the version of you who is already living the life you dream of – and letting her guide your choices today and every day this month.

Inside the coaching program, we’re going to:

  • Decide our top three dreams and goals for 2026.
  • Look at the changes we need to make to create your best year yet.
  • Start working with our future selves before the new year even begins.

It’s the perfect way to finish the year strong while getting a head start on your most exciting year yet.

We’re also going to celebrate the year we’ve had before we start planning our new year together in January.

And we’re adding a habit that I think we can all benefit from. We’ll choose between these two:

  1. No complaining in December, or
  2. A small daily act of kindness.

That will be our habit for the month.

I did the “no complaining” challenge last year, and it was so hard – because we often get really triggered in December. There’s a lot going on, lots of extra things in our calendar, catch-ups, and all the things to organise before Christmas. It’s really hard not to complain.

I’m going to take on that challenge again. Last year I had very few days without some form of complaint – even if I didn’t say it out loud. I counted frustration in my head as complaining!

But it was really powerful, and I have no doubt we’re going to have a few laughs doing this together.

If you’ve been listening for a while and your heart is whispering, “I’m ready,” I would absolutely love to support you inside the Dream Life Coaching Program.

Not because you need fixing, but because you deserve structure, accountability, community, and a loving guide cheering you on as you consciously create your dream life – whatever that means for you.

So here’s your small action for today:

Before you move on with your day, ask yourself:

What’s one tiny step my future self would take today?

Write it down. Commit to it. Do it – even if it takes two minutes, even if no one sees it.

Those little steps are how you change the ending.

As we step into this beautiful new month together, be kind to yourself and others. Be brave with your dreams. And remember: you cannot go back and change the beginning of this year – but you absolutely, wonderfully, powerfully can start where you are and change the ending.

There’s no more perfect day to do that than on a Monday, the 1st of December.

I’m cheering you on every step of the way. I hope to see you tonight for our first December session, Be Your Future Self Starting Now. Just head over to yourdreamlifestartshere.com to join us.

I’ll also link to it in the show notes.

Have the most magical Monday and a beautiful start to December – and as always, I’ll be back on Friday. I can’t wait to see you then.

 

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