Health & Wellness: One word to a more intentional way to step into 2026

By Rachel Martin

It’s that time of year when most of us are scrambling for Christmas presents, searching for holiday recipes, and making sure all the necessary documents are submitted before year’s end.

It can be a chaotic season – and not exactly the time you’d expect to start thinking about 2026.

But as the years have gone by, I’ve found that the end of the year offers a powerful opportunity to pause, reflect, and begin shaping how I want the next year to look.

New Year’s resolutions don’t work

Most of us have tried a New Year’s resolution at some point. Maybe you’ve even had success with one. Personally, I didn’t. And after years of working as a trainer and helping people reach their goals, I think I understand why.

There usually wasn’t enough time spent making a plan.

I didn’t reflect on the past year:

• What worked well?
• What didn’t?
• What did I want to spend more time doing?
• What drained my energy?
• Which relationships filled my cup?

And I didn’t take the time to think through how I would actually live out the resolution. I was just excited to announce it and hoped the encouragement from others would carry me through.

Can anyone relate?

About ten years ago, I stopped making New Year’s resolutions altogether. Instead, I began theming my year.

A theme for the year

A yearly theme is a word or short phrase that becomes a compass for the year ahead. It’s a clarifying decision-maker – something you can return to when you feel overwhelmed, distracted, or unsure of what to say yes or no to. The theme is chosen by reflecting on the year behind you and using that insight to live more intentionally moving forward.

Here’s an example: My theme for 2025 was ALLOW.

I chose this word one year after my dad passed away. I realized there were emotions I hadn’t given myself time to fully experience because I felt the need to keep our business running and stay strong. I wanted to allow myself space to work on me, not just the business.

That looked like taking solo overnight trips, going to therapy, and building in longer breaks during the workday. Mentally, it required a shift – from seeing myself solely as a producer to recognizing myself as a living, breathing human who needed time, rest, and care.

As I reflect on 2025, I’m incredibly proud of how I lived. Instead of strict rules and unrealistic expectations, I chose a word that carried built-in grace. And that’s exactly what I needed.

Take time for reflection

But the real question is: what do you need?

If you’ve read this far, something about this idea likely resonates with you. So here’s an invitation.

Take 15 minutes – yes, a full 15 – and begin the process of theming 2026. Grab a pen and paper. You can always transfer your thoughts to your computer later, but writing by hand often opens the door to deeper creativity and honesty.

Start with these questions:

• What would you like to see more of in your life in 2026?
• What would you like to experience less of?

Related story: Letting go and finding health in the rhythm of fall

Jot down any words, values, or short phrases that align with how you want your life to feel and the actions you want to take.

From there:

• Choose one to three words that stand out.
• Expand on them by writing three to five ways you could actively live out each word.
• Ask yourself: Who do I need in my life to help me live this theme?
• Are there any habits that need to change or be developed to support it?

These simple questions are a powerful starting point for living more intentionally in the year ahead. Intentionality helps prevent burnout – and I think we can all agree we’d like a little less of that.

If this resonates, and you want to go deeper, I highly recommend the book One Word That Will Change Your Life by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page. Or you can turn your theme into a vision board.

Here’s to choosing a year that aligns with who you are – and who you’re becoming.

Rachel Martin, a certified personal trainer and life coach, is the owner of Connection Wellness at 4113 John Marr Drive in Annandale.