286. Word of the Year – Expand

Welcome back to the podcast.

To best set the tone of each year, I always choose a word or theme for that year.

And I want to share my word of the year for 2026, and that word is to expand.

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Not hustle, not rushing, but to expand. If you hear this word, and it puts a smile on you or a sparkle in you to expand your life in 2026, this episode is for you. 

I love choosing the word of the year because it gives direction without pressure.

This word isn’t your checklist.

It’s an invitation for your own alignment and becoming.

For me, expand means expanding my mindset, opening myself to more opportunities, growing my wisdom, and intentionally expanding all areas of my life without any force.

Because expanding doesn’t need to be loud.

It doesn’t have to be aggressive, and it definitely doesn’t have to come from proving anything. 

So let me start by sharing what expand does not mean.

It does not mean doing more just to feel productive.

It does not mean saying yes to everything.

And it does not mean growing faster that your nervous system cannot handle and burn out.

Because that’s what expanding does. Expansion without grounding leads to burnout. So real expansion actually feels very spacious.

It feels like breathing deeper, not running faster.

So the first place I’m going to focus my expansion in 2026 is my mindset. Because before your life expands, your thinking has to expand first.

Mindset expansion looks like asking yourself questions like,

• what else might be possible that I have not considered yet?
• Where am I holding on to old limiting beliefs that no longer fits where I am now?
• What if this doesn’t have to be as hard as I think it does? 

• Because so often we are overthinking.
• Expansion isn’t about forcing yourself to believe harder.
• It’s actually about allowing new perspectives to coexist with the old ones.

Confidence grows when your mind learns to hold more than one outcome at the same time.

Another way I’m leaning into expansion this year is being more open to opportunities, especially the kind that doesn’t arrive looking perfect or better yet, it did not come planned.

So often we miss opportunities not because they’re not there, but because they don’t match the picture we had in our heads.

We didn’t expect it to come, but be ready for them.

And expansion asks questions like,

• can I be more curious instead of controlling?
• Can I listen more before I decide?
• Can I trust myself even more to adapt if things change?
• And for high achieving women, especially expansion often means loosening the grip, not tightening it more.
• Trusting that you are capable even when the path unfolds in real time.

So in 2026, I’m also choosing to expand my wisdom, not just my results.

And wisdom comes from reflection, from integration, from allowing the lessons to fully land. You don’t need more information.

You need more space to process what you already know.

Expansion happens when you pause long enough to ask,

• what did this season teach me?
• What am I ready to carry forward?
• And what am I ready to release?

I understand that expansion doesn’t have to be dramatic to be meaningful. 

It can show up as:

• health that feels more sustainable,
• relationships that feel more honest,
• work that feels more aligned,
• rest that feels more deserved.

You are allowed to expand without justifying anything to anyone without explanations.

And remember that growth doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes it just whispers.

And now I want to invite you into a short reflection.

So if you are able to pause and take a breath with me, inhale slowly, and exhale fully. A

sk yourself, without judgment,

• where am I being invited to expand this year?
• Not where you think you should grow.
• Not where others expect you to grow. 
• But where do you feel a quiet pull to grow into?
• Maybe it’s your mindset.
• Maybe it’s your boundaries.
• Maybe it’s your confidence.
• Maybe it’s your willingness to be seen. 
• Let expansion feel gentle.
• Let it feel intentional.
• Let it feel like you. 
•  
• And as you move through the rest of this year, remember that expansion isn’t about becoming someone new.

It’s about allowing more of who you already are to take up space. 

Thank you for being here.

Thank you for growing with me.

And if you just can’t seem to decide on the direction of your 2026 by any chance, feel free to book a call with me and I’ll set you up with so much clarity with just a 30 minute talk.

So until next time, keep choosing growth that feels like home, expand and let me know what is your word of the year.