Annual Planning

#420 - Choose Your Word of The Year

Today I’m sharing one of my favourite end-of-year practices - choosing a word of the year for next year.

It sounds so simple, but truly… one word can become your anchor.

It can guide the way you plan, the habits you build, and the decisions you say yes (or no) to in 2026.

And because life gets busy (and sometimes a little noisy), I love having something I can come back to - a word that gently brings me home to what matters.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through how to choose your own word, how to use it, and why it’s such a supportive gift you can give yourself as you step into a new year.

Here are three takeaways you can expect:

  • Why your word matters (and how it becomes your “lens” for the year ahead).

  • The simple questions that make your word rise up clearly - without pressure.

  • How to use your word as a filter for planning, prioritising, and decision-making.

And if you want extra support, here's a link to a free printable PDF with 100 words you can choose from.

As always, I’d LOVE to hear what resonated most with you - so please share and let’s keep the conversation going in the Dream Life Podcast Facebook Group here.    

…and remember, it all starts with a dream 💛

Dream Life & kikki.K Founder

P.S. If you’re ready for guided support, explore Dream Life Coaching here: https://www.yourdreamlifestartshere.com/course 💛

SHOW NOTES:

  • Buy Kristina's book, Your Dream Life Starts Here
  • Follow Kristina on Insta and TikTok
  • If you feel it's time to take a leap and invest in you, join:
    • My Platinum Coaching Program where in January our focus will be on Plan Your Year 2026. Laying the foundation with clarity, vision, and intentionality. Learn more here.  
    • My Dream Business Book Club here. In January, we'll be reading and learning from: Building a Story Brand 2.0, by Donald Miller. Learn how to clarify your message, and genuinely stand out. 
    • My online personal Growth Book Club GROW, January, where we'll be reading and squeezing the learnings out of The Five-Year Crusade: The Easy Way to Achieve Your Impossible Goals, by John Soforic. Learning how to rest - the smartest life hack of all. Learn more here.

RESOURCES:

TRANSCRIPT:

Kristina: Hi there, and welcome back to another episode of Your Dream Life. I’m Kristina, and today we’re diving into a simple but magic-making practice that I absolutely love: choosing your word of the year.

Just one word can genuinely guide everything you do in 2026 — your intentions, your dreams, the way you plan, the habits you build, and the decisions you say yes or no to. If you’ve been with me for a while, you know I’m obsessed with helping you create a life you truly love — a life designed by you, not by default.

Because the truth is: how we spend our days is how we spend our lives. Having a clear direction — even one powerful word — changes the way you move through your days. Today, I’ll talk you through how to choose your word, how to use it, and why it’s one of the most supportive gifts you can give yourself as you step into a brand new year.

At the end, I’ll share a printable PDF to help you choose your word, and I’ll also share something special we’re doing in January to help you take your word and turn it into a beautiful, practical plan for your top three dreams or goals for 2026.

So for now, settle in, take a deep breath, and let’s begin.

Your word of the year matters. Every year I choose a word that becomes my anchor. It brings me back to what matters, especially when life gets busy. And let’s be honest — life will get busy. There will be obstacles along the way.

That’s why planning is so powerful. Something wonderful happens when you put pen to paper and commit to writing down your dreams and goals. Your word becomes the lens you use as you think, plan, prioritise, and make decisions.

It becomes a quiet whisper of guidance. Maybe your word is expand because you’re ready to stretch into something bigger. Maybe it’s grounded because you want calm, steadiness, and spaciousness. Maybe it’s courage because there’s something you know you’re meant to do. Maybe it’s health because you want to feel strong and energised.

Maybe it’s joy because joy has been too far down the list lately. Or maybe it’s consistency because you finally want to do the things you say matter. It could be simplify, abundance, presence, create, focus… Your word does not have to impress anyone. It just has to feel right for you.

So here’s how to find your word. Let’s find it together. Grab a journal, or anything you can write on. There’s something so important about writing. It makes the intangible become clear and real. The moment you write your dreams down, they begin to take shape.

Here are the questions to ask yourself:

  1. What do I want more of in my life in 2026? Do you want more energy, focus, confidence, peace?

  2. What do I want less of? Maybe less overwhelm, doubt, clutter, or frenzy.

  3. How do I want to feel as I move through my days? Maybe light, strong, brave, connected, mindful.

  4. What is one dream or intention that feels meaningful right now?

Let whatever comes up spill onto the page. No judgement — just honesty. Then look at what you wrote. Is there a theme, a pattern, maybe a feeling? Often your word will rise up quietly, like it was waiting for you.

If you want help with this, I’ll link to a free, downloadable, printable PDF in the show notes with a hundred words to choose from — just to help you see what your options might be for 2026.

Now, once you’ve chosen your word, that’s where the magic happens. Your word becomes your filter — your guiding principle, your decision-making partner, your grounding reminder. And when you pair your word with intentional planning, something shifts.

Here’s the reminder I want you to take with you: dreams and goals happen one step at a time, but only when you take the time to get them on paper and create a clear plan. Your word helps shape that plan. It helps you stay aligned with your values, your dreams, and who you want to become — a year rooted in intention and action.

And here’s a fun exercise. Imagine it’s December 2026 and you’re reflecting on the year you just lived. You realise: “I embodied my word. I actually lived my word.” How would that feel? Because intention is beautiful — but intention paired with a simple plan is life-changing. That’s why I’m such a believer in planning in small, realistic blocks, rather than overwhelming yourself.

Your dreams need structure, your habits need support, and you deserve to feel clear and confident about where you’re heading. So here’s a gentle invitation: plan 2026 with me. If you’re listening and thinking, “I want this. I need clarity. I want to actually follow through this year,” I would love for you to join me in January inside the Dream Life Coaching Program.

This is one of my favourite months. We gather as a community — women from all over the world — and together we choose our word, get clear on our top three dreams and goals for the year, put our important things in the calendar, and plan out the year. Then we break everything down into inspiring, practical steps and create a plan you can actually follow.

And most importantly, you start making progress with structure, support, and accountability — that’s where transformation happens. We lean into everything I’ve worked on and practised for 25 years: reflection, clarity, planning in quarters, small steps, and real progress.

You are fully supported and not doing this alone. And if you’re thinking, “But I’ve tried planning before,” remember: we are all works in progress, and it’s never too late to begin again. If you’re ready for 2026 to feel different — lighter, clearer, more intentional — come and join us. Your word is the beginning. We’ll build the rest together.

So what will your word be for 2026? Write it down. Sit with it. And once you decide, let it guide you. And if you feel that tiny spark — that quiet “yes” — I would be honoured to walk alongside you in January as we plan your year and set you up to make 2026 a year you absolutely love.

Until next time: dream big, plan well, and make beautiful progress toward your dream life. Don’t forget, I’ll link to the free PDF in the show notes if you want it.

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