For the past several years, I haven’t chosen resolutions. I’ve chosen a word.
I first heard about the “one word” concept in 2019, and it immediately resonated with me. I dug in, learned more at myoneword.org, and the rest is history. What started as curiosity quickly became a practice that helped me focus, prioritize, and grow with intention.
Not a trendy buzzword. Not something that sounds good on a mug. A word that could guide decisions, anchor me when things got messy, and gently (or not so gently) call me back to center when I drifted.
Each word became a lens. How I evaluated opportunities, how I showed up as a leader, and how I measured growth beyond just numbers. Looking back now, I can clearly see how each year built on the last, shaping not just my career, but who I am.
2020: Worth
This was the year I focused on growing my worth in two very intentional ways. Embracing my self worth and growing financially.
I became an empty nester and made a conscious decision not to wallow. Instead, I invested in myself, doubled down on my business, grew a loyal clientele, and practiced gratitude daily. Worth meant recognizing that my time, energy, and expertise had value… And acting like it.
2021: Bold
Bold asked me to leap before I felt ready.
I made a big decision, left my job, and stepped into a new role that required courage and trust. Later that year, I made another bold move, closing my business after realizing I had fallen in love with my new career and wanted to invest fully in it.
This was the year I stopped settling. I learned how to advocate for myself, embrace graceful assertiveness, and make decisions that honored who I was becoming, not who I used to be.
2022: Build
If Bold was the leap, Build was the scaffolding.
I was moved from one cemetery to multiple, and boooooy was there work to be done. I spent that year building relationships, strengthening our reputation in the community, and building a team I was genuinely proud of.
Build wasn’t just professional. Sarah and I also built something personal, our summer getaway, when we purchased a destination trailer and seasonal campsite. This year reminded me that growth happens both at work and at home, and both deserve intention.
2023: Action
Action was about momentum.
It was the year I stopped waiting for things to happen to me and started making them happen for me. I focused on developing my skills daily, leading from the front, and refusing complacency.
This was a year of movement and follow through. I published my first book. I made a difficult but necessary personnel change. I secured paid speaking engagements. I published my first book. Action meant doing the work, even when it was uncomfortable, and trusting that clarity follows motion.
2024: Colorful
After years of building, pushing, and proving, Colorful gave me permission to be fully myself.
This year was about authenticity. About not being afraid to stray from norms. About embracing my eclectic, creative, bright, and occasionally wild nature. It was also the year I accepted a promotion to my current property, a historic cemetery considered a crown jewel in Michigan. Almost immediately, I had to jump in and get started on an overhaul. It began with the need to grow the team from two to more than ten members. I didn’t limit myself to standard candidates. Instead, I built a colorful, diverse team that has become the foundation for all of the success Woodlawn has experienced since.
Colorful reminded me that leadership doesn’t have to be beige to be effective. That creativity and professionalism aren’t opposites. That joy and depth can coexist. I drove forward, building on past progress, but in my own unmistakable way.
2025: Flow
Flow was about ease, with intention.
I structured my year to make living and working smoother, not clunkier. Systems mattered. Boundaries mattered. Energy mattered. Flow wasn’t about doing less. It was about doing things better, with less friction.
This year helped me step out of constant reaction mode and into a rhythm that supported sustainability, clarity, and peace.
2026: Elevate
And now, I’m looking ahead.
My word for 2026 is Elevate.
This is the year of rising above the day to day and leading at a higher altitude. Elevate means strengthening my standards, honoring boundaries, and stepping fully into the role of a leader of leaders. It is about trusting the systems I’ve built and resisting the urge to overfunction for capable adults.
2026 is about better conversations. Presence over busyness. Authority over accommodation. Impact over effort.
I am elevating how I show up, how I lead, and how I protect my time and energy, so the work doesn’t just move forward. It rises.
If you’ve never tried choosing a word for the year, I can’t recommend it enough. A single word has a way of clarifying decisions, grounding priorities, and offering a steady point of return when things feel noisy or overwhelming.
You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to choose a word that feels honest for the season you’re in. One that can guide how you show up, how you decide, and how you grow.
So as you look ahead, I’ll ask you the same question I ask myself each year.
What word do you want to carry with you, and who might you become if you truly lived into it?
