My word for 2026: BUILD
Since 2020, I’ve stopped making New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I choose a word of the year.
It’s been a powerful tool for growth in both my personal life and my business. Our words have the ability to shape our thoughts, actions, and overall mindset. By intentionally choosing a word to focus on throughout the year, we can direct our energy and intentions toward a specific theme. It becomes a gentle nudge, something to return to again and again, helping us stay on track and make progress in the areas that matter most.
This year, my word is BUILD.
Before I go any further, if you’ve never chosen a word of the year before, or you’d like some guidance, I’ve written a blog post about how to do it. I wrote it a few years ago, but people still tell me it helps them choose a word that really fits. You can read it here. And if you do use it please let me know I love hearing what people choose and what they’re hoping for in the year ahead.
Why is my word for 2026 “BUILD”?
This word isn’t just for my business, it’s for my life too. When you run a micro business on your own the lines between life and work blur very easily. Sometimes that relationship is beautiful, and sometimes it’s hard. For me, the two are deeply intertwined, so below I will share some of the ways I’ll be using this word in my personal life as well as my business.
I’m a very visual person, and while I was thinking about my word for the year, I kept coming back to the same image: me standing on a beach, looking out at the horizon. And I start to wonder what’s out there for me and for Deer & Sparrow.
It feels like it’s time to move forward. To get into a boat and head towards the horizon. To go a little bigger. To shift things up a gear. I believe my products and designs have potential and it feels like the right moment to share them in different ways, to try new things, to do things a little differently.
It’s time to build a boat.
At first, I wasn’t excited by the word build at all. Then I realised why: I was afraid of it.
If I build and I fail, then what? Art and designing cards are all I’ve ever dreamed of. What if I fail? Then one of my favourite Erin Hanson quotes came back to me: “What if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?”
That quote was pinned up in my attic studio when I first started this journey many years ago. And the truth is, I have to try.
What does “BUILD” actually mean for me?
Now you might be thinking that this all sounds very lovely, but how do you actually live a word across an entire year?
For me, my word becomes a “guiding star”, which is why I paint words on stars (more on that later).
Personally, BUILD means returning to my German studies. Yes, once again, I’m going back to German classes. I find German hard but I really want my B1 certificate. Sadly, I can’t plug myself into the Matrix and upload the German programme straight into my brain, so I’ll have to do it the normal way and go back to lessons.
It also means building my body- physically, mentally and through how I fuel myself. There’s a lot in that, but for now I’ll share the physical side. I injured my knee a few years ago and the treatment to get me mobile again left me with an unexpected side effect - a gym habit. I actually enjoy going to the gym now, I never thought that was possible!
Last year, someone sent me a birthday card with sporty equipment on it, and I was very touched. I’ve never been sporty, often quite the opposite, and it meant a lot that someone noticed my efforts. My plans are simple: keep going, lift more, get fitter. I’m not doing it for compliments. I’m doing it for the 80-year-old version of me who wants to be hiking up a mountain, overtaking the 20-year-olds. I’m ambitious in strange ways sometimes.
Family-wise, BUILD matters too. This past year, I had less time to work in my business, and my boundaries became very leaky. This year, I want to rebuild them. I want to be at home without guilt, to work without overworking, to build relationships, and to have more fun.
And in my business…
This is where BUILD really asks something of me, because the reality isn’t lots of paint and glitter, it’s going to be hard (often boring) work.
Right now, if we stick with the boat image, I’m in a canoe, and really I need to be in at least a rowing boat.
To get there, I don’t need to start from scratch, but I do need to build/ improve systems and processes. I need to clarify what I offer, match my capacity to the projects I take on, and say no more often. I’ll need to get comfortable with letting some good ideas stay in my notebook so that better ones can live.
I need boundaries, structure, and a plan.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be working out what that plan looks like: what needs to be a priority, what needs to change, and how I can honour the people I love most while I build a business that is sustainable.
No one said using a word of the year was easy.
Taking action feels scary, but it also feels possible. And I’m very aware that I’m writing this on a motivated, enthusiastic day. Not every day is like that. Some days are harder. Life throws curveballs, and it’s easy to lose sight of our intentions.
That’s one of the reasons I created the Word-of-the-Year Star Decoration. It’s a small, visible reminder -something to return to on the difficult days-helping keep your word close and your focus steady.
Choosing a word of the year has been a game-changer for me, and I truly encourage you to try it. Whether your word is Build, Focus, Sustain, Hope, or something completely different, let it guide you toward a more intentional and grounded year. It’s the small steps, taken consistently, that lead to real transformation.
If you’d like to read more about how to choose your word, you can find my guide here.
If you already have your word, you can order a star with it painted on:
Swiss address click here
UK, USA & Canada click here
If you'd like to watch me build in 2026 pop over to my social media channels...
Warmly,
Judith