Clearing
My 2026 word of the year, and a 2025 update
It’s that time again! The last couple of years, I’ve adopted a word/words of the year, and today I want to share about my word of the year for 2026 and give an update on how 2025 went.
I think the practice of choosing a word of the year is one that can be really informative as you consider your values and needs moving into the coming year.
My words the last few years have come to me really naturally as a result of the reflecting I can't help but do this time of year.
Before I get to my 2026 word of the year, I have a quick update about this year.
I chose Community and Connection as my words of the year for 2025. I shared some ways I was hoping to live into these words here:
Leaning into community and connection this year has been so good for me. I haven't been able to follow through on every one of my ideas this year, but I think I zeroed in on which ones are most accessible and meaningful for me right now.
As I've mentioned many times, I absolutely adore my little craft club at our local library. My friends and I have also gotten together for some really fun small gatherings, like Galentine's Day and our crow party. I've contributed poems and creative prompts to published works, and started getting involved in the zine community and a couple other cozy corners of the internet. I've made a point of asking loved ones for intentional touch, like back rubs and quiet snuggles. And I've said yes to as many family gatherings as felt sustainable.
I think focusing on these words for a full year was exactly the right thing for me, especially after coming out of burnout and my initial recovery. I'm happy to be taking everything I've learned this year forward with me.
Which leads my to my 2026 Word of the year: Clearing.
The significance of “clearing” feels twofold to me; to make space/a quiet peaceful place. It's both where I want to end up and a means of getting there.
It's also expansive in the sense that it is both literal/physical and metaphorical/mental.
Many of you responded to my post earlier this year about trimming the excess, and I felt so energized by this idea of decluttering every aspect of my life.
Throughout the year, I've had short bursts of energy that allowed me to work on small areas of my home and life, and I've felt such a difference every time. But this is, of course, an ongoing effort, and it's one that I want to fully commit to in 2026.
I can feel that I need to clear more space, that I need to let some things go. That I need to reprioritize and reorganize and figure out more ways to include my family in this process.
I think keeping this top of mind as I move through the year is just what I need, and I'm excited to see where it takes me.
I'll probably share more about the what/how I'm clearing sometime after the new year. I've already jumped into a few small decluttering projects recently, but I'm not in a rush to get to everything right away, and I want this to be sustainable. I'll be thinking about how I can support myself with this throughout the year, and I'll share an updated post with any resources that might be helpful for anyone interested.
In the meantime, you may or may not hear from me before the End of December post. I think moving as fluidly as possible through the next few weeks is what's needed, so I won't clutter your inbox unless I have something to say.
And in January, you can expect to hear about my favourite books of 2025! I've had another great reading year and can't wait to share.
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Do you have a word of the year or similar ritual? I'd love to hear about it in the comments! Or, feel free to reply via email. And as always, feel free to share if this resonated with you.
This was interesting to read, and it got me thinking about my words for the past couple of years.
Back on your previous post of words of the year, I chose "discovery" to represent 2024, and I chose "execution" for 2025. Do I think I held up to the standard that my 2025 word represents? I would say at least partially. I created a list on Obsidian to keep track of certain things that I'd like to do over the course of the year (this included acquiring employment, providing the ability to support me through the Muse in some way, to do a trip, and to read more books). Some of these I was successful in doing over the course of the year, others didn't happen. There have been other things that I have done that I did not list on this list, such as connecting with others on here and elsewhere online, which helped to tap into my creative side.
Which brings me to my 2026 word. I was considering doing a specific word like "poetry" because I decided to sign up for a poem a day for a year challenge, but after sleeping on it I decided to go with something more general: "creativity". I think creativity is a key to surviving in this world now, especially with the rise of AI.
My word for 2026 is: Yes.