Description
BEGIN AGAIN: Your End-of-Year Retreat Guide
Permission to start fresh. Again.
Each year I seem to stumble and fall into the space between Christmas and New Year. I’m exhausted. I’m over family gatherings. Even the thought of another thing to tick off the task list brings out my rolling-eyes emoji. But during this stumbling season, I’ve learned to make space for an afternoon with myself. I retreat.
Away from my family, away from social media, I step towards possibility. I find a café, order coffee and a slice of cake, and I breathe. I walk the beach and pray softly, thanking God for the year that has passed, and I start to let go of disappointment.
That’s what this workbook is for.
Begin Again is your companion for a self-guided personal retreat—whether you take a full day, an afternoon, or even just a few stolen hours between Christmas and New Year. It’s 60 pages of journaling questions and creative exercises designed to help you reset your season and find focus for the future. Because to begin again is the essence of a life lived well.
This isn’t about erasing your past or pretending this year didn’t happen. It’s about giving yourself permission to start fresh—without guilt, without shame, without needing to have it all figured out. It’s about finding answers to the questions that keep you contained and stepping into the coming season with renewed vision.
WHAT’S INSIDE:
60 pages of creative exercises and journaling prompts, including:
Release & Reset:
– Questions to help you identify what you’re ready to release
– Exercises for letting go of patterns, commitments, and beliefs that no longer serve you
– Creative prompts for naming what’s keeping you contained
– Space to acknowledge the year without being defined by it
Vision & Fresh Start:
– Goal-setting that actually honours who you are (not who you think you should be)
– Dream exploration exercises that help you reconnect with genuine desires
– Questions to uncover your vision for the coming season
– Creative visioning activities focused on possibility and potential
Focus & Framework:
– Practical exercises to translate vision into action
– Tools for identifying your priorities and protecting them
– Questions to help you set boundaries around your fresh start
– Space to create a framework for living aligned with your values
Creative & Contemplative Practices:
– Guided prompts for prayer, meditation, and spiritual reflection
– Exercises for gratitude, wonder, and noticing what brings you alive
– Artistic and imaginative prompts that engage your creativity
– Space for connection—with yourself, with God, with what matters most
THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND BEGINNING AGAIN:
A retreat is defined as “a period of time set aside to reflect, pray, meditate or study.” To begin again isn’t about pretending the past didn’t happen. It’s about refusing to let the past define what’s possible next. You don’t need permission to start over. You don’t need to wait until you’ve healed perfectly or figured everything out. You can begin again right now—right here—in this messy middle of your life.
This workbook was created over 20 years of Amanda asking herself the same questions every December—and refined across 7 years of publication. Thousands of people worldwide now use this end-of-year retreat process to create their own sacred pause before the calendar flips to January 1st.
It’s not about doing the year “right.” It’s about permitting yourself to try again. To dream again. To hope again. To show up for yourself with a fresh vision and renewed commitment.
WHO THIS IS FOR:
Begin Again is for you if:
• You’re ready to release what’s been holding you back
• You need a reset, but don’t know where to start
• You want to enter the new year with vision instead of vague wishes
• You’re tired of feeling stuck in the same patterns year after year
• You crave a retreat experience but can’t get away for a week
• You’re ready to begin again—with courage, with hope, with fresh possibility
HOW TO USE THIS RETREAT GUIDE:
The Full Retreat Experience (Recommended):
1. Block off 4-6 hours to retreat
2. Go somewhere that feels like a retreat—a café, the beach, a quiet park, your favourite chair with the door closed
3. Bring this workbook, your favourite pen, and a drink that feels nourishing
4. Turn off your phone (seriously—this is sacred time)
5. Work through the prompts at your own pace, following your intuition about what needs attention
6. End with a commitment to your fresh start
7. Close with a prayer, a walk, or simply sitting in silence
The Shorter Version:
If you can’t carve out a full day, take 2-3 hours. Even 90 minutes matters. Quality of presence beats quantity of time.
If you need Amanda to come alongside you for $127, you can have a private coaching hour with Amanda to help you use these tools with accountability.
The Ongoing Version:
Some people return to sections of this workbook throughout January or even into spring when they need to reconnect with their vision. There’s no wrong way to use it.
Join the Community:
Use the hashtag #writemakecreate to connect with others taking a day this season to retreat. Share your favourite café spot, your insights, or simply the fact that you showed up for yourself. And come along to Amanda’s facebook group for encouragement.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:
INSTANT ACCESS:
• Purchase now and download immediately
• 60-page PDF delivered to your inbox
• Print at home, local library, or Officeworks
• Use for your personal retreat or bring to a group gathering
BONUS: Join Amanda’s private Facebook community for ongoing encouragement and clarity coaching.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I already have one of your other workbooks. Do I need this too?
Each of Amanda’s workbooks serves a different purpose with unique creative exercises and design approaches. Begin Again focuses specifically on resetting, releasing what’s holding you back, and claiming fresh vision for what’s next. Many people collect different editions over the years—choose the one whose focus speaks to where you are right now.
Is this a physical book or digital?
This listing is for the digital PDF download that you receive instantly. You can print it yourself or work from your device.
Can I do this retreat at home, or do I need to go somewhere?
You can absolutely do this at home! The most important thing is creating a sense of retreat—turn off your phone, tell your family you’re unavailable for a few hours, create an atmosphere that feels sacred. That said, many people find it helpful to physically leave their house (café, beach, park, library) to create psychological distance from daily responsibilities.
What if I don’t have a full day?
Even 90 minutes matters. You don’t have to complete every page in one sitting. Take what time you have, work through what calls to you, and trust that what you need will emerge.
I’m not religious. Will this work for me?
Yes. While the workbook includes space for prayer and spiritual reflection (Amanda is completing her Master of Arts in Divinity), the prompts are designed to meet you wherever you are. If prayer doesn’t resonate, you can approach those sections as meditation, intention-setting, or simply quiet reflection.
Does this have the same questions every year?
Some core questions repeat because beginning again is a cyclical practice—asking the same questions each year reveals how you’ve grown and what patterns need attention. However, each year’s publication includes fresh articles, different creative exercises, and new prompts. If you’ve used previous editions (Reflect, Dear Future Self, Pause, New Days, Gentle Rhythms), you’ll recognise some questions while also discovering new content.
Can I share this with my book club or retreat group?
Each download license is for personal use (one person). If you’re facilitating a retreat or group and want to provide copies to participants, please contact info@amandaviviers.com for group licensing and bulk pricing options (available for 10+ copies).
Can I get a refund?
Digital products are final sale once downloaded. However, if you experience technical difficulties accessing your file, contact us immediately and we’ll resolve it.
WHY NOW MATTERS:
The space between Christmas and New Year is sacred—but only if you claim it.
Without intention, these days disappear into leftovers, family obligations, and mindless scrolling. Before you know it, January 1st arrives, and you’re expected to have your life together, set your goals, and hit the ground running.
But what if you took time to reset first?
What if you permitted yourself to release what’s been holding you back before charging into the next thing? What if you claimed fresh vision instead of recycling last year’s half-hearted resolutions?
Begin Again is your invitation to take that pause.
This December, retreat. Reset. Begin again.
ABOUT AMANDA VIVIERS:
Amanda Viviers is an accredited Journal Therapy Coach, award-winning communications leader, and author of 15 books. After 25 years helping organisations tell their stories—including leading 160+ staff at Compassion Australasia—she now creates retreat spaces where women discover their own. Currently completing her Master of Arts in Divinity, Amanda believes the pen is both a healing tool and an act of reclamation. She facilitates retreats internationally and co-founded the Kinwomen radio program.
This end-of-year retreat process has been refined and published annually for 7 years and is now used by thousands of people globally in their coaching, retreats, and personal development practices.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FINE PRINT:
This is a digital product. Nothing will be mailed. Check your junk folder if you don’t receive your download email within 5 minutes. You can also access downloads from your account page. Each license is valid for personal use only (one person). For group licensing, retreat facilitation, or bulk orders: info@amandaviviers.com
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