My 2026 Word Of The Year

Can you believe 2025 has wrapped up? How was your holiday season? If it was anything like mine, it likely held a mix of joy, tenderness, and a little melancholy, too.

At this time of year, I love reflecting on the moments that shaped me and the people I had the privilege of walking alongside. I also choose an “anchor” word to return to throughout the new year, a word that helps me grow into who I am, who I’m becoming, and what I desire more of in my life and work.

This year, when a team member asked what my word for 2026 would be, the answer came out before I could overthink it: Curious.

I didn’t workshop it or analyze it. It just landed, and the more I sat with it, the more I realized how much I apply this word in my own life, in my coaching, and in the rooms where I speak and facilitate.

“The goal isn't to be fearless. The goal is to be so damn curious that even your fears can't stop you. The goal is to Fear-Less”

This is what curiosity does for me. It doesn’t erase fear; it gives me enough optimism, possibility, and courage in the journey that my fears don’t get to drive the bus anymore.

Don’t get me wrong, fears still pop up; imposter syndrome, social anxiety, and that old “Do I even belong in this room?” story haven’t disappeared; they’ve just gotten sneakier.

This is where my Curiosity Champion becomes my greatest navigator. It brings a sense of innocence and expansiveness to places that feel scary, hard, or unknown. It helps me notice when I slip into “I have to” and “What if this goes wrong?” and shifts the narrative to “I get to” and “What if this goes right?”

In my head, my Curiosity Champion sounds like:

• “I wonder what would happen if I did this…?”

• “Okay, that part didn’t work. What if I course correct and shift slightly this way?”

• “Yes, that piece worked. I can keep that, let the rest go, and ask: From here, which direction gets me closer to my desired outcome?”

It’s kind of like climbing a mountain. You know you want to reach the peak, but the exact path up will change with the terrain—fallen trees, shifting weather, loose rocks. Curiosity lets you adjust your route while still trusting that you can reach the top.

My greatest coaching tool is curiosity.

A client I’ll call Sara stepped into a VP role in a multinational organization this year and often arrived at our coaching calls carrying a very loud Inner Critic on her shoulders. The script sounded like:

• “I should know how to do this.”

• “They’ll think I’m not cut out for this.”

• “Everyone else has it figured out but me.”

Overwhelm was loud, and her default was to judge herself, her pace, her every move.

We didn’t try to crush that voice; we simply got curious about it. Sara started noticing when the Critic showed up and what it was saying. Then we practiced pairing each judgment with a curious question:

• “You’re not ready” became “What skills do I already have?”

• “You’re going to fail” became “What supports do I have, and what could I learn from this?”

• “You should know this by now” became “If this is my mountain, what is one step I can take to get closer to the peak?”

With curiosity, Sara gave herself permission to apply what she already knew, learn from others, and practice new skills to grow into the role over time. By the end of the year, she had a simple ritual: one curious question a day. Her energy shifted from “I’m not cut out for this” to “I get to learn and grow into this,” and her team began to notice a calmer, more open, more grounded VP leading them.

As I move into 2026, curiosity is the thread I get to keep weaving through everything I do.

With clients, I get to continue to ask: “What’s possible here?” to help them shift out of “What’s wrong with me?”

In keynotes, I get to invite more questions and stories, especially from women and emerging leaders who are redefining what leadership looks like.

In facilitations, I’m excited to keep designing spaces of psychological safety where people feel safe to wonder out loud, challenge old patterns, and try new approaches.

Mostly, “curious” is my reminder to listen longer, assume less, and walk with more wonder as we all navigate this beautifully imperfect human experience together.

If you were to choose a word for 2026, what word might be quietly choosing you?