How to Choose Your Word of the Year for 2026 (and Why Mine is Steady)

Self-awareness as the foundation for meaningful change

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Welcome!

What did 2025 teach you about who you're becoming?

When you look back at the year with curiosity instead of judgment, patterns emerge—what dimmed you, what steadied you, and what you're ready to let go of. In this episode of Dim to Daring, host Wendy Rimmelspacher shares why her word for 2026 is steady—and invites you to discover your own guiding word through nervous system awareness, not willpower.

Drawing from her own journey of launching this podcast after three and a half years of waiting, Wendy gets real about the difference between procrastination and fear dressed up as "waiting for the right time." She explores what it means to choose alignment over urgency, and why sometimes the most daring thing we can do is move forward steadily.

You'll discover a simple practice for noticing your nervous system signals, a framework for choosing your word based on what you actually need (not what sounds good on Instagram), and permission to build a year from the inside out—without guilt, without hustle, and without pretending you have it all figured out.

This is your invitation to honor both your pace and your potential.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

• My word for 2025 was daring: The story of finally launching this podcast after three and a half years of having the equipment

• Why waiting isn't always procrastination: How fear disguises itself as "being responsible" or "waiting for the right time"

• Who I am NOT anymore: The clarity that came from noticing what dims me (overcommitting, ignoring my body, staying too long in draining situations)

• Why steady for 2026: What it means to pause instead of react, regulate before deciding, and choose alignment over urgency

• A practice for noticing your nervous system: When do you feel tight, rushed, or disconnected? When do you feel most like yourself?

• How to find YOUR word: The gentle process of letting your word emerge from what you're noticing, not forcing what sounds good

• Permission to move at your own pace: Why you're not behind, not late, and certainly not finished yet

• The most daring thing: Sometimes it's choosing to move forward steadily instead of fast

✨ If you're tired of "new year, new you" pressure, feeling guilty about not having it all figured out by January 1st, or wondering how to set intentions that actually fit your nervous system—this episode is your reminder that meaningful change comes from noticing what's true, not forcing what's trending.

Timestamps:

[00:00] – Teaser: My word for 2026 is ‘steady’
[01:20] – Intro: A quieter reflection for 2026
[01:36] – Reflecting on 2025: My word was daring
[01:56] – The story of waiting 3.5 years to launch this podcast
[02:22] – What I learned about fear disguised as responsibility
[02:56] – Lessons learned: Who I am NOT anymore
[03:04] – What dims me (and why noticing matters)
[04:20] – Why steady for 2026
[05:07] – A practice for you: Notice your nervous system signals
[05:17] – When do you feel amped? When do you feel steady?
[06:00] – Finding your word: What do you need more of this year?
[06:42] – Let your word surprise you
[06:59] – Closing invitation: You're not behind
[07:12] – Let’s embrace this gift of a new year.

Key Points:

• Sometimes, What Looks Like Procrastination is Fear — Waiting for the "right time" is often fear dressed up as being responsible

• Noticing What Dims You Changes Everything — The lesson isn't eliminating hard moments; it's noticing them sooner

• Steady Over Fast — Choosing to pause, regulate, and soften before taking the next step

• Your Nervous System Has Wisdom — Pay attention to when you feel tight vs. when you feel like yourself

• Sort By What You Need, Not What Sounds Good — Your word should serve the life you're actually living, not impress Instagram

• Let Your Word Emerge — There's no rush; let it come from what you're noticing

• You're Not Behind — Moving steadily forward is sometimes the most daring choice

Episode Summary:

In this episode, I share my journey from daring in 2025 to steady in 2026—and invite you to find your own guiding word for the year ahead.

Instead of resolutions or reinvention, I'm offering a quieter approach: one that starts with noticing your nervous system signals, recognizing what dims you, and choosing a word that addresses what you actually need right now.

You'll hear the story of how I finally launched this podcast after three and a half years of waiting (and what that taught me about fear disguised as "being responsible"), discover a simple practice for paying attention to when you feel tight versus when you feel steady, and learn how to let your word emerge naturally instead of forcing what sounds impressive.

Whether you're exhausted by hustle culture, tired of New Year's pressure, or simply ready for an approach that honors your pace—this episode gives you permission to build a year from the inside out, one steady step at a time.

Links & Resources:

📲 Follow Wendy on Social Media:

• Website: Wendy Rimmelspacher

• Instagram: @wendy_rimmelspacher

• Facebook: Wendy Sexton Rimmelspacher

• LinkedIn: Wendy Rimmelspacher

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Remember:

You're not behind because you haven't figured out your whole year yet.

You're not failing because you need time to notice what's true.

You're not broken because fast doesn't work for your nervous system.

Choosing steady over urgent doesn't mean you're giving up on yourself—it means you're coming home to yourself.

Having multiple interests doesn't mean you're scattered—it means you're alive.

And taking time to find your word doesn't close the door on growth—it opens the door to sustainable, aligned change.

You don't have to have it all figured out by January 1st. You just need to start noticing.

Keep daring to honor both your pace and your potential—one steady, intentional step at a time. 👠