Learn about my word of the year for 2026, and use my word of the year generator to find your own 2026 word of the year.
My 2026 Word of the Year
What You'll Find on This Page
I chose ACT as my 2025 word of the year. Unfortunately, it turned into more of being acted upon when my husband decided that, after more than 24 years of marriage and over 27 years of being a couple, he was done being married.
Not the kind of action I hoped for.
It completely threw the end of 2025, and I’m still reeling as we head into 2026.
My first thought was to choose the world HEAL for 2026. But it’s too early for that, plus I already used it in 2022. So I turned to my word of the year generator, and wound up combining the first three words that turned up.
My First Word for 2026: JUMP
The first word I got, JUMP, is not a word I would have chosen on my own, but I like the resilience and action of it. I’m looking at a lot of change in my life right now, and a lot of unknowns. Like it or not, I’ll be making a lot of jumps, often without as much information on the outcome as I would like.
My Second Word for 2026: TRANSFORM
TRANSFORM was the second word I got. I may currently be in the painful chrysalis stage, but 2026 is bound to be a year of transformation.
My Third Word of the Year for 2026: VALUE
The third word I got out of the generator was VALUE. This word feels critical for my life right now. I’m struggling with being unvalued by the person who I thought was my forever person. This divorce is going to be an incredibly difficult process, and to make it through I need to stay focused on my personal values, who I want to be, and what matters most.
Setting Goals for January 2026
I kept my December goals super simple, and I needed that. We celebrated my son’s 18th birthday, I enjoyed his choir concert, and I loved spending time with my kids over winter break.
In January, I hope to:
- Stay focused on my kids.
- Make good progress on my MLIS classes (I dropped down to two to accommodate all of the other chaos on my life).
- Stay caught up on work.
- Play music and sew or craft when I can. This is happening a lot less than I would like right now, but I think it’s my current reality and I’ll just make it through.
- Work through divorce paperwork with as much grace and wisdom as possible.
I hope your year is starting off better than mine. What is your word of the year for 2026? What are you hoping to accomplish this month?
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
I’m so very sorry you had that dropped on you. That sucks so much.
You chose some good words for this year, and hopefully even if you didn’t choose heal, you do a lot of healing this year. I’m praying for you as you go through all of this and sending many long-distance hugs.
Oh, and to answer your question on audiobooks. I’m very random on them, so it would be an odd and random list to give you.
Thank you, Ticia. I really appreciate this.
If you do end up with a list, I am always a fan of odd and random.