My Word for 2026

Years ago, I used to ring in the new year in a little house in New Brunswick, Canada with two close friends. We would have homemade pizza and watch a few movies. We also chatted about our “Word of the Year.” 

All three of us were writers, so perhaps the Word of the Year resonated with us more than did New Year’s resolutions. Because it is less specific, it is also less likely to be abandoned in the second week of January. Regardless, the Word of the Year is something I’ve tried to continue.

So what is my 2026 Word of the Year? Sustainability.

Sustainability in the environment, cutting down on plastics especially. It’s been a goal for a long time now, and like with most goals, we just gotta keep plodding along, doing the best we can. Also with sustainability in other pro-environmental things, like buying organic food, turning lights off when we don’t need them, and reducing waste. 

But then there is sustainability in life as a whole. By this, I mean giving ourselves that grace that sometimes the most sustainable choice is the one that does have some waste—when we’re grocery shopping, it’s great to use our reusable shopping bags, but if we forget them, that doesn’t mean we have to run home to get them. The plastic ones will do just fine (and they’ll have a second use as a garbage bag). 

Because in order to be able to sustain this as a lifestyle, I have to consider my mental health and the time factor. Being a parent to a one-year old (or even just being a human being!) means that sometimes, time and energy are better spent elsewhere. Sometimes the obviously sustainable choice isn’t sustainable for me, in that moment.

And that’s okay.

So, signing off with a Happy New Year,

Thanks for reading!

💜

Laura