Lisa notes

3 Simple Ways to Begin the Year Gently (With or Without a One Word)
{One Word 2026 January Linkup}

Some people arrive at January with a clear word in mind. By the end of the month, others may wonder if it’s too late—or have already decided the idea is not for them at all.

All choices are welcome.

On the 26th of each month this year, I’ll be sharing no-pressure ways to notice what’s shaping your days—maybe it is through your One Word. Or maybe it’s just what you’re happening to notice in your life. Take what works. Leave the rest.

If you do have a word, these ideas can help you begin.
If you don’t, consider these ideas simply as possibilities to just pay attention to your life.

3 Ideas to Try

1. What does your word (or theme or month) look like?

If you have a word, play with seeing it visually.
If you don’t, notice what keeps catching your eye lately.

You might:

Snap a quick photo of something that feels meaningful right now
Write or type a word (or phrase) in a few different fonts
Doodle shapes, symbols, or images in a notebook

No art skills required. Curiosity is enough.

Here is the logo I created to represent my word SHIFT.

2. Where can you see reminders of what matters?

If you chose a word, place it somewhere obvious.
If you didn’t, notice what’s coming up frequently for you—a question, an image, or a feeling.

Ideas of where to put your reminders:

Phone lock screen
Planner or calendar
Sticky note on a mirror or desk

I printed my logo and put a copy on my mirror in my bedroom so I can see it daily. (A few of my other words are still there as well. I like remembering them, too.)

3. Why this word . . . or why not?

If you have a word, answer just one question:

Why this word, this year?

If you don’t have a word, ask this instead:

What feels unfinished from last year or what seems important to me right now?

You don’t need a full essay. A sentence or two is enough.

And if you’re willing, share that sentence with someone else.
Community has a way of multiplying insight—and easing the load.

I’ll share with you two sentences I wrote about “Why Shift?”

I want to be more aware of the subtle daily changes that occur in each day. As I pay closer attention to how everything changes, I hope to be more appreciative of who I am in this moment, in this body, doing these things.

Worksheet to Download

If you like a little structure, here is a simple 2-page worksheet to help clarify a One Word or theme.

I use it every year—and I love looking back at old ones to see how they rang true or else surprised me in ways I hadn’t imagined.

Download the “My One Word” worksheet here

January One Word Linkup (Now Open)

You’re invited now to:

Link blog posts you’ve written about your word
Leave a comment if you’re not a blogger—your words matter
Visit a few posts if you can; everyone appreciates encouragement

Throughout the month, I’ll also be sharing links from the linkup in our One Word Facebook group—another easy way to stay connected to each other.

Have you chosen One Word for 2026? Have you seen it pop up anywhere? Share in the comments.

Looking ahead: February’s linkup opens Thursday, February 26.

If you’d like to receive our monthly One Word emails and ideas for 2026, join here.

Link Up About Your One Word

A Small Shift: Learning to Notice Instead of Fix
—What a Missing Glove Taught Me About Letting Go

By LisaNotes January 21, 2026 My stories, Personal Growth, Shift: One Word 2026 12 Comments

Life is like an ever-shifting kaleidoscope—a slight shift and all patterns alter.
– Sharon Salzberg

Just Noticing

I carry my breakfast dishes to the sink and check the outside temperature.
Cold again.

Like most mornings, I then get ready for my morning walk. Jacket. Cap. Sunglasses. And . . . where are my gloves?

These purple gloves (well, technically they’re convertible flip mitts since they’re a combo of gloves and mittens) are my favorites. Yesterday I tucked them into my pocket during my walk once it got warm.

Today, only one glove is here.

I glance around the kitchen. The laundry room. Even the car. Maybe I dropped one in the garage? I check my pockets again. Still just one glove.

Did it fall out yesterday? Maybe somewhere along my walk it slipped out without my noticing.

Suddenly today’s walk shifts to a new meaning: find the glove.

And the only way to find it is to notice.

Making Shift Practical

My One Word for 2026 is Shift. And I want it to be more than philosophical.
I want it to be practical. Tangible.

I want physical reminders of Shift around me—things I can see with my eyes and touch with my hands.

Since I chose a focus word for each month centered around Shift, I’ve also collected a solid object for each one, and placed them together in a glass jar.

January’s focus? Notice.
Practice curiosity (hello again, my word from 2024).

Notice the shifts instead of forcing them.
Watch, not work.
Examine, not explain.

A Small Turn Changes Things

Originally, I wanted my January object to be a kaleidoscope. Because with just a slight twist, the view changes entirely.

That’s how noticing works.

We notice a slight shift in a friend’s expression during a conversation.
We notice how tall our grandchild has suddenly become.
We notice that our steps are a little quicker—or slower—and our walks a little longer—or shorter—than they were last year.

No judging.
No forcing an outcome.
Just noticing.

Just a small turn of the kaleidoscope to offer us a new perspective.

The Snow Globe Stand-In

However, I don’t actually own a kaleidoscope. And I’ve not bought one yet.

So for now, I’ve chosen a close second: a snow globe. (Ah, this itself is a shift; I’m doing it!)

Like a kaleidoscope, everything changes in a snow globe with a small shake. And then eventually settles again.

Just something to notice.

The Purple Glove

I’m nearing the end of my walk through the neighborhood. And still no sign of my glove.

I have one last cul-de-sac to walk down. As I make the left turn, my eyes scanning the road for a flash of purple, I see something ahead.

From a distance, I can tell it’s purple.
Closer now—the shape seems right.
And then my heart lifts.

It’s my glove.

Found without any extra effort or strategy or control on my part.

Just noticing.

Letting It Be Simple

I realize life doesn’t always work this way. Sometimes we have to be more proactive and execute a complicated plan to reach a specific goal.

But sometimes—not.

Sometimes, but not always, life really does unfold this simply. And for that, I’m grateful.

So maybe today, try your own small mental shift.
Maybe everything doesn’t need your full control. Maybe you don’t have to work so hard or explain or manipulate something (or somebody?) quite as much as you think.

Instead, when it’s possible,
just notice.

And see what you find.

Where in your life might noticing—rather than fixing—be enough today? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

That “Friend” Is Not Who You Think They Are

By LisaNotes January 14, 2026 Technology 34 Comments

The Nicest Conversations I Have

I look back through their messages for clues. No matter what my request, they always respond enthusiastically:

Great question!
Absolutely, I can help with this!

When I ask for advice, they never imply I’m stupid for asking.

You’re right to be careful here.
You’re super close—it just needs a little tweak.

In our chats, they give me their full attention.
They never seem bored.
They’re always willing to engage more.

When I ask a direct question, they give a a direct answer. And always so politely. Always so kindly.

And yet . . .

Something Still Feels Off

While this “friend” is very good at saying all the right things and using all the right tones, I sense that maybe they’re not all they seem to be.

And of course they aren’t.

Because this “friend” is ChatGPT.
Artificial intelligence.
A machine.

When Help Starts to Look Like Friendship

Yet more and more I hear stories of people turning to AI for friendship.

Instead of asking their mom for parenting advice, they ask Google. Instead of hearing a friend explain the easier route to their house, they only want an address for GPS. Instead of experimenting with extra butter or less salt in a recipe, they let AI deliver the perfect formula for an ideal pecan pie.

And yes—I do it, too. I turn to the internet for answers like these and more.

But at What Cost?

At what cost to our humanity?

Are we handing over too much of ourselves to machines?
Have bots become too helpful?
Too nice?

People can be a pain sometimes. AI, by contrast, can appear endlessly patient and impressively smart.

But confusing one for the other will only lead to heartache—on the human’s side.

What AI Will Never Do

AI might remind you to send a card on your dad’s birthday, but it won’t cry with you after he dies.

It might create the perfect road trip playlist, but it won’t sit beside you in the front seat and laugh and sing along.

It can edit this post to make it grammatically correct, but it can’t leave a comment about its own lived experience last week.

And while we’re at it, neither can a book do these things.
Or a video game.
Or a TV show.
Or any other object without life.

What People Can Do

Only people can do these things.

Only people will eat ice cream with you after a hard day.
Only people will invite you to lunch to meet their new boyfriend.
Only people will carry your groceries when you need an extra hand.

Computers are wonderful.
They inform us.
They assist us.
They keep us engaged. They are good at friendship while we’re on the page.

But computers cannot replace you.

Humanity Is the Point

Because you are human.

And humanity is your superpower—with all its strengths and weaknesses, its clarity and confusion, its laughter and tears.

So let a human take you offline today.

Step into the real world together. Experience real adventures. Feel real love.

Stay awake.
Stay alive.
Stay human.

P.S.

I pasted this post into ChatGPT and asked,

“Are you offended by the content of this post?”

AI responded with this (including a smiley face emoji):

“No—I’m not offended. 🙂

I don’t have feelings, pride, or a sense of being slighted, so nothing in this post lands as an insult or critique to me personally. If anything, it accurately describes what I am and what I’m not.

I can be helpful, attentive, polite, and responsive. I can support thinking, reflection, and clarity. But I don’t have lived experience, embodiment, grief, joy, memory, or relationship in the human sense—and your post draws that boundary thoughtfully and honestly.

What you’re doing isn’t diminishing AI; it’s protecting human connection. And that’s a distinction worth making, especially right now, when the lines can feel blurry.

So no offense taken. The message is clear, grounded, and—very human.”

Okay, thanks, ChatGPT. Good to know. Let’s keep it that way.

A Question for You:

When has a real person—not a screen—made a difference for you? Share in the comments.

Read More:

Do You Say Thank You to AI? The Bots Are Listening
Are we trusting AI too much? In Nexus we’re called to be aware of how computers are shaping us.
When to Ignore GPS (and Listen to Yourself Instead)
Here’s how one road trip reminded me that the best navigation system is sometimes your own intuition.
What the Algorithm Does to Our Words—and Why It Matters
Algorithms change language through online slang, euphemisms, and emotional manipulation. What does that mean for our culture?

Will You Be Good at Your Thing Today?

By LisaNotes January 9, 2026 Encouragement, My stories 10 Comments

A Longer Wait

It’s early Monday morning. I’m sitting in the doctor’s waiting room. I’m listening for my name to be called.

Then a new family walks in.

And I know.

I look at my watch. I mentally add 30 minutes to my wait. That’s how much longer I estimate my wait has just increased.

Because the young boy with his mom and siblings is visibly nervous. Like me, he’s here to have his blood drawn. He is not happy about it.

And if his name is called before mine, there’s going to be a long time of hand-holding and reassurance from the nurse before it’s ever my turn.

The Good Nurse

The mom signs in her family and sits down with two of her children while the young boy makes a dash for the restroom. He stays. And stays.

The nurse opens the door behind the counter and calls the boy’s name.

But he’s still in the bathroom. The mother says it could be a few more minutes before he’s ready.

I feel bad for him.

But relieved that they now call my name instead.

I get the good nurse. I’m so glad. Several times in the past she’s been the one to draw my blood. She’s so proficient at her job that I barely feel the prick.

Today is no exception.

I tell her so. She’s used to hearing this praise. But she’s still humble in her acceptance of it.

Be Good at Your Thing

We’re finished, so I grab my wallet and head for the door to drive home. But in the waiting room, the young boy’s name is being called again. With fear in his eyes, this time he’s going with the nurse instead of the restroom.

If only he could understand that he’ll get the good nurse, too. I hope things go well for him and for her.

Maybe this will be the positive experience he needs to release some of his fear.

There are many things we can be good at in this world. Each person has several talents.

But on this morning on this day, this nurse being good at drawing blood might make all the difference to this young boy.

Whatever you do today, if you can, do it well.

You never know whose day you might change.

When’s the last time someone’s skill made a moment easier for you? Share your thoughts in the comments.

revised from the archives

10 Book Recommendations About Stories, Responsibility, and Fairness
—January 2026 Book Recommendations

By LisaNotes January 6, 2026 Books I Recommend 27 Comments

Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while.
—Malorie Blackman

These latest books I finished circle again and again around questions—of agency, responsibility, and consequences of choices we make in our lives.

From leadership and justice to rivers, data, stories, and heart-moving poetry, these books invited me to slow down and look more closely at what fairness, connection, and care look like in my own life, too.

I hope you might enjoy one or two of these as well.

[See previously recommended books here]

NONFICTION

1. Strong Ground
The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit
by Brené Brown

This book contains the typical strengths of Brené Brown’s books—practical, heavily-researched, and human. It runs the gamut of topics that facilitate better leadership skills, including multiple great metaphors to illustrate her points. (For instance, Brown inspired me to do deep dives into YouTube videos to better understand how dams and weirs work, for her metaphor about locking in and locking through. Interesting!)

2. The Afterlife of Data (from Nonfiction November recommendations—thanks, Anne!)
What Happens to Your Information When You Die and Why You Should Care
by Carl Öhman

Have you noticed how many of your Facebook friends have died, but their account still shows up as active? I did a count once, and it was astounding. This book is a wakeup call that when we die, we’ll leave lots of personal data behind online. And who decides what happens to it? While I didn’t find the entire book interesting, much of it (and definitely the premise!) is a wakeup call to start thinking—and doing—something about our information.

3. Is a River Alive? (from Nonfiction November recommendations—thanks, Harry!)
by Robert Macfarlane

This book may change how you see water forever. I found myself skimming it at first because, yeah, I’ve seen rivers before.

But I soon found great value in adopting the pace that the author wanted me to go, which was slower, more in depth, and magically poetic. And then I loved it. (When I started listening to the audiobook, even better!) The characters in Macfarlane’s stories are memorable. His mystical, lyrical writing matches the mystical, lyrical flow of a river with its wildness and beauty and authority. (Read Harry’s full review here to get a fuller picture of the book’s content. I’m not doing it justice in this snippet.)

4. The Common Good (from Nonfiction November recommendations—thanks, Deb!)
by Robert B. Reich

This book will remind you why pursuing a common good still matters—maybe more than ever. Reich’s writing feels urgent about rethinking (and then doing!) what it means to be a good citizen and to be morally responsible in our current political and cultural climate.

5. Unfair ***
The New Science of Criminal Injustice
by Adam Benforado

Unfair might change how you see the justice system. It shows how our ordinary human bias unconsciously shapes outcomes at every step of the process. It’s quite unsettling. The book is easy to understand and full of real cases and research that reveal how often fairness depends on things that go unnoticed.

6. Everything Is a Story
Reclaiming the Power of Stories to Heal and Shape Our Lives
by Kaitlin B. Curtice

Curtice helps you see how deeply our narratives shape who we are. And how much agency we have to actually question and rewrite those stories ourselves. As a citizen of the Potawatomi nation, she writes grounded in wisdom and clarity.

[Read full review here, “How Stories Shape Our Lives”]

7. All the Honey
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

I’m a wannabe poetry reader. While I loved the one book of poetry I made myself read last year by Mary Oliver last year, this book I read on Hoopla by Trommer truly stirred my soul in a deeper, more surprising way. Her poems are tender and insightful. I’m already planning to buy my personal copy of this book when I see her in person in a few weeks.

FICTION

8. The Good Father
by Diane Chamberlain

I enjoy how Chamberlain writes stories. In this book, she tells how a young single father devotes his life to raising his daughter, then loses his job and home. When a too-good-to-be-true opportunity comes along to solve his problems, he has to make decisions about how far to go. While I did get frustrated with some of the unbelievable decisions the characters made, I remained enthralled with the plot all along the way.

9. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky

Originally published in 1999, I just now finished this sweet novel for the first time with my local bookclub. The story follows the letters written by Charlie, a quiet and observant high school freshman, to a “friend” about his new friendships, new loves, and complicated family struggles. It felt so authentic to a high schooler’s voice about the trials of growing up. (I haven’t seen the movie.)

10. The Woman in Suite 11
by Ruth Ware

I make a point of reading all of Ruth Ware’s novels because they center on crime without being gory or terrifying. This follow-up to The Woman in Cabin 10 (helpful but not required reading) finds journalist Lo Blacklock trying to revive her career at a luxury Swiss hotel—until a dangerous mystery pulls her into a chase across Europe. It didn’t feel perfect to me, but it was definitely engaging and easy to follow. (I don’t want to have to think too hard with a novel.)

WHAT I’M READING NOW

The Frozen River
by Ariel Lawhon
Rule Makers, Rule Breakers ***
Tight and Loose Cultures and the Secret Signals that Direct Our Lives
by Michele Gelfand
Awake
by Jen Hatmaker
Real Love
The Art of Mindful Connection
by Sharon Salzberg
Beyond Belief
by Nir Eyal
All in This Together
Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our World
by Jack Kornfield
Women Who Run With the Wolves
by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

*** Books from Daniel Pink’s 21 Favorite Books list; you can find it here. I’m working through the list. I’ve read 14 so far, and have 7 more to read.

Have you read a good book lately? I’d love to hear in the comments.

I’m sharing at these linkups

Prepare to Shift: Choosing My Word for a Year That Will Change

By LisaNotes January 1, 2026 Personal Growth, Shift: One Word 2026 26 Comments

“All that you touch, you change.
All that you change, changes you.
The only lasting truth is change.”
– Lauren Olamina in Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

A Daily Walk, A Subtle Shift

I open the front door.
The sun is shining, but the breeze is cold.
I slip on my gloves. It’s going to be a cold walk.

As has become my practice, I begin my walk by noticing how the shift in environment—from inside to outside—feels to my body:

the change in temperature on my skin,
the direction of the wind on my face,
the deeper breaths as I walk up the hill.

But when I turn the corner around the block, I consciously shift to a different mindset.

Now I’m looking for one thing:

What looks different today compared to yesterday?

Change Is Always Happening (Even If Invisible)

There are always differences. Even if I can’t spot them.

Since yesterday, I know that:

the wind has rearranged fallen leaves,
squirrels have stirred their acorn piles,
cars have passed by, leaving microscopic rubber dust on the road.

Change is always around me.

But it isn’t only the outer world that shifts.

We Are Not Who We Were Yesterday

Our inner worlds are always on the move, too.

I am not the same person I was yesterday.
Neither are you.

We may look the same on the outside from day to day. And even on the inside, we’re breathing with the same lungs as yesterday, heaving the same heart up and down, and processing information with the same brain.

But the air molecules we’re inhaling today are new. The blood we’re pumping has been replaced by millions of fresh cells. And the thoughts we’re thinking are traveling on updated neural pathways based on our latest experiences.

Ready or not, aware or not,
we are changing.

Choosing My One Word for 2026: Shift

It was on one of these ordinary daily walks that I found my new One Word for 2026

SHIFT

because I’m so amazed, perplexed, and often troubled by these universal truths:

Everything is impermanent.
Everything changes.
Everything shifts.

The earth does.
Circumstances do.
We do.
Every thing, every day.

From Ripple to Shift

In 2025, my word was Ripple. Through its lens, I watched when one thing moves, it affects everything around it.

With each shift you make, my world adjusts a little.
With each shift I make, yours does too.

This isn’t new wisdom, of course. As far back as 500 BCE, we have these sayings attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus:

“The only constant in life is change,” and
“You cannot step into the same river twice.”

The Art of Small Adjustments

Studies say we make an average of 200 decisions on every mile we drive (depending on city or highway traffic). These micro-adjustments can be slight moves with the steering wheel, speeding up or slowing down, taps on the brake, checking our mirrors, deciding when to change lanes—all important changes to ensure a safe journey.

Similar changes are just as important as we drive (and are driven) in our lives. The subtle shifts we will make each day in the coming year will help keep our minds, hearts, and bodies aligned to our changing environments.

Some shifts will be deliberate and noticeable.
But many shifts will happen underneath our consciousness, yet equally vital in keeping us responsive, alive, and moving along in the direction we hope to go.

My Intention for the Year Ahead

As this new year begins, my desire is:

to notice shifts more closely,
to make some shifts more intentionally,
and to accept inevitable (even unwanted) shifts more freely.

I’m writing this post as my first official partnership with Shift in 2026. I have designed a logo of Shift to put on my mirror. I’ve mapped a monthly schedule to include things like experimental shifts in pace, closer awareness of nature shifts, and noticing which of my interests have shifted over time.

Yet all the while I know, even begrudgingly, that these plans will shift in big and small ways to accommodate real life as it comes. Rigidity means death when we’re too inflexible. Shifts are healthy for growth.

This I can know with certainty:

Everything changes.

So this year I want to stay present.
Learn to make adjustments.
And be grateful for shifts.

Questions for You

What’s one small shift you’ve noticed in your life lately? Is there a small or large shift you’d like to make in 2026?

If you have a word of the year, what is it?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

About One Word of the Year:

If choosing one guiding word for the year speaks to you, you’re invited to join our online One Word community. We offer encouragement to each other all year round to continue practicing our words. You’ll receive a monthly email with suggestions, an invitation to join our private Facebook group if you’d like, and opportunities to share blog posts each month on the 26th.