Why Your Word of the Year Is Lying to You

Somewhere along the way, New Year’s resolutions became a setup for disappointment.

Almost like the moment you declare one, the universe smirks and says, “Cute. Let’s see how long this lasts.”

So we pivoted.

No more resolutions, now the trend is to pick a word of the year.

Simple. Inspiring. Slightly less likely to make us feel like failures by February.

Except… there’s a catch.

When a Word Sounds Powerful (But Does Nothing)

The first year I ever chose a word, mine was “thrive.”

At the time, I was a mom with five kids at home.

Two were in diapers.

I wasn’t sleeping more than three hours at a time.

Coffee wasn’t a beverage, it was a survival mechanism.

And I was deeply inspired.

I thought, This is it. This word changes everything.

Here’s what I didn’t realize yet:

The word itself has zero power beyond the initial motivation hit.

I had no idea what thriving actually looked like in that season of my life.

I only knew how to survive.

I didn’t have:

• the tools to thrive
• the support to figure out what those tools even were
• the capacity to magically feel rested, whole, and fulfilled because I picked a pretty word

I basically tossed the word into the land of good intentions and waited for my circumstances (and attitude) to transform.

Reality had other plans.

The Year It Finally Started Working

The next year, I chose “balance.”

But this time, I did something different.

I got specific.

I pictured the different parts of my life as rocks.

Each one had weight.

And instead of chasing some imaginary perfect balance, I asked:

How do these need to be weighted in this season so I don’t constantly feel like I’m tipping over?

I made decisions differently.

I took actual action to support that word.

Was life perfectly balanced? Of course not.

But I teetered a lot less and that mattered.

That’s when it clicked:

Words don’t change your life. Decisions followed by actions do.

What “Leading Smarter” Actually Means

This year, my word is focus.

I’ve spent the last three years building my business from the ground up.

Early on, that meant saying yes to everything.

Then it meant taking every call.

Then it meant networking in aaaaalll the places.

Then it meant creating more offers, more content, more everything.

That season required expansion.

This season?

It requires contraction.

I’ve built momentum.

I’ve created demand.

Now leading smarter means pulling in, not reaching out.

For me, focus looks like:

• doubling down on monthly training events
• prioritizing strategic collaborations over casual coffee chats
• building real referral partnerships instead of vanity metrics
• protecting deep, creative CEO time

Which is why I’m officially instituting No-Talking Tuesdays in 2026.

No clients. No calls. No coffee chats.

Just me, my brain, my business… and an unreasonable amount of coffee (plus water, because apparently I’m a hydrated adult now with a fancy fruit-infused bottle).

Ponytail. Slippers. Creative space. Actual thinking.

That’s what leading smarter looks like for me right now.

Here’s the Truth Most People Need to Hear

“Leading smarter” isn’t about doing more, it’s about choosing differently.

And those choices will:

• look different for every person
• look different in every business
• change as your business evolves

That’s not a problem.

That’s not inconsistency.

That’s not failure.

That’s normal.

And honestly? It’s good leadership.

The mistake isn’t changing direction.

The mistake is never defining what this season actually requires and then judging yourself for not keeping up with someone else’s version of “smart.”

This Week’s Challenge ☕

Instead of picking a word and hoping it fixes things, try this:

Finish this sentence honestly:

In this season of my business, leading smarter looks like __________.

No “shoulda, woulda, coulda” nonsense.

Just what you and your business actually needs now.

Because real success comes from better decisions — not louder ones.

If this hit, reply and tell me what your version of “leading smarter” looks like right now — or forward this to a founder who’s quietly exhausted from trying to lead a season they’re no longer in.

You don’t need a new word.

You need a clearer definition.