Plus a reflection on last year’s word of the year
I’ve been working with the magic of a word of the year since over a decade, and it’s never failed to transform my life in small and big ways. This year, though, my word remained elusive. I had nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero.
Every time I thought of the new year looming ahead of me, I felt a little flutter of anxiety. I’ve had a guiding word of the year for 11 years, after all, and I’m not sure I know quite how to function without one.
It sounds rather dramatic, even to me, especially since I don’t take it too seriously. I’m always open to more words showing up during the year, or changing my word if the one I chose at the start of the year doesn’t seem right any more. I even started 2024 with an image rather than a word.
But there I was, at the tail end of 2025, with absolutely no ideas for my word of the year.
Reflecting on my word for 2025
The word that saw me through 2025 was BUILD.
Build helped me to create some structures, foundations, and rituals as I navigated life post early retirement. Together, we dismantled many of the ideas around productivity and meaning, worth and value and legacy; and built rhythms between focused work and enjoying a sweet, slow life.
We also built two tarot workbooks in 2025, created a strategy for a new tarot Instagram account, worked on growing my main art Instagram account, and built out a plan for more offerings in 2026.
Choosing my word of the year for 2026
So when it came time to choose a word for 2026, I was at loose ends — until I started filling out the Visioning Workbook.
As I started heartstorming into the workbook, my word revealed itself.
NURTURE
That is my word for 2026.
To nurture my space, both physical and mental…to nurture my ideas and give them room to flourish and grow…to nurture my dreams and give them wings…to nurture my interests, my curiosities, my likes, my loves…
Let’s see what adventures we nurture together!
Before you go, tell me this: what is your word of the year?
Still to find a word of the year? Download the Visioning workbook – it’s designed to help you reflect on the year gone by, plan for the year to come, and choose a word for the year! Click on the Download now button below, and I’ll pop it right over to you!
I don’t have a word of the year but I am hoping to have an uncomplicated simple year ahead. I want to stay away from stress, exercise well, eat well and stick to a clean routine. And as I write this it does sound a lot like your idea of nurturing oneself :-).
So maybe nurture can be your word too! Hope your year is as simple and uncomplicated as you want it to be 🙂
Nurture sounds beautiful, Shinjini. I don’t have a word of the year to guide me. I used to work on the WOTY idea earlier, but then stopped around 2019. This year, I just want to take one day at a time and work around whatever the day brings for me. This way, I am more accepting of life and her many moods. 🙂
What a lovely word! So wonderful and I can imagine you nurture your self and people around you, Shinjini.
I have never had a WOTY. I live by my mantras and feel good with that. 😉
“Nurture” is such a hopeful word. It makes me think of moments filled with warmth and love, unhurried and creative, centered in “being” and happiness. It’s a beautiful word to guide your 2026, Shinj. Mine is “Become.” 🙂