I always pick a word of the year, and I use that as a guiding principle for the year. Or, at least, I try to.

Last year I reused the word “ignite” but instead spent much of 2025 not igniting the things I wanted to. Honestly 2025 was the worst year I’ve had since 2020, which is saying a lot. We all remember what a dumpster fire 2020 was.

For the past couple of months, I’ve had two words coming at me with surprising regularity, demanding I pay attention. Ultimately, I couldn’t choose one, so for the first time since I began choosing a word of the year, I am choosing TWO words of the year.

CONNECT

and

FLOW

Connect

Actually connection is the word that kept showing up, but I like my guiding words to be verbs. Partly because verbs are stronger than nouns, but mostly because they urge me to action. Connection isn’t something that happens by itself. It’s something that needs to be nurtured, coaxed, fostered.

We can’t wait for connection We have to connect

I’m an introvert by nature, so connection also doesn’t necessarily come easily for me. Networking is a dirty word, in my opinion–but connection isn’t about networking. It’s about truly speaking and listening to someone else. It’s about being curious about their experiences and being willing to share your own without insisting yours is the right way.

I’m also interested in the connection of all living things. The connection we humans have to the earth as well as to each other. Spiritual connection. Community connection

I enjoy collaborating with people, and I’m going to see out more of that this year.

Flow

In addition to running this blog and my Etsy shop, I am also a writer. By day I work at a small liberal arts college, where my job title is editorial assistant and project manager, but I also do a lot of writing In my free time, I write fiction–mostly fantasy, though right now I’m currently publishing a cozy paranormal mystery series over on Substack. My writing was something I wanted to reignite in 2025

Unfortunately, most of 2025 my words and creativity felt like they were stuck behind a thick ice dam–I could see the words, I could feel the ideas, but I couldn’t get them out past whatever was blocking me.

In October a friend helped me figure out what was causing that ice dam, and in November and December I felt like I got my flow back

I don’t want to lose that in 2026, so I’m going to continue to do things that help me achieve that flow state.

Flow is also a word that can relate to yoga. I’ve had to stop going to yoga classes for the past few months, because Etsy sales are down and I had a couple of unexpected large expenses in the last half of 2025.

But I miss yoga. It’s good for my soul and emotional health as well as my body. I’m going to be turning fifty in 2026, and I want to get my body back into good fitness. I don’t need to be skinny or drop pants sizes so much as I want to feel more confident in my stamina and balance. So to do that, I need to get back to yoga.

Do you choose a guiding word of the year?

Comment and let me know!