The In-Between Week
This is the weird part of the year. It's the stretch between Christmas and New Year’s when everything feels half-on and half-off. Some places are open. Some are closed. Others are running on a skeleton crew because “business as usual” is still technically happening, even though the world has clearly slowed down.
And honestly? That in-between feeling can be a gift.
At Tactical Counseling, I often tell clients that transitions are where the most important decisions get made. Important decisions happen in the quiet pause between what was and what is next, not in the big dramatic moments.
One Word for 2025
Before you rush into resolutions or new plans, take a minute to look back. If you had to summarize 2025 in a single word (or short phrase), what would it be?
Not the word you “should” choose, but the honest one. If the word feels heavy, unfinished, or complicated, that still counts. The one that fits your lived experience of your year.
For me, that word is Beginnings.
My 2025 Word: “Beginnings”
In March of 2025, I stepped off the ambulance and left the career where I've been either certified or licensed nearly 30 years. I went all-in on private psychotherapy practice. I took on new office space. I started a new doctoral program in counseling. I began applying for grants that will expand my work. I've begun a lot of new projects in 2025.
Some of those beginnings have felt exciting. Some have felt uncomfortable. A few have been the kind of growth that looks suspiciously like stress until you realize you’re just stretching into something bigger.
That’s the reality of a beginning: it’s rarely neat. And it is always alive.
One Word for 2026
Now zoom out and look forward. What do you want 2026 to be about?
Here’s the key: you can’t control everything that will happen next year, but you can choose an orientation. You can be intentional, allowing that to guide your decisions when life gets noisy.
My word for 2026 is Adventure.
No guarantees. No perfect roadmap. Just a commitment to keep moving toward meaningful experiences, both personally and professionally, even when the future feels uncertain.
A Simple Reflection Exercise
If you want to make this practical, try this 10-minute exercise (paper journal or notes app, either works):
- ) My 2025 word is ____________________ because ____________________.
- ) The one thing I want to carry into 2026 is ____________________.
- ) The one thing I’m ready to release is ____________________.
- ) My 2026 word is ____________________ and it will shape my choices by ____________________.
You’re not writing a fortune-telling script. You’re building a compass.
Strategize Your Success
If you’re heading into 2026 feeling stuck, burned out, or pulled in ten directions at once, and you're looking for the next clear step, realize that it doesn't have to be perfect. Tactical Counseling can help you sort through the noise, clarify what matters, and build a realistic strategy for change that fits your life.
If you’d like to explore counseling or consultation, reach out to us: Schedule A Call.
Resources for Further Reading
- • Ashcraft, M., & Olsen, R. (2012). My one word: Change your life with just one word. Zondervan. https://amzn.to/4qKzfA0
- • Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. Avery. https://amzn.to/4sU4A4v
- • Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705–717. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.57.9.705
- • Pennebaker, J. W., & Smyth, J. M. (2016). Opening up by writing it down: How expressive writing improves health and eases emotional pain (3rd ed.). Guilford Press. https://amzn.to/4sQCUO9
- • Seligman, M. E. P. (2012). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Simon Element. https://amzn.to/4bdB6Z9