I really struggled to come up with a word for the year. I knew the vibes I wanted, but settling on an actual word that embodies that vibe was difficult. I decided on “read” long before the end of 2024, as happens sometimes with my words of the year, but here it is January 3 and I’ve just now finalized my word. I think.
In 2026, I want to do more things that I enjoy and that can be enjoyed by others. As my kids get older, I’m discovering more opportunities to return to activities I enjoyed before they were born. I miss cooking for fun and posting here. But I’ve also discovered many other things that make me smile. I want to be delighted with the ways I choose to spend my time, when I have the choice. Delight can be big (a vacation! a three course meal!), or it can be tiny (a hot, uninterrupted shower or peanut M&M’s). Given the fact that I want to scream every time I look at the news, focusing on delight where I can in the next 12 months seems like a net positive for my mental health.
I’m looking forward to using the sentences “That’s delightful!” and “What a delight!” in a wide variety of contexts this year. I want to focus on the delight of activities and events, not on the measurable output or accomplishment (though I imagine I’ll have some data at the end of the year, because that’s how my brain works).
Some things that delight me, that I hope to embrace in 2026:
- jigsaw puzzles
- cooking new recipes
- consuming an obscene amount of Olympics content
- baking for friends
- hanging out with my kids
- reading
- cooking favorite recipes
- naps
- shopping locally
- friendship
- journaling (which I have not attempted in years and years)
- exploring new places
- blogging and website design (which has been on my summer “to do” list for about 5 years)
- hosting friends for meals and game nights
- bike riding
- yoga
Here’s to 2026!
