How I Chose My Word of the Year — And Why It Matters More Than Ever

Every December, I carve out time to choose my Word of the Year—a ritual I’ve been committed to for over a decade. And every year, without fail, that one word becomes a compass for my mindset, my leadership, my choices, and the kind of woman I’m becoming.

It’s never just a “word.”
It becomes an intention.
A focus.
A filter.
A promise I make to myself for the year ahead.

This weekend, I sat down to begin my process for 2026. And I’ll be honest with you—it felt different this year. Deeper. Clearer. More grounded. Maybe it’s because the last 18 months have been such a season of realignment and rising back into my purpose. Maybe it’s because I’ve done so much inner work around clarity, healing, and direction. Maybe it’s simply time.

What I do know is that I’m walking into 2026 with a stronger sense of who I am than I’ve had in a long time.

The Process: Going Inward Before Going Forward

I always begin by asking myself a few core questions:

• Who am I becoming?
  
  
• What energy do I want to bring into the new year?
  
  
• Where do I want to feel more aligned?
  
  
• What is calling me forward?
  
  

And this year, I added another question that felt especially important:

“What version of me is ready to emerge next?”

When I sat with these questions, I realized how much grounding I’ve gained over the past year. I moved through personal challenges, reconnected to my deeper purpose, and stepped back into the work that lights me up—coaching, speaking, teaching, leading.

For the first time in a long time, I didn’t choose my word from a place of striving.

I chose it from a place of becoming.

The Word That Chose Me: ELEVATE

After journaling, reflecting, and exploring a handful of words, one kept rising to the top:

Elevate.

The moment it landed, it felt like a full-body yes.

Elevate reflects exactly where I am in my evolution—grounded and steady, yet ready to rise again. It represents stepping into bigger rooms, taking on more meaningful projects, amplifying my voice, deepening my joy, and allowing my work to reach the people who need it most.

It’s not about doing more.
It’s about becoming more.
Refining. Rising. Expanding.
With intention, alignment, and clarity.

After the internal work I’ve done, Elevate feels like the natural next chapter

I’m not trying to rebuild.  I’m ready to elevate.

Why I’m Sharing This With You

I believe we all deserve a word that grounds us and guides us.
A word that calls us into our next chapter.
A word that whispers, “This is who you are becoming.”

If you’ve never chosen a word of the year, or if you’ve fallen out of the habit, this might be the perfect moment to bring it back into your life. It changes the way you move. It changes the way you choose. It changes the way you lead.

And if you need a little help?
I’m sharing the exact guided process I used this year as a free resource on the podcast. I want you to feel the same clarity and alignment that this practice brings me year after year.

Here’s to 2026 — the year of rising, refining, and showing up as the strongest, truest version of ourselves.

My word is Elevate.
What will yours be?