My Word of the Year for 2026: Persist

A Personal Note

Every year, I sit with a simple question:
“What do I want this next season of my life to feel like?”

Not just what I want to accomplish, but how I want to show up.
What energy I want to carry.
What tone I want my days to have.

This year, after weeks of reflecting, circling, second-guessing, and returning to the same feeling again and again, I chose my Word of the Year for 2026:

Persist.

Not in a push-harder, grind-it-out way.
Not in a hustle culture way.
This version of persist is quieter.
Steadier.
More honest.

It’s the kind of persistence that comes from knowing who you are, what you want, and what matters to you — even when progress feels slow or the path feels uncertain.

Why I Chose Persist for 2026

2026 feels like a year where the best thing I can do for myself — and for the work I’m building — is to keep going with steady devotion.

This past season taught me something important:

Meaningful things take time.
Meaningful things grow quietly.
Meaningful things ask you to stay.

Persist reminds me of that.

It’s the word that came up when I looked at the projects I want to finish, the business I’m building, the personal goals I care about, and the version of myself I’m becoming.

It’s the word that kept tapping me on the shoulder when I tried other words on for size — clarity words, structure words, grounding words.
They were good.
But they weren’t mine for this season.

Persist felt like… home.
Not dramatic.
Not glamorous.
Just right.

What Persist Means to Me This Year

It means showing up even when results aren’t visible yet.

A lot of what I’m building takes time — systems, products, routines, content, stability, audience trust.
Persist reminds me that slow progress is still progress.

It means staying committed to what matters most.

Not everything deserves my attention.
But the things that do?
They deserve consistency.

It means believing in my own long game.

Growth doesn’t always look loud or dramatic.
Sometimes it looks like patience.
Sometimes it looks like trying again.

It means choosing steadiness over urgency.

Persistent doesn’t mean frantic.
It means calm, ongoing effort — the kind that fits real life.

It means honoring the part of me that refuses to quit on my dreams.

Even when things are slow.
Even when things are quiet.
Even when I’m the only one who can see the full picture.

Persist is my reminder that I’m building something meaningful — and meaningful things are worth the time they take.

How I Plan to Use Persist in Daily Life

I’ll ask simple questions:

• “What’s one small thing I can persist with today?”
• “What deserves my consistency right now?”
• “Where can I return, even if the progress is tiny?”

I don’t need big leaps.
I need continuity.

Persist will guide:

• my focus
• my work rhythms
• how I approach tough weeks
• how I manage my time
• how I stay connected to my goals
• how I rebuild momentum after setbacks

It’s not a loud word.
But it’s a stabilizing one.

If You’re Choosing Your Word Too…

If you’re in a season where life feels full, or goals feel far away, or you’re building something that takes time — maybe your word will be something like:

• Steady
• Renew
• Align
• Grow
• Clear
• Commit
• Focus

Or maybe the word you need is one that surprises you — something softer, something quieter, something that meets you where you are.

Whatever your season, your word should feel like support, not pressure.

Persist is that for me.

And I’m ready for it.

Here’s to a year of consistency, calm strength, and slow, steady, grounded follow-through.

My word for 2026 is Persist.

And I’m looking forward to living it.

I’m sharing my word because I want the tools I offer to stay real and practical. I use the same prompts and questions I share here, and Persist is the reminder I need as I build the work that matters to me. If it helps you choose your own word with a little more clarity, then this post has done what it needs to do.