Your Word of the Year: A Writer’s North Star

Using one word to motivate you throughout 2026

Every January, before returning to work, before the to-do lists are created (who am I kidding, they’re already created) and the color-coded calendars begin their glow-up, I choose a word. Not a resolution, not a goal, just a single, potent word to inspire me and keep me on track.

I learned this practice from the way people use language as a compass, like Melinda French Gates (who’s daily “Word of the Day” ritual is quietly powerful) . A guiding word doesn’t shout. It isn’t a to-do list. It’s a whisper that stays with you daily. You can place it at your desk, on your wall, wherever you can see it so that in the still moments when you ask yourself what you’re really trying to do this year you can look at it as a compass.

Over the years, I’ve chosen some unusual, but deeply grounding, words:

• Salamitaktik – a German term meaning “salami slicing strategy,” a reminder that big goals are met one thin slice at a time. This was 2025’s which motivated me to complete my doctoral dissertation.

• Perseverance – the choice to keep going, especially when the writing feels stubborn.

• Focus – to turn down noise and honor the work.

• Efficacy – the belief that your actions can actually produce the change you seek.

• Ephphatha – Aramaic for “be opened,” a call to creativity, curiosity, and courageous vulnerability. This is a favorite. I’ve used it a few times. It’s on my short list for 2026.

Every one of these words did something to me. They changed how I showed up on the page. They influenced how I moved through my days. In a year guided by “focus,” I wrote more consistently than I had in a decade. With “efficacy,” I stopped waiting for permission and began trusting the process. “Salamitaktik” got big projects finished without overwhelming me (as noted: my PhD dissertation being one of them).

This is the quiet secret behind a word of the year: We write the word, and the word writes us back.

Why Writers Especially Need a Word

Writing demands endurance, imagination, uncertainty tolerance, and an almost-irrational belief that your voice matters. And it does. Sometimes writers need to be reminded of that. A single word becomes a lighthouse in the fog of self-doubt and distraction. And you can write through that fog. Read my post about that HERE.

A word can:

1. Redirect you when you drift

Writers drift constantly which is okay. But they drift into procrastination, comparison, “research,” despair, or overthinking. A visible word pulls your attention back to the story or the task at hand.

2. Anchor your identity as a creator

Before you publish anything, you must believe in yourself as someone who writes. Your word becomes part of that identity. Choose your word to reflect your goals.

3. Influence the tone of your year

“Perseverance” produces a different year than “ease.”
“Focus” creates a different rhythm than “open.”
The word shapes not just your writing, but your mindset. It can inspire and motivate you.

4. Simplify your goals

Instead of “write every day,” the word “commitment” does the heavy lifting. Instead of “finish the draft,” “salamitaktik” helps you show up without the weight of the whole book.

How to Choose Your Word of the Year

You don’t need to overthink it. A good word feels like a gentle tug, not a demand.

Ask yourself:

• What do I want more of in my writing life?

• What do I need to become the writer I want to be?

• What word feels like courage?

• What word feels like permission?

Then: Write it down.

On a Post-it. On a notecard. In your planner. Set it as your phone wallpaper. Tape it above your writing desk. Mine is pinned on my bulletin board next to my desk in my office. And when I choose my new word for 2026, it will replace it so I can see it clearly. Wherever your eyes go, the word should follow. Visibility turns intention into habit.

Make Your Word a Daily Practice

Here’s how to use your word so it doesn’t fade by February:

• Say it aloud before you begin writing.

• Let it guide decisions about your schedule, your energy, and what you commit to.

• Journal with it when you feel stuck: “How can I practice my word today?”

• Return to it when you’re tempted to quit.

• Let it evolve. Your relationship to the word often deepens as the year unfolds.

Your Best Writing Year Starts With One Word

You don’t need a five-step system or a productivity overhaul. You just need a word. Your word. A word that reminds you of your purpose. A word that pulls you back to the page. A word that believes in your vision even on the days you don’t.

Choose it. Write it. Place it where it can speak to you. And then let it shape the year you’re about to write, literally and metaphorically.

If you’d like, tell me your word, I’d love to help you unpack its meaning and how to use it as your creative compass this year.

Happy writing in 2026!