As we jetison towards a new year, my mind has been both reflecting and planning. Backwards and forwards. It's like this every year, mostly. Around November I start thinking about what I want the next year to look like, what I want to be intentional about, what I want to achieve, what 'word of the year' can encompass all that.
Past "Word of the Year" includes:
2022 - Courage (as I embarked on working for myself full time selling jewelry)
2023 - Grace (the year we sold our Portland house & moved in with family in the Gorge)
2024 - Heal (the year I focused on healing my Adrenal Dysfunction)
2025 - Flow - This past year has been one of constant changes, renovations, unplanned expenses, and life transitions. I knew it would be a lot of that so really set an intention of going with the flow.
For 2026, I have some goals that center around new experiences, spirituality, and opportunities.
My 2026 Word of the Year is: OPEN.
This past year, we have been so centered on home renovations that I said "No" to a lot of gatherings and experiences. I want to say YES more this year. Yes to more hikes. Yes to more dinners and gathering with friends. Yes to help offered. Yes to more possibilities. For the first time in a while, I am also intentionally setting some goals for the year.
2026 Big Goals include:
- Pay down a minimum of $10K of debt (did I mention all those home renovations??)
- Go on 50 hikes (aim for 1 per week, sometimes more)
- Add meditation into my daily routine (see: Open to Spirituality)
- Buy Nothing New Year - this one was inspired by a few things, including watching "Buy Now" on Netflix. If you've been around a while, you may recall that I did this back in 2012 , which was inspired by watching "Manufactured Landscapes" back then. More on that soon!
- Go to Australia to visit friends again (one friend in particular has progressive dementia, and this will most likely be my last chance to visit her before she no longer recognizes me.)
I have a much longer list of goals for 2026 (20 in total), but I won't bore you with those here. Perhaps that will live in another post down the line.
What are YOUR goals for 2026? Will you choose a Word of the Year?