My Word of the Year for 2026 (And How I'm Building Momentum as a Work-From-Home Mom)
You know that feeling when you're standing in the shower after a long day of parenting, it’s 9:00 pm and you’re spiraling? The kind of spiraling that sneaks up on you, where you're replaying every decision you've made in the past year and wondering if you're doing any of it right.
That was me a lot in 2025.
The Year of Letting Go
Last year was a lot. Like, a lot a lot.
We moved from Washington to Idaho. I had my second baby and spent months in that postpartum fog where everything feels hard and the little things feel like a lot. My oldest started preschool, which was its own emotional roller coaster (for both of us). And in the middle of all that, I was trying to run a business.
In all of this transition and change, I started to realize I was holding onto a version of my business that didn't fit anymore. I had client relationships that weren't healthy. I had expectations for what my business "should" look like that were making me miserable. I had ideas and directions I kept trying to force even though they clearly weren't working.
So I let them go.
I ended relationships that were draining me. I stopped pretending I wanted to do certain types of work just because I thought I should. I pivoted away from things that felt like obligation and toward things that felt good, like focusing on Pinterest management.
Doing the reflective and introspective work (as much as I could in this season) was hard. I didn’t see how I would be able to figure out the best path forward. It all just felt overwhelming and confusing. Letting go is hard work, especially when you're doing it while postpartum, while parenting two tiny humans, while trying to figure out life in a new state.
But I’m seeing the fruits of that labor now as we head into 2026. I’m seeing how letting go is an important part of the building process. It’s helped bring clarity, confidence, and intentionality as I’ve been planning for this year.
What I'm Doing Differently This Year
I've spent a lot of time overthinking. Planning. Waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect plan or the perfect something.
And I'm done with that.
This year, I'm taking action faster. I'm making decisions without analyzing them to death. I'm doing the thing instead of thinking about doing the thing.
Which brings me to my word for 2026: Momentum.
Because momentum isn't about big dramatic changes or huge leaps forward. It's about the tiny actions you take every single day that start to build on each other.
It's posting on social media even when you're not sure what to say.
It's reaching out to one potential client instead of waiting until you have the perfect pitch.
It's working on your business for 20 minutes during naptime instead of waiting for a full uninterrupted work day (which, let's be real, doesn't exist with a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old).
The small and consistent actions create momentum.
What I'm Working Toward
So what does momentum look like for me this year? Here's what I'm going for:
In Business:
Consistent content creation schedule (2 blogs/month, 2 emails/month, 2 IG posts/month, daily in stories + on threads)
Create one new lead magnet that helps business owners understand Pinterest (because I’m offering Pinterest Management as a new service in 2026!)
Intentional shifts to improve my client experience (improve systems, intentional connection)
Say no to projects that don't fit instead of saying yes out of fear
Saying yes to opportunities for connection, mentorship, and community
In Life:
Take the kids on one adventure per month, even if it's just a new park or library
Have one intentional, at-home date night per month with my husband
Read before bed instead of scrolling Instagram
Keep in touch with friends instead of letting months go by
Renew my teaching certificate
The Vision Board
I made a vision board for 2026, but I decided to try a different method this year.
Instead of filling it with aspirational images that represent the end goal, I filled it with pictures that represent the small actions I want to take throughout the year. This is so that when I see my vision board, I am not just looking at the end result, but what the actual doing looks like.
And then as I do those things, I'm going to replace the stock photos with real photos of my family and me actually doing them.
So that picture of a mom and kid at a bookstore will get replaced with a photo of us reading books together at a bookstore or library. The image of a couple having a wine and puzzle night will be replaced by our own at-home wine and puzzle date night.
It's a living vision board. A reminder that momentum is built through action, not just dreaming about action.
If You're Coming Out of a Tough Year Too
I don't know where you're at right now. Maybe you had a year like mine with lots of change, lots of letting go, lots of figuring things out on the fly. Maybe you're feeling stuck in the planning phase, waiting for things to feel more certain before you move forward.
And maybe you just need to build a little momentum in your day-to-day, too.
So what's one small thing you can do this week?
Send that email. Post that reel. Reach out to that person. Sign up for that class. Whatever it is, just do it.
Because small actions build on each other. And before you know it, you're not stuck anymore. You're moving.
And this is going to be the year of moving forward, one small action at a time.
Let's build some momentum together.
P.S. - Speaking of small actions that build momentum, that's exactly what I share in my newsletter. There’s a section in my newsletter called "One Small Shift" where I share one action I took or one thing I changed in my systems, rhythms, or routines that made my life or business better. If you want someone to build alongside you this year, sign up here. I'll keep you in the loop on what I'm trying, what's working, and what I'm learning, and you can always reply to share what you’re working on too.