The Story I Want To Tell In 2026

Every December, as the year comes to a close, I reflect on the year and how it has shaped me. I ask myself (and my clients): What mattered this year? What wants to unfold next?

I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions. They’ve always felt a bit like trying to engineer myself into a better version with expectations and a checklist. Instead, I always pick a theme for the coming year. It has an evolution energy to it, but less rigid, less goal-oriented, more open. A year is a long time to be with one theme and it evolves throughout the year. But invariably, it starts with a lot of doing, and then shifts to becoming as it works its way inward reshaping who I am.

Some past themes have been bold. One year, my theme was Jaguar, a shamanic symbol of fierce courage, instinct, and moving through the world with a kind of grounded presence. It guided me in ways I couldn’t have planned and helped me connect with the parts of myself that don’t operate on logic or productivity which came out in many unexpected ways.

My theme for 2026 is Storytelling. There are a few pieces to this. One of the intents is to tell stories with more emotion and more texture. I've already committed to recording one story on my phone every day until the end of 2026 (I've already started). I've also subscribed to a weekly story prompt to create a storybook. And, I've signed up for a 10-week storytelling course in January. That's the doing part to kick-start the year. I won't know the being part until it emerges throughout the year.

Storytelling in 2026 is also going to be the year of letting go of old stories, and gaining new ones. Saying yes to experiences that make me feel more alive. I think of it like stepping into a new chapter where I’m both the author and the character. Storytelling isn’t just about expression, it’s about expansion.

If Jaguar was the year I learned to walk with courage, Storytelling is the year I learn to walk with resonance: to tell stories that don’t just recount what happened, but what it stirred in me and in others; stories that land, that move people, and that shape the spaces I’m in.

Themes work this way for me: they start literal, then become symbolic (usually around late spring), and then about halfway through the year, they become the quiet filter through which I make decisions and see the world.

So as the year ends, I naturally want to ask you: Who would you become if you centered a single theme for a whole year?

I always get asked how I find my theme for the year. I personally find it easiest to work with others to find my theme. A coach friend Tine and I work together every December to reflect on the year that is closing and come up with a new theme for the next year. It can be a bit mind-blowing what comes out of these reflection sessions.

Because so many people have asked about my process, I decided this year to offer a gentle structure for anyone who wants it. If you’d like support in finding your 2026 theme, I’m offering a 1.5-hour 2026 Theme Session to explore who you are becoming and what theme might bring that to life. It’s thoughtful, creative, and deeply grounding. If you prefer to work on your own, I recently came across a free guide that is really amazing step-by-step way to reflect on this. I'm happy to send it to you.

Whether we work together or not, I would genuinely love to hear how you are approaching 2026. If you’re playing with a theme, even if it’s still half-formed, feel free to hit reply and share it with me. I love hearing from you.

Here’s to the stories we’ll create next year.