'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.

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:13-14 NLT

It’s about halfway through the year. How are you doing on reaching the goals you set in January? If you are at all like me, you may notice a bit of drift.

The movie Apollo 13 depicts a scene where the astronauts needed to manually adjust their trajectory. Normally, their computer system would have kept them on track but because of damage from an in-space explosion most systems, including navigation, were shut down to reserve as much power as possible for their return trip to earth. Without power their course had drifted.

After the explosion they had one goal, to get home. Making the adjustment required powering up only thrusters for a very short time. Navigation had to be manual. The plan: Keep the earth in the window and they could adjust their course and make it home.

The scene is full of tension as the astronauts fight to keep the earth in the window after the sudden burst of rocket power. Those tense moments led to great relief. Successfully keeping the earth in the window corrected their drift and led to their safe return. A simple strategy based on their primary goal.

I’ve noticed the trajectory toward my goals is a bit off. Other details of life have crowded out tying up some loose ends so I can mark those goals complete. One goal is getting my book across the publishing finish line. It’s time to get my goals back in the window. I may not get perfectly on track, but I can get closer to where I want to be.

Getting back in the window requires:

Honest evaluation. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes avoid the truth because it reveals that I am not where I want to be. Maybe you know what I mean. If I don’t step on the scale, I don’t have to admit that I’ve gained weight. If I don’t sit down to evaluate my goals, I don’t have to admit that I’ve drifted. But the only way to get back on track is to know exactly where you are. You must evaluate what is actually in the window so you can adjust your trajectory.