Words that are out for 2026

It’s the first full week of January and I still haven’t set my goals for this year.

I considered starting this by saying I don’t fully agree with setting fresh goals every year, preferring instead a monthly or quarterly review aligned with my long-term plans. However the real reason is I’ve spent the last two weeks completely unplugged, taking a much-needed break from work, indulging in too much chocolate, and drinking too many glasses of prosecco.

During this downtime, I noticed the internet, especially Substack, was flooded with strategy advice, 2026 predictions, inspiring vision boards, and impressive manifestation lists.

It’s 2026 moodboard season

I usually enjoy reading these, but this weekend it was a bit overwhelming to ease back into work mode by bombarding myself with everyone else’s plans. I also recognise how easy it is to fall into the trap of comparing myself to others online. Suddenly, I started questioning whether I need to set goals around topics I’ve never seriously considered, simply because everyone else is doing it- like admiring travel destinations I’ve never found appealing (such as Dubai) or dreaming of starting a website design agency, which has never been my proper focus.

Stating your goals is quite simple, but often, without realising it, you may imitate others around you or those online. For example, popular aims like planning a trip to Dubai often come with an almost ready-made plan. You might follow social media accounts of people who went there and ask them for tips, or copy their itineraries. Then, it’s clear you need to figure out your savings, plan your timeline, book the trip, and before you know it you can check off the goal.

Some of my favourite 2026 trend predictions that I will be buying into

The same applies to work goals. Often people may want to start a Substack primarily because others have, over understanding what they could get out of it. But again it’s a relatively straightforward process: explore accounts you admire, identify topics they cover, find your own niche, and start.

Goal setting in itself doesn’t have to be difficult, but it can become quite a slippery slope. Human nature makes us susceptible to influence from others’ actions. We often absorb expectations we didn’t deliberately set, leading us to create goals aimed at impressing our mums, friends, or peers’ envy. While identifying what you want is fairly straightforward, pinpointing what you don’t want requires deeper reflection.

We tend to be less clear about what we choose not to do. These are actions we avoid because they aren’t the right fit for us, not because we feel pressured or think they look good on social media or enhance our CV. What we abstain from reveals our true aspirations more quickly than what we actually pursue.

I’ve always recommended starting with defining what you don’t want to better understand what you do. This is a common exercise I do with many of my strategy clients, largely because it’s easier to justify why you avoid certain things than to explain what you’re aiming for.

If someone says, “I want to go to Dubai on holiday” (I promise I’m not as anti-Dubai as this consistent example makes out), most people don’t question it. They might just agree that it’s fun or consider it a good goal. However, if you say, “I don’t want to go to Dubai on holiday, “ you’re likely to immediately explain or justify your choice, or someone will quickly ask, “why not?” We are accustomed to defending our reasons for avoiding something, as if choosing not to participate needs justification, while choosing to participate is seen as neutral or default.

Move over Dubai, apparently 2026 is the year of Darecations

In the context of 2026 goal setting, instead of piling on more ‘new year, new strategy’ content, I’ve started considering words I want to avoid this year, and I’m here to explain why. Of course, a list of words isn’t a strategy. But it’s a good starting point that may inspire you if you’re still looking for a different approach to adopt.

So these are the words that are out for me in 2026.

OK

I am a pretty accommodating person. I pride myself on over-delivering for every client I have, and that means I will often say “OK” to an extra request that falls outside scope, or even to a whole project that doesn’t necessarily excite me.

I do have boundaries and contracts and I set clear expectations, but I find it tricky when something isn’t an instant no. I accept requests when they’re reasonable, or I agree to new timelines because I can make them work. But, taking a step back over the last few weeks, I’ve realised I want to prioritise my own time more.

I’m finally at the point where I am fully booked up for the next few months, so I have the safety to turn down work, opportunities, or anything that doesn’t excite me. So rather than this being the year I say “no”, I want this to be the year where I don’t say “OK”. Enthusiastic yes’s are my new priority.

Authentic

I’m exhausted by the word ‘authentic.’ I dedicated an entire article to this last year, where I argued that the term has become so diluted that it now holds little meaning. We don’t need more advice on how to “show up as your authentic self”, and frankly, I want to demand more of myself and my clients than the bare minimum of not being fake.

https://substack.com/@elevatingecom/p-179085061

Small

I need to stop labelling my work as small. I often unintentionally describe my clients’ businesses as “small,” which has caused me to miss opportunities. At a networking event, I mentioned working with “small businesses” to someone genuinely interested in my services. They correctly responded that they don’t see themselves as small, so I might not be the best fit. I was initially confused because many of my current clients are actually larger, in terms of employees and revenue, until I realised they wouldn’t see themselves as small either. I am simply underselling them.

Size alone doesn’t define it; I, along with some past clients, run one-person operations. However, ‘ small” can suggest limited ambition, scale, and impact, which isn’t always the case. If I declare my mindset as ‘small’, it might undermine the complexity of decisions, team support, or community engagement that many clients handle- tasks that are far from trivial! So here’s me signing up to be more careful about how I describe my work and to avoid any words that don’t do it justice.

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Manager

Potentially in contrast to not wanting to be “small”, I also don’t want 2026 to be the year of calling myself a “manager”.

For a long time, I assumed that growth naturally led to management and that hiring support would be the next obvious step for growing my business. It’s also a goal that’s widely understood and socially reinforced.

But being a people manager was one of the things I didn’t enjoy about being in the corporate world. By the end of my time, I was spending as much time managing people as I was actually doing the work, if not more. And that’s not a bad thing, but it’s not what I want.

I still need to work out exactly what long-term growth looks like if it doesn’t include getting a team, and this isn’t me saying I will never do that, but I’ve decided it’s at least not something I want for 2026.

Clarity

This may well have been the most used business word in 2025? Why is everyone suddenly giving clarity? It’s overused. It’s vague. And so many of the people who seemingly offer clarity actually leave me more confused after I’ve read their content than I was before.

Especially in the age of the internet, there’s endless phrases that sound reassuring but don’t mean anything specific.

I have potentially fell victim to this myself. Last year, I didn’t particularly want to put all my frameworks and thoughts out into the world for free, at risk of why would anyone then spend money on my services? But trust is becoming so much harder to earn, and just saying you offer “clarity” doesn’t mean anything. So this isn’t me saying I am not going to provide that for my clients, but I want to actually provide it without just saying the word.

Could clarity be the most used business word of 2025? Why does everyone suddenly offer clarity? It’s overdone. It’s vague. Many people claiming to offer clarity actually leave me more confused after their content than before.

Especially online, there are countless reassuring phrases that mean nothing specific when you actually reflect on it.

I may have fallen prey to this myself. Last year, I hesitated to share all my frameworks and thoughts freely, worried that nobody would pay for my services if I did. But trust is becoming harder to earn, and just claiming to offer “clarity” is meaningless. I am of course one of the many people who are offering strategy consultation as a paid service, but I want to truly deliver clearness to my clients and audience, without needing to say that I do.

Top 5

Slightly bending the rules with two words in one for the last point. But in 2025, I focused on numerous priorities.

I’m quite the list person- whether it’s the top 5 goals each month or the top 3 tasks I must complete today. However, when everything is labelled a top priority, nothing truly stands out. Multiple priorities compete for attention, leading to a sense of progress from minor efforts across several areas without any real shift in direction.

People, including myself, need to make fewer decisions. So, 2026 won’t be about top 5s or lists of three (she says, while listing six words). Instead, it will be my year of focusing on one thing at a time. More to come on this, because I think it will be a big one for me.

What are your words?

Sometimes, the most meaningful progress comes from clearly identifying what you are no longer willing to accept.

If you’re entering this new year with resistance to certain labels or expectations, I encourage you to recognise that and confront the challenging task of defining what you don’t want. This process can reveal more than any goal-setting exercise ever could.

I’d love to hear some of your out words if you’d like to share. For now, I’ll use this as a way to reflect on my progress toward 2026.

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