Embrace the 2025 Word?

From Connect to Flourish… and Beyond

Flourish was my word for 2025. Defined as “to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment,” it felt like the perfect next step after my 2024 word, Connect. Looking back, I can see that this year’s flourishing looked a little different than I imagined—quieter, messier, and more internal—but still real.

From Connect to Flourish

In 2024, I chose Connect, focusing on intentional relationships and follow-through—showing up, reaching out, and building community. That focus created the “favorable environment” that made Flourish feel like a natural next word. I pictured 2025 as a year of visible blooming: big wins, bold growth, and thriving in every area of my life.

What actually happened was more nuanced. Yes, there was growth. Yes, there were moments of blooming. But much of my flourishing happened beneath the surface—in how I handled change, embraced new people, and kept learning even when it didn’t feel glamorous or “mastered.”

How I Flourished (Even When It Didn’t Feel Like It)

In my IAACE role, flourishing showed up in learning to navigate new personalities, perspectives, and people. I grew in patience, communication, and flexibility while working with a changing mix of members, partners, and leaders—often remotely, where connection doesn’t happen automatically.

Flourishing also showed up in my commitment to self-directed learning. I stretched through Toastmasters, read widely, and tackled a Google Project Management course—not to master them, but to keep showing up, practicing, and learning. Sometimes, flourish looks less like a finished garden and more like tending the soil, pulling weeds, and trusting the effort matters.

I also grew in how I handle difficulties. Rather than reacting in the same old ways, I experimented with new approaches to conflict, boundaries, and expectations—both at work and in my personal life. Those experiments didn’t always feel graceful, but they were part of developing “in a healthy way,” even when circumstances were stretching.

Where I Struggled with Flourish

If I’m honest, I didn’t always feel like I “lived” Flourish as fully as I lived Connect. With Connect, I could see and feel the impact: follow-ups, relationships, community moments. With Flourish, I sometimes felt like I was just hanging on, doing a lot (Toastmasters, courses, reading) without truly excelling at any of them.

There were days I wondered if I had “failed” my word. I didn’t have a neat list of accomplishments or a trophy shelf of mastered skills. I even caught myself wishing for a redo—a year where I could visibly flourish in every area I had imagined. But there are no redos, only reflections and next steps.

Looking back, part of my struggle was with my own expectations. I wanted flourishing to look like constant blooming. Instead, it often looked like slow, steady growth: showing up, learning, adjusting, and staying engaged even when I wasn’t sure I was getting it “right.”

What Flourish Taught Me

Flourish taught me that growth isn’t always loud or obvious. Sometimes it looks like quietly managing difficulties, staying open and curious, and leaning into new perspectives instead of clinging to comfort.

It reminded me that the connections I focused on in 2024 really did create a favorable environment for 2025. The relationships, networks, and habits of reaching out became the soil where growth could happen, even when I didn’t feel like I was “blooming” in every area. I was rooting deeper in who I am, how I lead, and how I keep learning.

Most of all, Flourish taught me to appreciate progress over perfection. I may not have mastered Toastmasters, finished every course, or turned every challenge into a highlight reel—but I kept moving, stretching, and investing in my own development. That counts.

Why “Purpose” Is Calling Me for 2026

As 2025 winds down, I’ve reflected, journaled, and explored words for 2026: Nourish, Reciprocate, and others. But I keep coming back to one word: Purpose.

Part of that pull comes from my lingering disappointment with Flourish. I want my next word to help me be more intentional with the time, energy, and opportunities I’ve been given. I want a stronger sense of “why” behind what I do, personally and professionally. Purpose whispers: “Don’t just do more—do what matters.”

Looking ahead, Purpose will invite me to:

Find meaning in the roles I already have, not just chase new ones.
Align how I spend my time with what truly matters to me and to those I serve.
Bring more intention to my relationships, learning, and leadership—so flourishing isn’t just growth for growth’s sake, but growth with direction.

Just as Connect laid the groundwork for Flourish, Flourish is pointing me toward Purpose. I may not have “perfectly” lived my 2025 word, but I did grow—and that growth is shaping what comes next.

As you reflect on your own year, ask yourself: How did you actually grow—even if it didn’t look the way you expected? And what word might help you focus your energy, build your character, and clarify your vision for the year ahead?

For me:
2024 was Connect.
2025 was Flourish.
2026 is calling me toward Purpose.

Jenn Wigginton

Jenn is the IAACE Executive Director. Her passion for adult education shines through in everything she does for IAACE. You can invite her to a chat for questions anytime. Click here to book a time to chat with Jenn