My One Word For 2026

Now that the New Year has rolled around and the start of my final semester of high school has arrived, it has become my top priority to finish strong. The idea of Jon Gordon’s “One Word” movement was brought upon me and my peers in my career mentorship class. This movement is about choosing 1 word to drive one towards personal development all throughout the year. The 3-step process that goes towards choosing the word is fairly simple, however I found it a bit difficult to choose only 1 word to drive me through 2026. The three steps to the process are:

1. Determine the kind of person you want to become

2. Identify characteristics of that person

3. Choose your one word

Steps 1 and 2 were fairly easy, as I know I want to be a kind, empathetic, reliable, ambitious, and morally driven person. Combining all of these factors into one word that can encompass them all led me to the word fulfillment. For me, fulfillment is the achievement of something desired. I chose this word because it can apply to any aspect of my life. Academically, by getting good grades/showing improvement, or socially, by making new connections and treating others with care. This word will also drive me to strive for success while I am in school and in the process of finding a career that best fits me. In the past, I have struggled with motivation and drive, however, achieving the feeling of fulfillment is something that motivates me to accomplish more and be the best version of myself.

In order to stay motivated and work towards my goals for the year, I created a vision board with my one word centered in the middle. It is important to have a vision of the future you want, because it will keep you on track and keep you from straying from your goals and going off track. A great way to do this is to create a vision board; a collage of photos, words, etc. to map out what you would like to see and achieve in your future. On my personal vision board, I included images of the career fields I am mentoring in (women’s health and pathology), as well as the college I plan on attending (The Ohio State University). I included images of money, good grades, and photos representing human connection. I also included one of my more long term goals, which is buying a nice house and having a spacious property. Centered in the middle is my word of the year fulfillment. Seeing all of the things I want to achieve and find fulfilling on one template gives me boosts of motivation and hope when I feel burnt out or down. 

Hopefully this blog inspires you to choose a word that helps drive you to success and personal development, no matter what time of the year it is. To learn more about the science behind the vision boards please click here.