A widening, a deep breath, and a season of evolving with intention.
This is the story of how ‘Expand’ found me this year — and how it might spark something for you as you choose your own word for 2026.
Listening for the Word
Each December, I make space to reflect on the year closing and listen for the word that will guide the one ahead. It’s a simple ritual: a glass of my favourite wine, a candle, my journal open, and enough quiet for something honest to surface. There’s no pressure here. Just curiosity and a willingness to notice what’s calling me forward.
This year, the word arrived quickly.
Expand.
Expand Is a Verb
What I love most about this word is that it’s a verb. An action word. A simple rule. Expand doesn’t sit quietly in the background. It asks something of me. It invites movement, not through urgency or force, but through grounded, intentional action.
Expand stretches and widens. It moves at the pace of integrity, not speed. At its core, it’s about evolving with intention.
Making Space for What’s Next
Expand feels right for this season because something is asking for more space — internally and externally. It invites me to open to possibility with steadiness, to stretch beyond what’s familiar, and to express more of my voice and leadership without slipping into striving.
It’s a call to hold more capacity while staying rooted. To offer more of my work without overriding my energy. To step forward in ways I’ve been preparing for quietly.
Expanding Voice, Capacity, and Impact
This year, Expand shows up in how I write, speak, and share my thought leadership. It’s about taking up more space with ideas and work that feel deeply aligned.
It also shows up behind the scenes. Stronger systems. Clearer boundaries. More margin. More room for creativity and rest. This kind of expansion isn’t about doing more. It’s about building structures that support work and life that feel sustainable and meaningful.
Meeting the Edge
Expand pulls me toward my edges — the places that require a little more courage. Saying yes where I once hesitated. Naming what needs to be said. Stepping into opportunities that feel slightly bigger than yesterday’s version of me.
This isn’t about overwhelm. It’s about the stretch that signals growth.
Expanding Into Enoughness
There’s also a quieter truth in this word. Expanding into enoughness.
This isn’t accumulation or push. It’s choosing spaciousness over urgency. Clarity over noise. Alignment over obligation. Trusting that enough is not a limit, but fertile ground.
Stepping Into 2026
As I step into 2026, Expand feels like an opening. A widening of what’s possible. A deep breath that asks me to move forward with presence and intention.
This year isn’t about scale or speed.
It’s about evolving with intention.
I can feel it already.
I am ready to expand.
Here’s to a year of action, stretch, and the quiet emergence of what comes next.
What is 2026 calling for from you?
