A NEW YEAR AND A NEW WORD
I always love the beginning of a new year and choosing a new Word of the Year to direct my thoughts and help me grow more into my true self in this second half of life. As each year draws to a close, I find myself mulling over what my next WOTY will be, and as I allow things to simmer, I find a Word will often bubble to the surface.That's exactly what happened this time - it came to me early, and it stuck in my head because it clicked in a way that resonated with how I want to approach this year ahead. So, for 2026 I'm embracing the Word:
TEASING OUT THE CONCEPT OF BEING MINDFUL
When I first encountered the word "Mindful", I almost dismissed it because in the past I associated mindfulness with meditation - it had a kind of New Agey vibe and it didn’t really fit with what I was trying to drill down to. I realized that it wasn't the practice of mindfulness that I was looking for, it was the concept of being mindful that was appealing to me, and that encompasses so much more than just being "Zen". The sense I was getting from my idea of being mindful was more to do with being intentional with what I allow into my space, living thoughtfully, and exploring interesting concepts that I'd like to explore more deeply.I looked up the Oxford Dictionary definition of Mindful and I discovered that points 1 and 3 gave it the added meaning I was looking for to expand it out into living with intention. I also like point 2 about being present in the "now" because that is a more calming way for me to live.
The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines Mindful as:
6. Releasing what no longer serves
7. Resting and reflecting
8. Focusing on what I have
9. Practicing self-compassion
10. Becoming more intentional
The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines Mindful as:
1. being conscious or aware of something.
2. focusing one's awareness on the present moment.
3. being inclined or willing to do something.
2. focusing one's awareness on the present moment.
3. being inclined or willing to do something.
CHOOSING AN OVER-ARCHING MINDFULNESS
Living a mindful Midlife isn't just about centering in on this exact, present moment and seeking peace - that's really important (hence my choice of Equanimity as my focus in 2024), but it's also living intentionally - knowing what my heart, mind, and emotions need for me to live my life well.
It's deepening my understanding of myself, so that I can navigate transitions with grace, and live in a way that's always consistent with my values, being aware of what my heart is telling me - and paying attention to what is needed to live in alignment with that.
With that in mind, I did a little dive into how I could live a more mindful and intentional Midlife, and I came up with ten thoughts. Rather than trying to cover them in one giant blog post, I thought I'd choose one every so often for my focus and (hopefully) by the end of the year I'll be living mindfully and in step with what resonates with who I am now.
10 MINDFUL PRACTICES FOR THE YEAR AHEAD
1. Mindful mornings
2. Curating my feed
3. Choosing my responses
4. Developing the Fruit of the Spirit
5. Connecting authentically
2. Curating my feed
3. Choosing my responses
4. Developing the Fruit of the Spirit
5. Connecting authentically
6. Releasing what no longer serves
7. Resting and reflecting
8. Focusing on what I have
9. Practicing self-compassion
10. Becoming more intentional
THAT'S MY WOTY FOR 2026
So, I'm launching Mindfully into the year ahead and choosing to live authentically, curating what I allow into my space, looking for opportunities to grow in grace, acknowledging my place in the world, and that I'm worthy of investing into the process of owning who I am and what's the right fit for this stage of my life.
Interestingly, I was reading the Sunday Times newspaper a few days before Christmas and saw this article by Katherine Fleming - where (in part) she is saying that what I want is actually what a lot of people want in the year ahead...
It's not about anything big and bold, but more about calm assurance - knowing that my head, heart, and soul are in alignment with each other, that what I say and do resonates with my core values and beliefs, and not being distracted by the noise of the world around me. Hopefully some of what I discover will have meaning for those who are on this Midlife journey with me - maybe here and there you'll get to say "me too" and we can cheer each other on.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Have you chosen a Word of the Year, or an Intention for the Year, or a resolution or two? Are you choosing to make this second half of life a time of self-development and growth? I'd love you to share your thoughts in the comments.
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That sounds like a good word for you, Leanne. I don't think I'll do a word of the year this year; nothing is really jumping out and waving "pick me"...
ReplyDeleteHi Jo - maybe something will pop up part way through the year - or maybe you have enough on your plate with where you're at right now? I'm looking forward to diving in and discovering what being mindful and intentional will mean for me in the year ahead.
DeleteThat is such a great explanation of the word you have chosen Leanne. I've been more aware of being mindful these days (B tells me to as well) because the minute I get caught up with rumination (the past) or predictions (the future) there goes my equanimity. I've been practising mindful meditation and self compassion for over 6 years now and I need reminders over and over. The good thing though about being self aware...over time...is that you can keep yourself in check. So good to read your list of what you will do with being 'mindful' too Leanne. Happy New Word of the Year. Denyse x
ReplyDeleteHi Denyse - Ross tells me that being aware of something is more than half the battle won. I had a setback a couple of weeks ago that showed me that I can think I'm healed and whole, but there will always be soft spots that can be triggered and overset me. More on that next week.... But, I love that I have the time to ponder what I need to take in and what I need to release so that I live my life more authentically with my values and who I see myself capable of becoming. xx
DeleteMy word of the year is Good-bye.
ReplyDeleteIn this link to the awards show, I like Hwasa's song by the title: "Good-Goodbye."
https://youtu.be/_rLJVLcpoU8? si=7ltZxkRKlWO6QVuu
We now shed the Year of the Snake & we gallop forth into the Year of the Horse! & it is time for me to say good-byel👋🫶
Hi Allison - I saw the clip you left on Pat's post this morning and watched it (her Word and mine are part of the same family I think). Goodbye has a lot of different tones to it - and I like how you've chosen the "good" as you head into the year ahead.
DeleteMindful is an important word and a good word of the year. I agree that "mindfulness" has a new age-y vibe to it due to how it's been used in the past - although in reality it only means being present and intentional, which is how I see both mindful and mindfulness.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I'll have a word of the year this year. Like Jo said, nothing has been calling on me. I do have intentions and goals, and many of them revolve around what you are saying - being more intentional, ditch what doesn't serve, but for me also listening to myself, getting to know myself and my values better, dropping more "shoulds" and knowing I make choices because they align with my goals, values and opinions rather than because I feel I "should" something.
Hi Susanne - what you describe is exactly what I chose "Mindful" to remind me to do - I like the word "align" that you used too - living a life that is in sync with who we are and who we want to grow into. For me it's about the whole person - being healthy in mind, body, and soul - everything moving together so I feel that inner sense of wellbeing - all might not be right with the world around me, but all is well with my soul. x
DeleteHi Leanne, happy new year! I like your woty. I’ve been trying to work out what mine should be but I’m having trouble defining it. The closest I can come to a word that resonates is ‘boundaries’. It has to be about working out what I want to spend time on or with, taking time to respond to messages and not being ruled by my phone, not allowing myself to get wrapped up in things that drain me etc. I think your woty covers those things - I might have to ‘borrow’ it as mine too as ‘boundaries’ doesn’t quite feel like the right word! Chrissie x
ReplyDeleteHi Chrissie - I'm happy to share my Word with you - and I also like "intentional" and "aligned" because they fit the general concept too. Boundaries have turned out to be a tricky thing for me - I had an encounter last week that opened my eyes to how porous my boundaries are (despite all the work I've done to create them!) - I'm writing a post for next week about it all because it was in my head for far too long. I think it might be a lifelong journey for me in creating healthy space for myself - but awareness of when that is under threat is a positive step for me. Here's to a great 2026! xx
DeleteThanks for sharing. This year I am focusing on capturing glimmers and saving them in a jar. Then I can pull them out when I need a lift.
ReplyDeleteHi - I love the whole concept of glimmers and recognizing those small, lovely, joyful moments that often pass by if we don't pause for a moment to acknowledge them. Saving them in a jar is a lovely idea - I know some people journal them at the end of the day as a gratitude practice - which I love too. :)
DeleteA very nice word, Leanne. Well selected. This is something I am trying to focus on too, especially at this stage of life; and more so as I grow older.
ReplyDeleteI haven't really done a WOTY or a specific NY resolution. But I have a few things planned for the year. I shall post about it in the coming days.
Take care, and I wish you the best in your efforts in focussing on 'Mindfulness' in the days, weeks and months to come!
Hi Pradeep - I think retirement lends itself to giving us time to be more aware of the areas we want to develop in our own life - not being everything to everyone anymore. I really want to feel that I'm becoming a better, deeper, warmer person as I age, and being conscious of what's needed to move in that direction is where the mindfulness comes in. I'll be interested to see what you have in store for the year ahead when you write about it soon. Happy 2026 to you and your family. :)
DeleteLeanne, You are right that our words are quite similar this year. You even use the two together - a more mindful and intentional midlife! It will be wonderful to get inspiration from you as to how you make the word come to life this year. I also struggled with the idea of mindfulness, but I like how you looked at mindful differently. For me, this year is getting back to living with intention. Getting back to the path I felt I was on 16 months ago, closer to living as my authentic self, doing things that make me happy/fit my values, releasing the self-limiting beliefs I still have, accepting the (amazing) life I have. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteHi Pat - I think you and I are aiming for much the same thing - you just had a gigantic hiccup in the middle of yours! I'm sure as the year moves on and the house progresses, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment after all the unseen work of 2025 that was needed to get things underway. Having more headspace to work out what's important and what feels "right" for this next stage of life is where being able to make authentic, meaningful choices starts to come into play. We're going to rock the year ahead! x
DeleteHappy New Year, Leanne, “Mindful” is a word and philosophy that is a common thread running through many of your posts. I look forward to reading how you continue to explore this concept more in depth in 2026. xx Erica
ReplyDeleteHi Erica - I think I've finally come to a place where I have enough time and space to actually figure out who I want to be, and to start looking at ways to enrich my life and become the person I'd really like to be as I age. I don't want to be some sort of self-help guru - I just want to be "me" - the "me" that was submerged under the weight of all the responsibility that life threw at me over the past decades. The pressure is off and it's time to be deepen what I'm discovering. xx
DeleteSEASON, both a noun & a verb, is my WOTY. On the cusp of a new decade, I'm very aware of this season of my life with its waning physical capabilities. In spite of not being a particularly religious person, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 speaks to me - to everything there is a season. Seasonal demands often dictate the activities of daily living on this rural property. This life that I love can be seasoned with new & more experiences, explorations & activities now that time has opened up after the death of my aged mom a yr ago. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteHi Mona - I really like your choice of word and the double meaning it has. I'm very aware of the seasons of life and how we need to embrace them to live well. I'm so sorry to hear of your mum's passing - a season of ending that comes to us all eventually. I'm just hoping to have lived life well enough that when it's my turn to pass, I'll be remembered fondly by those I leave behind. Keep me posted on how your seasoning goes through the year. x
DeleteHello Leanne - Thank you for sharing your WOTY.
ReplyDeleteHi Yvonne - your comments are working again - welcome back! and I hope your Christmas was a happy one. Here's to another year of living life well. x
DeleteHi Leanne - I wasn't sure if it would work therefore the short sentence. Glad to see that it's finally working. I wasn't in the Holidays spirit. My health is taking a turn for the worse so I didn't do any Christmas shopping and to be honest I see Christmas as a money racket. I tried very much to remember the reason for the season which a lot of people seem to have forgotten. I spent Christmas alone but I did some decorating as the weather here is so gloomy. I suffer from SAD which is not helping. Would you send us some sunshine? We badly need it. I've been meditating and doing Mindfulness for years. We could use Mindfulness everyday with our speech and actions and trying to stay in the present moment which can be difficult. Most of us are living in the past or the future. For starters we could use Mindfulness while sipping a cup of tea or coffee. Glad that you're back!
ReplyDeleteHi Yvonne, I was worried that your Christmas may not have been a happy one. I'm glad you found a little joy by decorating. We don't decorate much, but I love our small tree and the sparkly lights - it always makes my heart happy to see it in the evenings. All packed away now and back to another year.... And yes, being in the "now" appreciating the small pleasures of life, looking for the sunshine (we have buckets of it here that I'd love to send you - really hot and dry!) I hope you find a few moments of extra joy this week and I'll see you back here on Monday next week. :)
DeleteWhat a perfect word choice, Leanne. I appreciate the explanation and what it means for you, and I look forward to hearing how you put those 10 practices into action over the coming months. As you know by now, I chose Celebrate for my 2026 WOTY. I plan to write more about what that means to me in next week's blog.
ReplyDeleteHi Christie - I thought celebrate was a really positive word to go into the year with - it reminds you to pause and enjoy the blessings that come your way - the successes, and the progress. I want to be more intentional with my world - living well, thinking well, eating well, loving well - just doing what I can to enrich my heart and soul. x
DeleteSuch a good word for the year ahead Leanne! I like your explanations and ideas too. All the best to you for 2026 and being mindful. x
ReplyDeleteThanks Deb - it's a little more intense than your word choice, but I feel like it's time to dig a little deeper this year and drill down in the areas where I want to feel more growth. I'm not sure how I'll go, but starting is always good!
DeleteLeanne,
ReplyDeleteI love your word of the year...I choose mindful for a theme of the year a few years ago...Mindful sort of goes hand in hand with my Word of the Year , which is Intention...I felt I needed to go in a different direction this year with my Word than what I chose last year which was Hope...I needed more of an action word...something that I could control because I felt that my life was out of control for the past 2 years after suffering the loss of 6 loved ones...Here is my post on my Word for 2026...https://debbie-dabbleblog.blogspot.com/2026/01/one-little-word-for-2026.html
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
Hi Debbie - so good to hear from you and I'll be popping over to read your WOTY post next. Intention is a great WOTY and one of my other blogging friends has chosen it too. It was a close call choice for me - I ended up going with Mindful because I wanted a more gentle and less "intentional" approach - one where I let things come and go but choose to be more heart focused in what I allow space for - both in people and in actions and where I place my energy. I hope it serves me well - and I hope yours does too. :)
DeleteHi Leanne, Mindful is a beautiful intention for the coming year and I love the list you came up with to accompany the WOTY. Last 3 years have been very difficult for me, family losses, job loss, the burdens that come with a loss of a parent, illnesses upon illnesses and all that on top of the residual stresses from the pandemic. I was heartily glad to see 2025 end. I’m left with the impression 2025’s closing word is either “endings “ or “closures. For 2026, the vibe that hits me is “opportunities “ and “beginnings”. I know you and many of your community are have left the work world behind, but I have come to realize I enjoy working and keenly need the interaction with others and the mental stimulation. I’m hopeful an interview this coming week will open a new career path for me, and lead to a full-time solid trade where the vagaries of office politics will not intrude again- because this time in this small town, as a tradesperson, I can take myself to the next opportunity whenever I desire. Being open to new Opportunities like this position I put in for because it is a totally different professional direction that always interested me and other similar events and opportunities that arise should help me grow and develop into the person I am now.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary - I'm not sure if you read this post I wrote about retirement last year (https://www.crestingthehill.com.au/2025/05/to-retire-early-or-to-keep-working.html)? But in it I talk about exactly what you're doing - retire if you don't enjoy working and don't need to anymore, but keep working if you love your job and it brings you fulfilment. I think I always longed for a job that would engage me on lots of levels and bring healthy working relationships. Unfortunately the needy co-worker I had killed a lot of that for me, and when I realized we could afford to be retired, then it was a no-brainer for me.
DeleteI hope you get your new position - I'd love you to let me know if you do, and that it brings you the connection and happiness you're looking for. I will admit that retirement definitely reduced my human interactions - fortunately I don't miss that too much, but I totally understand the appeal for lifting your spirits and occupying your mind - good on you for changing direction and going for it! Here's to a happier 2026. :)
Oh, Leanne, wish I had seen your WOTY post before announcing my word. Wonder if I can ditch my choice - flow - and just switch to mindful? I agree with everything you have said about the application of being more mindful in your life. But when I first read your word, I was thinking 'mindful of others' as in setting aside my phone and paying closer attention to those around me. Which I could stand to do a little more of. As I read through your explanation of being mindful, I began nodding my head in agreement to all of your points.
ReplyDeleteToday I am just heartsick with all the crazy in our country. My daughters are bombarding me with texts about what the latest things Trump has said and done, ICE has done and I feel overwhelmed. I need to be mindful of what I allow into my peace, into my mind and my heart.
Wonderful, well considered choice. Looking forward to following along with your progress.
Hi Leslie - you are more than welcome to share my WOTY - and yes, the craziness in the world around us definitely needs to be filtered through a more intentional lens. There's a lot we can't do anything about, and I now choose to let that stuff fall to the background and to give my attention to what impacts me and what I can do something about. My blog post this week is on a difficult encounter and how I mindfully worked my way through it (afterwards - I got lost at the actual time, but didn't want to allow that to ever happen again!)
DeleteI'm so glad to see you back in the blogosphere and I'll pop over to check out your latest post. x
Ah! Love your choice of word and the practices you've listed out, Leanne. I'm trying to include mindfulness into the choices I make and the rituals I'm doing this year. Have a wonderfully mindful and blessed 2026.
ReplyDeleteHi Corinne - I often think we're on very similar journeys - trying to figure out how to live authentically and with grace (despite the challenges to do otherwise!) I hope your 2026 is a really good one too. x
Delete