Ep 11 - How to Prepare for the New Year from the Inside Out: Structure, Standards, and Boundaries (A Mother–Daughter Conversation)

In this personal and reflective episode of Midlife Audacity, host Celeste is joined by her daughter, Marley, for a heartfelt mother–daughter conversation about closing out 2025 and consciously preparing for 2026.

This episode is not an interview. It’s a real, honest dialogue about identity, growth, and what it actually takes to create meaningful change from the inside out.

Together, Celeste and Marley reflect on 2025 as the Year of the Snake, a season marked by shedding old identities, habits, beliefs, and even relationships that no longer served their growth. They explore how release doesn’t always mean “forever,” but often creates the space needed for clarity, healing, and new experiences to emerge.

They also discuss the importance of understanding seasonal and energetic timing, including why January is still deeply rooted in grounded Capricorn energy and why it’s meant for preparation, not pressure. As they look ahead to the Year of the Fire Horse, they talk about momentum, freedom, and expansion—and why inner preparation is essential before outer movement begins.

Throughout the episode, Celeste and Marley unpack the connection between identity and manifestation, why nothing truly changes without an internal shift, and how running the same mental “program” can keep life feeling stuck year after year.

Listeners will hear practical insights on:
 • Creating supportive structures instead of relying on motivation
 • Setting standards rather than chasing goals
 • Using discipline as a form of self-honoring
 • Building loving boundaries that protect growth and alignmentMarley also shares a powerful tool she uses every year to stay connected to her standards and vision, while Celeste offers her own reflective practice that helps her align with the future she’s calling in.

This episode is a reminder that winter is not a pause - it’s preparation and that real transformation begins with identity, intention, and inner work.

If you’re ready to step into the new year with clarity, alignment, and purpose, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

Grab your FREE Energy Audit - the first step in reclaiming your peace, power and presence.

Soulful Shifts For Midlife: A Guidebook For Alignment - simple micro habits for getting your sh*t together in just 10 min a day. DOWNLOAD FOR FREE as my gift to all of you during the month of December.

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Transcript

Welcome back to midlife audacity. I'm your host Celesta Dona teacher, writer speaker and guide for women who are ready to rise into their next chapter boldly, soulfully and unapologetically. Today's episode is personal and reflective, I'm bringing on my daughter Marley. You have heard me talk about her before in other episodes. And together we're going to share some insights and experiences from 2025 and what we are consciously calling in for 2026, and this is not going be an interview. This is going to feel much more like a real conversation. We're going be talking about identity growth and what it actually looks like to prepare for the New Year from the inside out so you can truly manifest what you want and not have another year go by without anything, really changing. So Marley. Thank you so much for being on here with me. Thanks for having me. Oh, I'm so excited. This can be really juicy like a mother-daughter podcast. I've like dreamed about this for quite a while. Is gonna be juicy. So it's kind fun. All So let's start with 2025, right? That was the year of the snake. I don't know if many of you knew that but it very much felt like a year of the snake for me. What that basically is saying is that it's a year shedding releasing identities, releasing habits releasing even some beliefs that you may have kept for way long, that you've sort outgrown. And it may even have meant releasing some relationships. That no longer were serving you. And sometimes the releasing of those things aren't forever, but they are necessary in the moment so that you can keep yourself open for like new experiences and things that are really going to serve you. We sometimes think of releasing as like, it's gone forever, but I don't View. It like that, I view releasing as like it needs to be. Gone for now, in order for me to really become what need to become and sometimes those things come back and sometimes they don't, and I'm okay with that. So snake energy is like quiet Inward and at times it actually could be really uncomfortable to go through some of that. So Marley, like for you in 2025, did feel like you went through any of those kinds things that I mentioned and was that uncomfortable at all? Yes, I think everything you mentioned was like very accurate with my year of 2025. I feel like 2025 was the year of real realization because I realized a of things that I was going through, like internalized for me internally. Yeah, a things that was going through that. thought I had like already established and like moved on from and like worked on and I realized that even if you are working on those things, they can always come back and tell you that, hey, you still need to work on this and you need to improve on it. So I feel like it definitely was releasing identities and relationships. because, Yeah, the relationships was definitely something that affected my ear. Yeah. And remember what I said, like and think I even told you this sometimes in our phone conversation, when you were away is sometimes, it's just about releasing it in the moment so that you can stay true to yourself and not be absorbed in that. Negative energy or a of that conflict. And then sometimes those relationships. Come back. Yeah. At a time. That is better suited for the both you, like, for my mental health. I definitely had a relationship that was like, a rocky in beginning of the fall. And then, towards the end of 2025, I was like, okay, I think I'm, I think I'm at a place where I can handle this better and it it, in, in the moment I was like, this is ruining my life, like this horrible that this happening to looking back. I'm like, no, clearly that like was not the time I needed to be focusing my energy on that. Right. It was like draining you. Yeah. And then when that relationship came back around you were in place where it was no longer draining. Yeah. And that feels so much better, doesn't it? Yeah. Yeah, for sure. And for me. This spoke like the year of snake really spoke to me as well. I didn't realize it at the time. Like I really didn't know that 2025 was the year of snake. I think I like picked up on it along the way but I didn't realize how much of this year was about shedding identities and habits and beliefs and and like sitting in the quiet for me, it was really about Stillness and Building my relationship with God and slowing down. And that was really uncomfortable. Yeah, because you're used moving and constantly doing something and just constantly trying to achieve something. Yes. And I always running businesses. Yeah, oh God. And I needed this year even though I really resisted it. Because it's so not me, it very uncomfortable for me. But needed it. Yeah, I absolutely needed it. And what is really interesting is that there are pretty cool things that unfold when you give yourself that time. To be doing, it's very good to feel uncomfortable. 

I know just you don't like it. It's very good for this whole, isn't it? And like you discover a about yourself, right? You learn a you do, you really do learn a You just have to like, really tough it out when it's happening because it obviously doesn't feel good. But that's only how you like challenge yourself even more. I agree. And we never get better if you don't live in uncomfortable. Yep. Remember when you, and attended we Marley and attended couple of conferences which were like empowerment, inspiration, women's empowerment conferences and we learned from David, TS would that there's the comfort zone. There's the uncomfortable Zone and there's the unknown Zone. Yeah. And if you keep yourself in the comfortable Zone, you're never gonna have growth and expansion. Never Gonna grow, right? And so don't experience. We really have had that as like a motto for both of us. And we remind each other. I think of that. Yeah, in our times when we're feeling really uncomfortable, really do right? Which is good. And so for me in that Stillness came a lot of clarity, it came thoughtful intentional decisions, which sometimes I rush through. And this year was really a time when like, didn't rush in jumping from one thing to another thing. To another thing, like I allowed myself a break, which was good that felt really good even though you're it very uncomfortable in beginning and so it did feel heavy and kind of confusing at times by definitely. Good lessons. I think came out of it. Yeah, and now we're moving into 2026 which I can't believe it's 2026 already. So weird, it is so weird because feel like as I get older, the years are going faster and faster. I don't know any you can relate but like every year that I turn, another number. It's like that year. Just flew by time is really interesting like that. So, one things that I don't know if people really realize, is that the Year of Horse doesn't begin until February? Oh, I know that. Yeah. So a of people think, like, oh, January 1st. I have to have everything in order for the new year and I want to remind all of you that that's not true. You really don't have to have everything in order in January. In fact, I like to view January as like preparation month. Yes. Like you don't have to get it all done but can prepare your mind for it. You know this is more you just said the words right out of mouth like this is the month for preparing. Yeah. And it's the month for unfinished business. So like what didn't you get done in 2025? That is like lingering. That is you get it done before you can start fresh again. Yeah, and it's okay to not have closure. Yeah. On December 31st, which is so pressurized people put so much pressure on them. To close everything out by this. I don't know. Obscure deadline. That is sort of like a made up deadline. Yeah. Right Society. Yes. Complete by the end of the year. Yeah. Like who said? Yeah. So, January is still very much Capricorn energy. And if follow the zodiac signs and like really lean into some that knowledge Capricorn is a the people born in Capricorn, especially, but it's a month of structure of foundations of commitment, and of long-term vision, and like you said so beautifully. I loved it. It's about planning, it's about preparation and it's not necessarily about jumping right in. Yeah, it's really easy into it and taking your time being thoughtful, being intentional, then it's gonna work. If you're just like, oh my gosh, I to do all this right now for the whole year. Like it's never gonna get the goals, want know, and so I agree. So, this year is, I mean, this month, is really about this grounded energy and preparing and not feeling that pressure to have everything. out in the months. I think that like takes a little bit a load off for everybody listening. Like, you do not have to have everything ready right now, use this month. To really lean in to how you want 2026 to go. Slow down. Take your time, right? Because 2026. The fire horse is going to bring in momentum and freedom. but in order for you to really have the momentum and the freedom that you want to have in this next year, You have to say to yourself, am grounded enough to handle all the movement? Because if you're not grounded enough to handle all of the movement that's coming? You know what? It's going be it's going a disaster. Yep. Because things are going happen quickly because that's what the horse energy is like, right fast and energizing and adventurous and momentum and lots are coming at you. And if you are not ready and prepare, you have him prepared your inside. have them prepared Your Vessel. For that type of movement. It going to lead to disaster jumping in for failure and chaos and probably failure and then guess what's going happen on another year where you say to yourself? Oh, this year went by. And now I to do everything I didn't do right now and you're to lose your confidence. Yeah. And you're going to right back where you started and find Too people do that. They go through year after year after year. The same. Like nothing really changed. Yeah. And so if you want something to change like literally change, then you need to spend this month. Or, I encourage you to spend this month preparing. And what do have really prepare? You have to prepare a structure. You have to have a vessel. You have to have your inside nurtured. I also think you have to prepare yourself like to actually Envision what you want to happen, like, before you start making that effort, like really Envision it for yourself, which is why it's always great to off the year, making like a board. Yeah, I agree. You do have to have that plan. We're gonna get to that plan because that plan is really important. so, Here's something I really want say about this before we move on to some the steps that I want share with our audience that you. And I have talked about, I want to really clear. you can't manifest a life from the same identity and belief system that you created your current life in it won't work. A new year doesn't automatically mean that you are going to step into a identity and a experience. if the identity stays the same, Then. The patterns are going to stay the same, and then your year is going to be the same. Do you think that people your age, your 19? Yeah. Do think people your age understand that or do think that they go through year after year a bit more mindlessly? Like not really focused on what they want bring in? Or do find that people your age do want to call in new experiences for the upcoming year? I think it's pens on. A of people. That. Like to say a things but never really follow through like you're just saying it, but you're not actually believing it so it's not gonna happen. And then I think there's definitely some other people, like my friend Vivi, who is very good at like, putting her mind to her goals, like some people are determined to get what they want but they're putting in the effort for it. And I think those people are definitely like very mature for our group because I think, you 19 is you're still kind of teenager. You still don't feel like an adult, so you still don't feel like you have, like, responsibilities and like intentions that you need to set. Yeah, I would probably agree with that. And I like Think I was guilty of this the last year. Like I kept saying, I wanted a bunch of things to happen but I wasn't even believing in myself so it just wasn't happening. Even though I would say it and I would be like, I really want this, I still like had a lot of Doubt, so it just never really. So that's a really powerful reflection. And do. What do think got? You stuck, like what do think people get stuck with the most? Like stuck in comparison. Comparison is the thief Joy 100% because when you're stuck comparing yourself, you're never gonna fully allow yourself to grow because you're in this bubble of Oh, but they're that. But they're well, that's not really a you. Yeah. You're not you're not that person. So things gonna be different for you and that's still something 

I think is always gonna kind of be in the back of my head, you know, even though I'm trying to work on it. But comparison is really what, you gets everyone stuck interesting and when you're focused on other people, then you tend to not be focused on yourself which I was doing this past year. I was like, why everybody else getting this? And I'm not. Yeah, yeah yeah, If not focusing on yourself, right? And you're not and you're not putting the work internally and you, your energy is all going to other people and what they're doing and that's never going do you any good? Yeah. So, I'll ask the question to our listeners, like, are you willing to interrupt the program? Like for 2026. Are you willing to interrupt the program and give yourself a software upgrade, right? Are willing to change the software of your current mind? Because otherwise we keep asking, we'll keep asking over and over again. Like, why does my life look the same? Why am stuck here? Why is nothing happening? Why is nothing changing why watching everyone else? Yep. Why does everyone else have this? And I don't, and if you are willing, To change the program. Then things will start to change. So let's like break some of this down for our listeners. This is some the stuff that you and I have talked about heading into this year because she's heading into a semester. So it's also a perfect time to kind of. Yeah you use January this break. It really is like a preparation month for me. Yeah. I'm going into a semester at the end of January. It's a perfect time, perfect. So it really 

So it's creating a vessel of structure that allows you to commit. if you say that you want something, Without a structure. Then your standards are going to completely Fall Apart. Yeah, you have to have something that holds you. That's what a structure is, right? Like it's a plan. It's something that holds you. Inside of what you really want, think of like someone shared this with me the other day and I love the analogy, think of like a fire. A fire outside of a fireplace, the fireplace being the structure, a fire outside of a fireplace, could be very dangerous and very destructive and very chaotic. That's what we were talking about, with the horse, and the energy and the momentum. If it's not, if you're not prepared, if you don't have a structure, a container, Then. it's going to be loose and wild and It often will not lead you to where you want to go. So, 

Think about it's winter. It's hibernation for many animals. it's you want to be out and about as much because it's cold. There's not a of sunlight, there's not a lot of sunlight so is the perfect time to be building Your Vessel. Yeah. Building the structure not when there's a lot of motivation and a of energy going on, like in the spring, you don't want to wait till the spring know because then it's like Much excitement. It's already happening? Yeah, it's already happening. You want to have your structure in place. And something that's going to. Give you a container, a vessel. So that you can stay grounded in your vision of what you want. So have you thought about like how you want that structured to look like for yourself because this is January. And this is time to be thinking about that. Yeah, I know which I really need to get onto because I keep forgetting that like I do have to go to school soon, right? But I think for me, specifically, I really need to focus on Balancing my time between academics and social life and not letting myself get overwhelmed because that's still something as a sophomore in college. Still, it still happens out there. There's any young kids for people in college that time just goes so fast and there's so going on. There's so to do. There's just so much happening all at once and it's so difficult to not, let that all like corrupt, you and your mind and feel overwhelmed because I feel so overwhelmed this semester and it just It just put a really big damper on my mood. So see that that's how I'm gonna do better with my structure show. What about this recommendation? What if when you make your calendar? Because I know you're really good with calendars and like waiting things in a planter And you have social events, and you have academic events, right? What if you highlighted? So she'll events one color and academic things that you have to do another color. Yeah. And you would then see in the week, is there one color that's overpowering. Yeah. Right. Yeah. And then you would know oh I'm a little out of balance. Here I have too much pink highlighter. Yeah and not enough green highlighter or maybe vice versa. Could that work? Could that be a routine that I think? Also, I should write in debt more specifically like to each category of what I'm doing so like I can visually see it because I'm a visual learner. Yeah but I think the highlighting is good because then can really see like which one is out doing the other because with both of those things, like I have to keep them balanced or I'm gonna be miserable and like either setting, you know, like if social life is doing better and academics gonna be doing good, then that makes me upset. And then if my academics are really good, and then I have no social life, then I'm still gonna be really upset so it needs to good in between. Yes, and this is really This is really cold, discipline. Yeah, this is discipline. And this, what nobody warns you about, by the way, probably? Right? Yeah. This is the discipline that it takes when you're in college and you're away your parents. You have to figure this stuff out. But discipline is really self honoring, it's not punishing. Yeah, it's really self honoring because you are. You are setting yourself. You're giving yourself a framework. Yeah. For you can be successful within the semester. And it doesn't only affect me like this happens for in any age group where you need to balance to certain things, you know, 100%. So this kind of goes for everyone listening. I, I agree. This is adults, and this is college. Exactly. And this could this podcast is for everyone. This can span everybody. So, the first step is creating that structure having some kind of routine having like a vessel that's going to keep you grounded in vision. The second step is now, you have to have this standard like, well, what is your vision? Right. Like, what is it that you want for 2026? and, Who are you becoming in 2026? So I always pick a word for the year, and When 

I select the word. I have to step into. My higher self. I can't choose. My vision for the next year. From a place of low vibration. I can't choose that word when I am stressed, when I am You Not feeling good when I'm lacking motivation and excitement. Yeah, I Believe that you have to select your standards, like what is it that you will? No longer. Tolerate and who do want to be? Who do you want to show up as? Really tapping into your true self. In to do that. So my word for 2026 is flexibility. and I found that word after really searching through a bunch of other words, like The word simple came up for me and the word fun. Came up for me because sometimes I could be a little bit too serious, and the word Flow came up for me, like that's my higher self. Like that is what want for my life. I want things to be simple. I don't want overcomplicate. I want things to be fun. Well, I want to slowly and so then they were not quite right. Like none of those words really hit but then When I was sitting and I was in quiet space and I was really like tapped who do I want to show up this year? As it was, I want be flexible. I want to meet things. With ease. So do you ever word for 2026? Um, I really like Resonate with your word flexibility, because I also think that something I need to improve on is like letting go of when things don't go my way and they're not in my, like, planned out day, just like learning to go with the flow. But I also think another word I want to use for 2026 is confidence. Mmm, just because I feel like in one aspect of my life, I've like, really mastered that and gotten it down. But there's another aspect of my life where I think it has really like really affected me and my life because don't have that confidence. I want and confidence goes in so many different aspects of your life that like if it's not completely like mastered in your mind and like it's not gonna, it can be, it can be harmful. Yeah, he really harmful. So, when you put your hand on your heart and you close your eyes and you really think about the woman, you want to be, right? And the woman that you want to grow up as Is that a Confident Woman? Like do you want to show up confidently in job? Do you want to show up confidently with your classes? Do you want show up confidently in your relationships? Yeah. And not, sometimes I think I'm like there, and I that confidence and then I and in a situation and I'm like, wow, like you really don't have it together. So that's great word. Yeah. And that's definitely something that's coming from Like, who you visualize? You want be in 2026? That's a really like hard thing to master. I know a of people you. That's the thing about confidence is. can never tell when it's fake. so, it's just like, It's important to be like as as authentic as can. And you'll know when you have I don't know. I don't know if you ever really mastered that but yeah, you will know. When you are showing up authentically and confidently because God will not keep giving you these lessons of reminders that are showing you that you're not confident. Yeah. Right. He just keeps giving them to you until until you kind get it. Yeah. Like hey Marley wake up you know like another curve ball. Yeah. Um and then step three is then creating some boundaries for yourself so you have this structure in place You have a vision for yourself your standard. How you're going to show up in 2026 and then you're going to set boundaries for yourself, which people send tend to boundaries are, like, walls that you're up. But I always like to think of boundaries as doorways like they are created with choice, and Free Will and like discernment for yourself and these boundaries are flexible. Going back to my word boundaries or doorways, they can open and they can shut because you're choosing them. Yes, because you're choosing them for your own self for yourself and what being, exactly. Not anyone else. So boundaries really protect the commitment that you're making to yourself. Yeah. Right. So in 2026. It's about having a standard for yourself. Like you won't accept anything less than being a confident strong woman. You have a plan, a structure, a vessel. For how you're going to do that. Yeah and you have boundaries that allow you to keep this Vision sort of sacred, right? Because this is who you are stepping into for 2026. Yeah. So those three steps I think really will anchor. um, the change and so you know, before we close I know there's something that you do and exercise that you do every year that is really helped you to stay true to your vision. It's something that reminds you of how you want the year to go. and, When you do that exercise Marley which I'm to have you share with everybody. I think that's part of of really envisioning. 

What you want for yourself for the year. Yeah, so share with everyone what you do every year because I think it's great. I've every year I make a vision board for the year and I make sure to include specific goals that I want on there. So it's like, it's not just pictures. It's like I'm actually riding down the things I want to happen, like within the category of whatever I put and then I also put like things I need to work on that. Like, have made it harder for me, but that goal because that really just like, It's like you said like those are the standards like that you're setting for yourself, you know. So that's really helped me. And I've actually already started making mine and it makes me like, feel good because I like, looking back at the one from last year and just feeling so proud of the things I've accomplished because it keeps you accountable and even throughout the year, you look at it, I was like on, like, come on. Do you need a log in? You need to like it's a reminder in the back of your head and I always thought about in the back of my head, even if I wasn't looking at it all the time, I knew what I put. Yeah. And I was thinking about it and we used to do those as a family. Yeah, we used to do combined vision boards everybody would like have their own little section and it's just visually nice to see because it's like, wow, that's what I want. I manifesting that to happen. I love that I love that you still do that and the exercise that I do that I have actually not done for the couple last couple of years, but I brought it back this year and I spent the morning writing it is I write a letter to myself but it's dated 2027. 

So, I wrote it today as January 3rd 2027, And I am writing it as I'm reflecting on this past year. So I wrote down all the things that happened in 2026 that I want to happen. And I was very specific in what I wrote down. So that, you know, your brain doesn't know the difference between reality and things that you make up. Did you know that? No, I didn't know. So by writing these things down, as if they've already happened. I'm like telling my brain like that. This is, this is already happened already. I don't even have to work to make that happen. It's already happened. So my brain is believing that it's already happened. Now, of course, the part of manifesting that a lot of people forget about is that there's intentional action that does have to happen. There's a discipline and structure you have to put in the work for it. Exactly. It's not just a wish in a kiss. Ya know, right? You really do have to put the work in but it's intentional work. It's not meant to be pressure and not want to be, that's why we have the Ballers and the boundaries you know because when you set everything off for yourself in the month of January, yeah and you don't rush into it. And then you're giving yourselves a good timeline and you're setting yourself up for Success. Yes. So that when the spring happens, when the momentum picks up when the year the horse starts to really go. You are ready? Yeah. You're ready and you're ready? Internally. Because your internal world is what is reflected back in your external world. So if you're spending January, you guys working on your internal self and really setting up. Your Vessel your inner vessel. And preparing that vessel for what it is that you really want this year, and you are setting that intention that standard from your highest self. And you are creating loving boundaries around that standard so that it really does become a non-negotiable. Or you have a vision board to remind you or you have a letter that you already wrote to yourself telling you that this is possible. Now, you're setting yourself up for a year ahead. So that when the horse comes in, And the momentum happens and the adventure is there. And the freedom. You're going to. Slide right in with ease, a year of success and it's a year of success waiting to happen. So it really does begin with a identity and knowing that you have to work on your inner self. First, you always right? So Marley, thank you so much for sharing your Insight and your wisdom with everybody today. I hope you enjoyed being on the podcast and I'm looking forward to having you on more after the semester ends, right? Home for the summer, when's your home for the summer and you have a little bit more of a break, more pop, that's awesome. It's been really fun and great. Mother daughter bonding Thank you so much for being on and to everyone listening. Remember, you were allowed to rise into your next chapter boldly so fully and unapologetically. Thank you. Bye.