1/8/2026

I had not heard a “nudge word” until I came across a Time magazine article. The idea is to choose a nudge word instead of making a resolution. Others have called a word of the year.

Where did this idea originate? Tara Parker Hope kicked off the idea of a nudge word in a Washington Post article in December 2022. The idea is to pick out a word for the year as part of a daily mantra instead of a strict resolution.  Many people fail at keeping resolutions. I will be diving into why resolutions don’t work in a later blog.

What is a nudge word? It is a single, powerful word chosen to set an intention, guide mindset, and inspire positive actions for a specific period, like a year, acting as a gentle, personal mantra or touchstone rather than a strict resolution.

According to Dr. Bethany Peters, a leadership coach, “in the hustle of daily life with constant competing commitments, being intentional in your growth requires discipline and persistence. One simple practice that can increase your intentionality throughout the ebb and flow of the New Year is to select a word of the year.”

Business consultant Barry Moltz wrote “It’s the time of year that many people make specific New Year’s Resolutions for their personal lives or their small business. I made them in the past but now I really don’t think they are effective.”

Moltz was then inspired by Tara Parker-Hope of the Washington Post. For 2023, Moltz he selected “awe” as his nudge word. He noted he wanted to be able to stop and appreciate all the wonderful things around him every day. He no longer wanted to rush around to complete daily tasks or get stuck in what Moltz called “an anxiety loop” about not meeting goals or focusing just on short comings that he felt he had.

Over the last few years, people started ditching resolutions for their own nudge words. The idea of choosing a nudge word have inspired others including a writer GracieWilde on Substack or blogger “Backwoods Mama” Josee Bergeron. I guess I am a little late getting on the nudge word bandwagon. I realized I might have done something similar by selecting a theme word for the year. I admit I was not as committed to it, by March of that year I often forgot what the word was that I had chosen. I do not think I fully understood the concept back then.

I really like this concept of a nudge word, as it is intended to be a soft prompt to align your behavior with your values, how you want to be, and how you want to show up in the world. It can also help you set a vision for the new year. Nudge words can provide clarity, as well as support personal growth. It can also help in transforming your mindset.

According to therapist Julie Miller, she prefers choosing an intention for the new year as opposed to making a New Year’s resolutions, because she finds them to be more flexible and all-encompassing. She says she is more likely to stick with intention and have more self-compassion when considering how her new year is going to play out. Setting intention is also a conscious way to keep values at the forefront of your decision-making process throughout the year. She says she likes to keep her intention as one word or short phrase.

Here are some tips and strategies to help you select a nudge or theme word for 2026:

Reflect on the year behind you. 

• Who or what brought you joy?
• What challenges stretched you?
• When did you feel most alive?
• What habits have served you well in the last year?
• What relationships helped you thrive? Which ones drained you?
• What habits supported you? Which habits didn’t support you?
• Imagine what type of person you want to be. What traits do you want to embody?
• What unexpected lessons did you learn/

Imagine the person you want to become.

• Who do you want to become?
• When you imagine your best self, what qualities stand out?
• What values have been under expressed?
• How do you want to change?
• What values are important to you?
• What limiting beliefs do you hold that you could release?
• What’s calling you forward?
• What do you crave more of emotionally, energetically or creatively?

Choose and embrace a word

• After reflecting on the last year and envisioning this coming year, what word resonates with you?
• Sometimes a word may come quickly. Other times, you may need to sit until one emerges.
• Take it slow. Once the word is selected, define it for yourself. embrace it, post it, remind yourself each day.
• Take ownership of that word. Let it guide you, help you focus, and set daily intentions. Ask ‘how can I live this word daily?” At end of the day, reflect on the day . Just notice. Reset for the next day.

Some popular words for 2026 are presence, purpose, well-being, balance, authenticity, and connection. I know it is encouraged to select just one word, yet I felt for my journey in 2026 the phrase “embrace intention” resonated with me and embodied what I wanted to do and be. Did you select a nudge word for 2026? If not yet, will you consider doing so?

“Our intention creates our reality.”-Wayne Dyer

Resources:

Image. Image by pch.vector on Freepik retrieved on 1/6/2026 from https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/young-woman-holding-big-heart_15248604.htm

Bergeron, Josee. “How to Pick a Nudge Word for 2026 (one Word Resolution guide). Retrieved on 1/6/2026 from https://backwoodsmama.com/2025/12/how-to-pick-a-nudge-word-2026.html#:~:text=Picking%20a%20Nudge%20Word,Choose%20one%20word

Haupt, Angela. “10 Nudge Words to Adopt in 2026.” 12/29/2025. Retrieved on 1/6/2026 from https://time.com/7339382/nudge-words-to-adopt-this-year/

Lisa. “7 Tips for How to Choose Your One Word of the Year- Lisa notes.” 12/5/2023. Retrieved on 1/6/2026 from https://lisanotes.com/7-tips-for-how-to-choose-your-one-word-of-the-year/#

Miller, Julie. “Choosing an Intention for 2026: A Therapist’s Guide to Gentle Reflection on 2025.” 12/29/2025. Retrieved on 1/6/2026 from https://workscounselingcenter.com/choosing-an-intention-for-2026/#:~:text=Ease,wherever%20life%20may%20take%20you.

Moltz, Barry. “Forget about a New Year’s Resolution-Pick a Nudge Word.” 1/3/2023. Retrieved on 1/6/2026 from https://barrymoltz.com/small-business/forget-about-a-new-years-resolution-pick-a-nudge-word-instead/

Parker- Hope, Tara. “Pick a New Year’s nudge word instead of a resolution.” Retrieved on 1/6/2026 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/12/29/nudge-word-of-the-year-resolutions/ (*you will need a subscription to get access to article).

Peters, Dr. Bethany. “How to Choose Your Word of the Year.” 12/31. Retrieved on 1/6/2026 from https://www.theleadershipcoachinglab.com/blog/how-to-choose-your-word-of-the-year

Scoop Charlotte. “Over the NY Resolution Thing? Try a Nudge Word Instead.” 1/1/2024. Retrieved on 1/6/2026 from https://www.scoopcharlotte.com/2024/01/04/over-the-ny-resolution-thing-try-a-nudge-word-instead-in-2024/

Wilde, Gracie. “The Nudge Word.” 1/3/2025. Retrieved on 1/6/2026 from https://graciewilde.substack.com/p/the-nudge-word-38b