The Power of One Word for Women in Business

By mid-January, many people have already felt the weight of goals they set with the best of intentions. In fact, research shows that most New Year’s goals are abandoned within the first six weeks, with studies estimating that only 8 percent of people maintain their resolutions beyond January (Forbes, New Year’s Resolution Statistics).

For women entrepreneurs, this comes as no surprise. Building a business requires flexibility, resilience, and the ability to adapt quickly when circumstances change. Rigid goals, while well-meaning, often fall apart under the realities of leadership, family responsibilities, and unpredictable demands.

That is why I begin each year not with a list of goals, but with one grounding decision. I choose my power word.

I call it a power word for a reason. This is not about choosing something that sounds inspiring on paper. It is about deciding how I commit to showing up when life gets busy, when plans shift, and when fear or doubt shows up.

Goals matter. I believe in them, especially stretch goals that help us grow. But when life throws curveballs, and it always does, goals alone are not what ground us. A power word becomes an anchor. Something steady you can return to when clarity feels distant.

Before asking what I want to achieve, I always ask a different question:

How do I want to live?

How do I want to lead my business?

How do I want to show up for my community?

This is a practice I also encourage women entrepreneurs to share with those around them. When others understand how you want to show up, accountability becomes supportive rather than heavy.

A power word should not feel passive or static. It should feel alive. Something you practice daily. A word that shapes your habits, your boundaries, and the decisions you make when no one is watching.

When you choose a word like this, clarity begins to follow. You see what needs to change and what is already aligned.

Last year, my power word was Expansion.

That word asked me to say yes before everything felt ready. Yes to growth. Yes to visibility. Yes to trusting that capacity grows through action.

Expansion guided me to begin writing two books, both launching in 2026. It led me to say yes to larger stages, including speaking to 40,000 women at the EmpowerHER Conference in Las Vegas. It also supported the creation of spaces where women could grow together through collective communities and in-person events.

If you are choosing or revisiting a power word for this year, it can be helpful to pause and reflect:

What did the past year teach you?

Where did you feel stretched or supported?

What are you craving more of... ease, courage, rest, connection, or growth?

And perhaps the most important question: How do I want to show up when things do not go as planned?

Choose one word that feels supportive rather than forced. A word that feels like a steady companion, not another expectation. Let it guide your energy, your boundaries, and your leadership as the year continues to unfold.

Within our nonprofit community for Polish-Canadian women in business, we recently invited few women to choose their power word for 2026. The words shared were: grounded, powerful, courageous, and aligned. Each one intentional. Each one a declaration of how they want to lead and live.

My own power word for 2026 is Grounded.

Grounded does not mean slowing down. It means steady and connected. It reminds me to protect my energy, reduce distractions, strengthen boundaries, and lead with presence even when life feels full.

One word can change how a year feels. How decisions are made. How we move through challenges.

As the year continues to unfold, give yourself permission to choose a word that supports who you are becoming, not who you think you should be. One word, chosen with intention, has the power to quietly transform everything that follows.

Izabela Kvesic