Approach 2026 in a Different Way!

Last updated on: December 31, 2025 at 4:21 pm by Esa

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Approach 2026 in a Different Way! 2025-12-31T16:21:13-06:00 Esa

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For many, 2025 has been a long and rough year. Each of us facing our own challenges, as well as, collective community one. Today is New Year’s Eve – the beginning of a new year, at least from the Gregorian calendar aspect. It is a time where social media fills up with posts reflecting backwards and goals going forward.

Resolutions – A common goal setting trend. Sometimes it is about creation – What will we build or create over the next 12 months. Often it is something we want to change – a transformation – and generally targeted on things such as weight, bad habits, and so forth.

The common tale is entering the new year with a heap of goals and hope, that generally fade in the first few weeks or months. Leaving a feeling of guilt or frustration. This isn’t always though. Sometimes people stick with it and work it till the end, but I hear less about that than the other.

As my community was reflecting back on the past year, one of my Temple mates had a great idea: No goals, no big ideas, just a word.

One word that you want to embody this year.

One word that you are going to keep coming back to and grounding yourself in. That leaves the actual actions, movements, and “work” flexible – able to flow as we flow within the year. A year is a long time from one perspective, and life shifts and moves, which can shift and move our “plans.” Focusing on a word though, gives us a solid guiding star with the flexibility to move as the energy and seasons move.

Everyone started sharing some of their words:

Balance

Consistency

Alignment

Resilience

Growth

Each word giving a specific aspect of movement, of thinking, of mindset that can be held through all the activities of the year. A word to keep re-grounding us in our life, our spiritualism, and our practices. Not just a word of action, but a word to Embody throughout the next year.

For me, my word was Devotion. As I am currently in the middle of the Weaver’s Journey – a journey that specifically started with a question about the depth and movement of devotion, this word felt fitting. I am looking at Devotion through all my lenses though, not just my spiritual/magical path. I am looking at it in the Temple, with my friends, with my family, with my community, and with myself. There are so many ways this word can help guide me through all my movements and creations this year, and keep me focused on what is really important to me right now.

This is not my regular article style, but I wanted to keep this simple – just as the exercise itself.

So, if you were to pick a word, one word to Embody this year, what would it be?

I’d love to hear about it, if you would like to share it.

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About Esa

Esa is a Crane Practitioner, Priestess in the Temple of the Crane, a Sister of the Well, as well as a professional Death Doula and teacher. Through her writing, published works, courses, and community connections she sets the stage for personal transformation and personal path development through effective frameworks, skills, and being a Guide for others. Her personal work and tradition is rooted in the pattern of Death and Rebirth, personal transformation, soul healing, and Death Emissary work. If you want to learn more, check out her website and work! You can read more about the author here.

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