My Word of the Year + Goals for 2026

I know we’re already nearing the end of January 2026, but I just haven’t had time to get this post out before now. I spent the last week of December and the first week of January really thinking about my word for 2026 and the goals I wanted to set for myself.

I really agonized over my word for this year. In the past, I’ve chosen words like “intentional,” “home,” “rest,” and “peace.” Last year my word for the year was nurture. All of these were good words, but this year I just felt like I wanted/needed to choose carefully.

I turned 50 in November 2025 and that’s a birthday that has weighed heavily on me. My 48th birthday, I cried off and on all day long. On my 49th birthday, I cried off and on, but maybe not as much as on my 48th birthday. And before you think I’m being dramatic, in all honesty, I don’t feel OLD. I love my life. I like where I’m at in life. I’m truly happy. But 50 just seemed to signal to me that life won’t last forever. That my time on earth is slowly (actually, it feels rapid) coming to a close.

And I love my life so much!!

I love being a wife and mom. I love being a grandmother. I love everything about my life and I don’t want it to end. I have so much left I want to do before I die, too. Still so many adventures to go on.

Anyway, so back to my word of the year, I thought about it long and hard. And when it finally came to me, I just knew.

My word for 2026 is: STRONG

My word for 2026 is the word STRONG. The word strong felt so right to me and I want to share my reasoning. But it all came about because I started thinking about hiking the Appalachian Trail.

I created a vision board on Canva to go along with my word of the year. I put this vision board in my planner and I even printed a copy to put on the wall near my desk.

The dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail isn’t new. It’s something I’ve thought about many times over the years. I also dream of hiking the Camino Way in Spain. I don’t know if I’ll ever choose to try a through hike of the AT, but I definitely want to do section hikes and it would be so amazing to complete each section.

A few weeks ago I was talking to a church member (Howard) about hiking and I mentioned how I thought it would be amazing to hike the Appalachian Trail and he said, “Really? I’ve always wanted to do that! I could go with you!” And I drove home thinking about it and couldn’t stop thinking about it. I’m still thinking about it! The biggest hurdle I can see for myself would be getting homesick – I can’t imagine being away from my family for several months. So at my age, it may be better to do sections at a time instead of one big through hike. We’ll see.

But it got me to thinking – really thinking – what did I want this year, my 50th year to look like? What do I want my life to look like? What do I want to work toward so that I can look back without regret?

The word STRONG fit so well.

Below I’m going to share what I wrote in my planner/journal – the reasons I chose the word STRONG and my action plans for achieving that goal:

I want to be STRONG in my FAITH.

prioritize rest and the sabbath
trust God with what I can’t control
make reading the Bible a daily habit (again)
study more and teach others
memorize more scripture

I want to have a STRONG BODY.

practice the 8 laws of health
eat for life and health
move everyday
train to hike the Appalachian Trail
go to bed early and get enough sleep
drink plenty of water
spend 1000 hours outside
walk 3 miles or more each day

Be present and support my STRONG FAMILY.

focus on home so it’s cozy and welcoming
show up even when it’s hard
love my family well
value sacrifice
have a servant’s heart
make time for the people I love

Work toward a STRONG BUSINESS.

focus on what matters most
use time wisely
be consistent
simplify systems and decisions

I want to build a STRONG COMMUNITY.

find new ways to volunteer
invest in new relationships
practice sustainable, simple hospitality
offer support when needed
connect more often with neighbors
write letters and note cards
reach out to friends and family more often

I want to have a STRONG MARRIAGE.

choose presence over distraction
choose paitence, contentment, and joy
communicate clearly
prioritize unity
do fun things together and laugh

Continue to work on a STRONG SELF IMAGE and STRONG MENTAL HEALTH.

only tell good stories about myself
remember I am resiient
get dressed down to my shoes daily
work on a better (capsule) wardrobe
figure out my style
do what I need to do to feel pretty
keep healthy boundaries
give more than I take
remember my identity is in Christ

I feel so good about these action steps and my word of the year. I have faced some health challenges the last few months and that has been concerning, but overall I feel good, I feel healthy, I feel stronger than I ever have.

I’m continuing to lose weight, get lean, and take care of my body – it’s been a 10 year work in progress but over the last couple years I made some small changes to how I take care of myself, how I eat, and how I move my body and I’m seeing so much progress. It’s exciting!

My Goals for 2026

go to bed with lights out at 10:00 – 11:00 pm every night
wake up at 7:00 am and my morning routine
write a handwritten note each week and mail
practice my handwriting
spend 1000 hours outside in 2026
go camping with family at least 2 times this year
train to hike the Appalachian Trail
read my Bible daily
journal at least 1 sentence a day
go to New York City in March with Laura
go to Disney with James in February
go to Prague, Czech Republic
go to Paris, France with Laura this summer
start a Discover savings account
save toward my sinking funds
make 4 sets of crochet dishclothes
take up cross stitch and watercoloring for new hobbies
organize family photos into albums
use less technology

I’m so excited about this year. What are you looking forward to? Do you have a word for this year? What are some goals you’ve set in place? Do you have any questions for me about my goals? Let me know in the comments below!