My 2026 Word of the Year: OWNERSHIP (And Why No One Is Coming to Save You)
What's up planner peeps!
Can we talk about something real for a minute?
For the longest time, I kept waiting. Waiting for the right time to start that project. Waiting for someone to give me permission to prioritize myself. Waiting for life to slow down before I could focus on what I really wanted.
I was venting to my husband about feeling stuck, and he looked at me and said the most annoyingly perfect thing: "No one is coming to save you."
Not in a scary way—in an empowering way.
No one is going to hand me the keys to our dream home. No one is going to magically make me feel fulfilled and happy. No one is going to build this business for me.
If I want these things, I have to own them.
And that's exactly what I'm doing in 2026.
My Word of the Year: OWNERSHIP
This year, my focus word is OWNERSHIP—and it's showing up in three major areas of my life:
1. Own(ing) a Home
My husband and I are building a house this year. Like, actually building one. From the ground up.
It's exciting and terrifying and requires a level of financial discipline I've honestly been avoiding. But this is happening because we're making it happen. No one is going to hand us the keys—we're earning them.
That means:
Sticking to a stricter budget (goodbye, impulse planner purchases... well, mostly😉)
Making intentional financial decisions
Planning for the future instead of just reacting to the present
For the first time, I'm not waiting for the "perfect time" or for everything to align perfectly. We're taking ownership of this dream and making it real.
2. Own My Happiness
Here's something I've been struggling with: I've been outsourcing my happiness to everything else.
"I'll be happy when I lose the baby weight."
"I'll be happy when I have more time."
"I'll be happy when we' move."
But happiness doesn't work like that, does it?
With two kids under 3, work, a business, and all the regular life chaos, I feel like I’ve been waiting for someone or something to make me feel more fulfilled. But no one is coming to do that for me.
So this year, I'm owning my happiness by:
Being present with my family without the guilt of my to-do list hanging over me
Prioritizing energy-building habits (because self-care fell completely off the radar, and I miss feeling like myself)
Trying creative hobbies just for fun—not for content, not for productivity, just for joy
I'm done waiting for permission to put myself on the list. I'm already on it.
3. Own This Business
Imperfectly Planned is evolving in a big way this year, and it's because I'm taking full ownership of what I want it to be.
For a while, I felt this pressure to create everything myself. My own planners, my own products, my own systems. But that's not actually what I love doing—and honestly? It's not what you need from me either.
What I actually love is testing tools, sharing what works, and connecting with this community.
So in 2026, I'm owning this business by:
Sharing planning tools from my favorite creators—not just my own products and hopefully finding new shops!
Connecting more with you through newsletters, Instagram, YouTube, and (maybe??) even a planner convention
Creating resources that actually help instead of just adding pretty things to your cart
No one is going to build this business for me. No one is going to tell me what it "should" look like. I'm taking full ownership—and that feels really, really good.
No One Is Coming to Save You (And That's a Good Thing)
I know that phrase might sound harsh at first. But honestly? It's one of the most freeing realizations I've had.
Because when you stop waiting:
You stop feeling stuck
You stop resenting the things (or people) you thought would "fix" everything
You start making real moves toward what you actually want
Ownership means I'm the one in control. Not in a hustle-culture, all-or-nothing, do-it-all-yourself way—but in a this-is-my-life-and-I-get-to-decide-how-I-show-up way.
And yeah, that's scary sometimes. But it's also incredibly powerful.
What Ownership Looks Like in My Planning System
So how does all this tie into planning? Because I can't talk about life without talking about planners, right?
This year, I'm using planning tools that support ownership in each area:
🏡 For Building Our Home:
I'm using my Laurel Denise Rose planner to track our budget, construction timeline, and all the decisions we need to make. No more scattered sticky notes—everything lives in one place.
💛 For Owning My Happiness:
I’m keeping up with a new hobby I tried at the end of 2025 - crocheting! If you’re interested, I highly recommend Woobles! I also picked up a Happy Planner for some creative planning/journaling. I’m super excited to just get creative and escape for a little bit. I’ve also gotten back into reading after a 6+ month reading slump. Book recommendations definitely welcome!!
💼 For Owning This Business:
Notion is my digital home base for content planning, product testing, and tracking everything behind the scenes. Plus my Laurel Denise Nancy planner for day-to-day tasks and content planning.
And honestly? I'm also just trying new things. Testing different planners, experimenting with layouts, and giving myself permission to switch things up when they're not working.
Your Turn: What Are You Owning in 2026?
I'd love to hear from you:
💬 What's one thing you're taking ownership of this year?
Maybe it's your time, your health, your business, your boundaries, your creativity—whatever it is, I want to know.
Drop a comment below or send me a DM on Instagram @plannedimperfectly. Let's cheer each other on.
Because here's the thing: no one is coming to save you. But you don't need saving—you just need to decide you're worth showing up for.
And you absolutely are. 💛
Want to see my full 2026 planner stack and how I'm organizing everything? Watch the video here! And don't forget to grab the free planning tools at imperfectplans.com/freebies.
**Some links are affiliate links. By using my links, I may earn a commission and you support what I do here, so THANK YOU! I only share things I actually use!
