'Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ' Philippians 3:12
It’s that time again. January. When everyone gets a fresh start. As you consider 2026, what do you want to achieve? A more important question: Who do you want to become?
I have found that a one-word theme for each year helps me focus and make progress in both of those areas. One word focuses on an area for personal growth, but has also helped me define goals that keep me working toward new achievements. I want to be a part of God’s purpose and become all that He designed me to be. Although that includes accomplishments, it is more about reflecting His character. That is what I want most.
The word God spoke to me for 2025 was Humility. Humility involves learning, not knowing. Listening, not teaching. Presenting a position rather than proving a point. I learned a lot about myself through this focus. I often found myself in situations where I had to remind myself that humility was what I needed to navigate them successfully. It wasn’t easy, but I pray that I have grown. The thing about growing in humility is that you are never fully grown. There’s always more growth needed.
I am still pondering my word for 2026. What about you?
Here’s a framework to help you discover and build on a one-word theme.
ASK: Ask God what He wants for you in the coming year. Ask Him what one word to focus on. You may be surprised!
AIM: Set goals that line up with God’s word for you and dreams that you know are from Him. Consider all areas of your life: Spiritual, Physical, Relational, Financial, Emotional, Work.
ACT: Design some next steps to achieve those goals. Be sure those steps include all areas of life. When you complete each step, determine the next step.
ACHIEVE: Celebrate your wins as you take steps and achieve goals. Then prepare to go through the process again. It’s about the growth, not the goals!
Let’s take a little more time with that framework.
Ask - The prayerful process of choosing one word helps me discover God’s goal for my year. I still write specific and measurable task goals, and having that list helps me keep making progress, but choosing one word helps me focus on the bigger goal. “And what is that?" you ask. What God desires most from you and me is not that we accomplish tasks, but that we become more like Jesus. When our achievements flow out of Christ-like character, they are infused with deeper meaning. They become part of fulfilling God-designed purpose for His honor and glory, not our own self-fulfillment. It's about becoming the person He wants me to be, not just doing what I think He wants me to do. Task goals are also growth goals, but a one-word goal is more about growth than accomplishment. So, no matter what 2026 holds, you can be sure to make progress as you let God do what He wants to do in you and through you.
AIM - Goals are helpful, but one word focuses your goals. If you are like me, you’ve had this experience. You create a list of goals and find that by the end of the year, some goals are completed, while others are still hanging out there. Then the unfinished goals get transferred to the goal list for the next year. That wasn’t a perfect system, but it helped me to start the year purposefully. I kept those goals written on an index card as a bookmark in my journal. That made them visible to me throughout the year and helped me to refocus when necessary. I appreciated reviewing the card at the end of the year and seeing some progress. However, choosing one word has helped me to tie all the goals together so that my focus is in one direction.
ACT - Your one word focuses on growth more than goals. Several years ago, I came across a reading plan in the YouVersion Bible app that challenged readers to choose one word to focus on rather than create a list of goals. The idea intrigued me, so I downloaded the guide and began the prayerful process of choosing one word to focus on. The objective was to allow God to show me an area I needed to grow in and to focus on that through my one word.
My one word for that year was “value.” I had struggled with feeling valued and valuing my own thoughts, opinions, and contributions. So, along with the Bible verses I had picked up in our church's New Year service, I took an index card and wrote VALUE at the top, my New Year’s Scripture references below that, and crafted some goals built around the word VALUE. Some examples: I will value relationships. I will value my own voice. Get the idea? I made sure that these goals touched all areas of my life, personal and professional. As before, I kept that index card as a bookmark in my journal. My phone’s reminder feature was also a great way to keep the word “VALUE” in front of my eyes daily. By New Year’s Eve, I could recognize where that focus had helped me grow. Success!
ACHIEVE – God-Centered goal setting leads to fulfilling God’s purpose. In 2025, I finally published my book, The Yes Adventure: Transform Your Life with One Word! (You can find it on Amazon here.) This was one of those goals that kept getting transferred to the next year’s list. It took more time and effort than I ever thought possible, but I kept moving forward and, with a lot of help from the Holy Spirit, it is done.
It’s difficult to put into words what that achievement means for me. It’s more than completing the task. It is the sense that I have obeyed God. What He does with it is up to Him. I have been aware of God’s presence with me, guiding me through the process, providing me with the right people to point me in the right direction.
This framework is covered in more detail in the book. If you’ve found this post helpful, you might want a copy. (Available in paperback or Kindle format. I’m a Kindle reader. Then I don’t need to find a place for it!)
Questions for reflection:
Start with reflection and prayer. There are plenty of resources to help you reflect, and I use several, but here are some questions from me to get you started.
What are you grateful to say goodbye to from 2025?
What has been difficult about this year?
What can you celebrate? What are some of the good gifts God gave you in 2025?
Now, here are some questions to consider as you look forward to 2026:
What do you want to say when you get to this time next year?
How would you like to grow in 2026?
In what way is God calling you to move forward, and how will you focus on that?
What do you think? Will you pick up the one-word challenge? Will you use the framework – Ask, Aim, Act, Achieve? Let me know! Send me an email here.
Blessings, Dear Friend, and as you write your 2026 story, I wish you a joyful awareness of God's presence as your new possibilities unfold. Happy New Year!
Key Question: What is God’s goal for me this year?
A Scripture to Consider: 'Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ' Philippians 3:12
A YES challenge: Work through the framework to choose one word to focus on for 2026. If you focused on one word for 2025, take some time to look back and review your year. What has God done in you because of your one-word focus? Take some time to journal. Share what you discover with a trusted friend.
Prayer: Lord, You know me inside and out. You know where I most need to grow and what I need to focus on for this next year. Task goals have some merit, but I want a deeper goal. I want to write a story that focuses on growth in my character. I want to grow more like You and to become all that You planned for me. I give this year to You. Do Your work in me, not just through me. Amen.