Every year, I choose a word.
Not as a resolution. Not as a theme for productivity. But as a lens — something that quietly shapes decisions, conversations, priorities, and pace.
When I look back now, it almost reads like chapters in a book I didn’t know I was writing at the time.
2023 was Alignment. That was the year I started asking harder questions: Does this still fit? Does this still serve? Is this actually aligned with who I am becoming — not just who I’ve been?
2024 became Care of Self. Less glamorous. More necessary. A year where I finally accepted that sustainability isn’t selfish — it’s strategic. Where taking care of myself wasn’t a detour from leadership, but part of it.
2025 followed with Reframe to Focus. The noise quieted. The message sharpened. The distractions fell away. It was a year of refinement — clearing space so something bigger could actually land.
And now, standing on the edge of 2026, the word came into focus quickly.
Engaged
This is the year I stop preparing and start fully living what I’ve been building.
For a long time, my seasons were about learning — certifications, frameworks, refining systems, testing ideas, teaching others. Those seasons mattered. They built the foundation. But at some point, preparation can quietly become a hiding place.
2026 is not that season.
This is a year of execution, presence, and participation.
In my business, that means momentum. New hires stepping into their lanes. New companies and partnerships taking shape. Training turning into implementation. Speaking opportunities opening doors I once felt unready for — and now feel called to walk through. It’s the shift from “almost ready” to “let’s go.”
It also means trusting my team in a new way. Building something that works because it’s designed well — not because I’m holding every thread. Buy Back Your Time didn’t just change how I think about work; it changed how I think about leadership. A business that depends entirely on me isn’t freedom — it’s fragile. Engagement means empowerment, not control.
This year is also deeply personal.
After being diagnosed with lipedema, I made the decision to prioritize my health in a way I hadn’t before. That path includes surgeries this summer — and instead of seeing that as a pause, I see it as proof that what I’ve built is working. By the time those surgeries arrive, my team will be fully in place, clients will be well served, and I’ll be able to focus on healing without everything unraveling.
That, to me, is engagement — designing a life and business that can carry you when you need it to.
And then there’s this milestone: I turn 50 this September.
I don’t see that as a slowdown. I see it as an expansion.
After recovery, I want more life layered into the work — more travel, more camping, more adventures, more laughter. More saying yes to experiences instead of waiting for “someday.” I want work that’s meaningful and a life that’s fully enjoyed. Balance, not as a buzzword, but as a lived reality.
Engaged doesn’t mean busy. It means present.
Present in my faith. Present in my health. Present in my relationships. Present in my leadership.
This isn’t a year of hustle. It’s a year of participation.
And maybe that’s the real invitation here — not just for me, but for anyone reading this.
What would change if you stopped preparing for the life you want… and started engaging in it?
If you choose a word of the year, I’d love to hear it. Sometimes naming the season is the first step toward living it.
