2026 Reflections, Predictions, and the Power of Choosing a Word of Intention

As I write today, January 3rd, I'm relishing this moment when the year feels full of hope and promise but still quiet and calm. When you can sense movement coming with a Sunday kinda feel.

Before rushing forward, I’m grateful for this tiny pause.

It allows me a chance to reflect on where I’ve been before deciding where I’m going next. A moment to take stock, to pause and feel gratitude for all that was, before looking forward to what will be.

At CITRUS, this has always been my favourite season. For many years now, we’ve held a simple but meaningful tradition of choosing a word of intention to guide the year ahead. It’s a practice we return to again and again because it feels honest, sustainable, and quite honestly, the kindest thing we can do for ourselves right now.

As we step into 2026, this pause feels especially important.

Looking Back at 2025 with Compassion

To be honest, 2025 was a challenging year for so many of us, myself included.

It asked more than I expected. Emotionally. Financially. Physically. On a global level, there was uncertainty and so much heaviness. On a personal level, many of us were navigating grief, burnout, health scares, relationship shifts, and the endless exhaustion of trying to hold it all together.

If you’re entering 2026 feeling exhausted, worn down, or cautious, you’re not alone.

Rather than rushing to declare that this year will be bigger, faster, or better, I believe this is a moment to slow down and be real. To acknowledge how much $#@! we’ve carried in 2025 and gracefully honour the small wins without overly glorifying the struggles.

My 2026 Predictions: A Year of Agency, Heart, and Intentional Choice

These aren’t trends or forecasts pulled from ChatGPT, they’re my own observations, shaped by conversations, by running CITRUS, and by living through a very long and challenging year.

From where I stand, 2026 isn’t going to be a year of more proving or pushing. It will be a year of choosing.

Choosing what I say yes to. Choosing what I release. Choosing how I want to feel in my own body, my relationships, and my work.

I believe 2026 will be marked collectively by a growing desire for meaning over noise, depth over distraction, and connection over performance. I feel a quiet shift happening. People want what feels real. We're done with overly perfect homes, skin, and bodies...  It's hard to tell these days what's even real and not just an AI version of reality.  We are craving authenticity, purpose, intention, and genuine connection.  Am I right?

Entering a New Chinese Calendar Year: From Snake to Horse

We’re also moving into a new Chinese calendar year, shedding the energy of the Snake and embracing the Horse.

The Year of the Snake asked us to shed skin, confront truths, and move through deep internal transformation. It was subtle, introspective, and at times deeply uncomfortable revealing a softer more vulnerable understanding of self.

The Horse brings a very different energy. Movement. Freedom. Momentum. Courage.

To me, the Horse represents moving forward with intention and purpose. It’s a reminder that true freedom comes from trusting myself more, releasing the hustle, and maybe even doing a little less.

This transition feels symbolic and I’m not interested in dragging the weight of last year forward.  This is a chance to release what no longer serves me and step forward with trust, clarity, and intention.

Why a Word of Intention Is Better Than a New Year’s Resolution

I’ve never been a big believer in New Year’s resolutions.

Resolutions tend to focus on fixing what’s wrong. They’re often rooted in shame, guilt, or comparison. They ask too much, too fast, which is why they’re so easy to abandon.

A word of intention is different.

It isn’t a rule. It’s a companion.

It meets me where I am. It allows for nuance, patience, and imperfection. It doesn’t demand compliance. It's forgiving. When I fall out of alignment with my self or my goals, it's a welcoming reminder that I can come back to again and again.

Over time, my word becomes a mantra or an anchor for when life gets to be a little too much.

My Word for 2026: LOVE

My word for 2026 is LOVE.

Not the romantic kind. Not the performative kind. The steady, choosing kind.

LOVE over fear. LOVE over ego. LOVE over control. LOVE over reaction.

This year, I want to meet myself with more compassion. To understand instead of react. To see goodness without judgement. To remember that love isn’t passive. It's a choice.

When things feel uncertain, LOVE keeps me from shrinking and staying small. It reminds me to stay present. To trust that there's always a better way.

Different Ways to Wear a Word of Intention

One of the most powerful ways I’ve found to work with a word of intention is to wear it.

Jewelry turns an abstract idea into something tangible. A physical reminder you can touch, hold, and return to throughout the day.

This had been a long standing annual tradition for us here at CITRUS that we honour and celebrate, so here are a few meaningful ways you can wear your word of intention with our INTENTION COLLECTION:

• A hand stamped pendant with your word on the front and a meaningful date or symbol on the back.  See: Personalized Pendants

• A Morse code bracelet that quietly spells your word in silver or gold. See: Morse Code Jewelry

• A bracelet stack built around an intention like LOVE, STRENGTH, or PROTECTION. See: Bracelet Stacks

Wearing your word isn’t about aesthetics or style. It’s a form of self expression but less permanent than a tattoo :)

Choosing Your Word for 2026

For me, choosing a word of intention is an annual ritual... it's not a system or ten step process and it doesn't come with a sign up form or a rigid set of rules or a guaranteed return on investment.  It's simply a guide that connects me from where I am to where I want to be, spiritually, emotionally, romantically, financially, etc... If you’re still choosing your word, here are a few gentle prompts I often use:

How do you want to feel this year?

What do you need more of in 2026? 

What are you ready to release?

What would support you most when things feel hard?

Your word doesn’t need to impress anyone. It only needs to feel true to you.

Moving Forward with Intention

As I move into 2026, my hope is simple.

To move forward with more presence. More honesty. More LOVE.

With this word I hope it guides me to choose alignment over approval, connection over perfection, and intention over expectation.

I’m so grateful to walk into this new year with you.

With love, 

Trish

A Gentle Invitation

If this reflection resonates, I invite you to pause for a moment and choose a word of intention for yourself.

Let it be something that feels supportive rather than aspirational. Something you can return to on the hard days as much as the good ones.

And if wearing your word feels meaningful, you’ll find a few ways in the link below to carry your word of intention close, designed slowly and thoughtfully, just as this practice is meant to be.

No rush. No pressure.

Just an invitation to move into 2026 with a little more LOVE.

Shop Intention Collection