150 Word Of The Year Ideas For 2026
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Choosing a word of the year sounds simple — until you actually sit down to do it.
You might feel torn between who you’ve been, who you’re becoming, and what this year realistically holds. And suddenly, that one little word feels like a lot of pressure.
A word of the year isn’t about picking something impressive or aspirational. It’s about choosing a word that quietly supports you — one that reflects the season you’re in and the way you want to show up.
Below you’ll find meaningful word of the year ideas for 2026, along with a simple, pressure-free way to choose the one that fits the season you’re in.
What Is Word Of The Year?
Simply put, a Word of the Year is a single word that represents a theme or intention you want to focus on throughout the year.
It’s not a goal, per se, but more of a guiding principle that helps you stay aligned with your values and priorities.
Choosing a Word of the Year can be a powerful way to create more clarity and intentionality in your life.
It can help you stay focused on what matters most to you, and provide a touchstone to come back to when you’re feeling lost or overwhelmed.
It’s the perfect tool for intentional goal setting.
Some of my past words have included GROWTH when I have been in a season of wanting to achieve big business goals. And INTENTIONAL, to remind me to be more intentional with my time and choices. Or SHIFT, when my business and life was going through some transitions and big changes.
Related reading: How to set monthly goals + goal ideas
How To Choose Your Word Of The Year
So how do you choose your Word of the Year?
Start by reflecting on what’s important to you, and what you want to focus on in the coming year. Consider what you want to cultivate more of in your life, and what might be holding you back.
Reflect on what last year asked of you — not just what you achieved. Notice what you need more of this year (rest, courage, consistency, softness)
Pay attention to words that feel grounding, not aspirational
The best time to choose your word of the year is when you are preparing to set your goals for the new year.
I like to do this in December so that I can hit the ground running from January 1st, but there is no deadline for choosing a word. You can adopt your own personal word any time that feels right!
It can be helpful to journal and brainstorm ideas such as the challenges and triumphs you had the previous year, as well as any lessons you learned.
Once you have identified what is important to you, think about the words that come to mind when thinking about those themes and values.
Then look for a single word that captures all of these things, and symbolises your intention for the new year.
You can also use my Word of the Year workbook to help you identify a word that suits you perfectly!
150 Personal Word Of The Year Ideas
As you read through these words, notice which ones create a sense of relief or recognition rather than motivation or urgency. Your word doesn’t need to push you — it needs to support you.
Here are 150 personal Word of the Year ideas to inspire you to set your intention for the new year:
- Abundance
- Action
- Adventure
- Alignment
- Authenticity
- Balance
- Beauty
- Believe
- Boldness
- Brave
- Build
- Calm
- Celebrate
- Change
- Clarity
- Comfort
- Commitment
- Community
- Compassion
- Confidence
- Connection
- Consistency
- Courage
- Create
- Creativity
- Cultivate
- Curiosity
- Dare
- Dedication
- Delight
- Determination
- Discipline
- Dream
- Drive
- Ease
- Education
- Empathy
- Empower
- Energy
- Enrich
- Expand
- Explore
- Faith
- Fearless
- Focus
- Forgiveness
- Freedom
- Friendship
- Fulfillment
- Generosity
- Grace
- Grateful
- Growth
- Happiness
- Harmony
- Health
- Heart
- Help
- Honesty
- Hope
- Humility
- Imagination
- Inspire
- Intention
- Invest
- Joy
- Kindness
- Learn
- Listen
- Love
- Mindful
- Mindset
- Nurture
- Openness
- Opportunity
- Optimism
- Organization
- Passion
- Patience
- Perseverance
- Perspective
- Pivot
- Power
- Present
- Progress
- Purpose
- Radiant
- Recharge
- Reflect
- Refresh
- Release
- Renew
- Hustle
- Rest
- Rise
- Serenity
- Service
- Simplify
- Strength
- Surrender
- Thrive
- Simplicity
- Endurance
- Resilient
- Flourish
- Imagine
- Flexible
- Gratitude
- Trust
- Intentional
- Appreciate
- Unplug
- Couragous
- Strong
- Grow
- Positivity
- Relax
- Connect
- Wellness
- Nourish
- Commit
- Challenge
- Habits
- Goals
- Loving
- Trying
- Document
- Shine
- Glow
- Enough
- Acceptance
- Aware
- Authentic
- Unique
- Individual
- Generous
- Less
- Minimalism
- Mastery
- Transformation
- Vulnerable
- Intuition
- Transform
- Powerful
- Capable
- Mighty
- Tenacious
- Happy
- Content
- Momentum
Can I Have More Than One Word?
Choosing a personal word of the year has no rules! You can make it your own, and that means you can choose more than one word if that suits your intentions.
You might want to consider different areas of your life – for example, a work-related word, a health-related word, and a relationship-related word. Or you could choose one word that encompasses all aspects of your life.
Do what feels most right for you!
Word Of The Year Workbook
In case you’re still not sure how to choose a word of the year for the new year, I put together a complete word of the year workbook to help you get unstuck! It has more than 50 pages (but don’t let that overwhelm you). There’s lots of space for journaling and vision board planning to get real clear on your new year goals too and a year of monthly check-in pages to keep you motivated with your chosen word.
You can grab it in my online store and dig right in!
For more inspiration, learn how to set New Year intentions (rather than New Year resolutions)
Have you chosen your word of the year for the new year? If you’re happy to share, tell us what you’ve chosen in the comments.
