My Word of the Year: Alignment
Every year, as the calendar starts to wind down, I sit with two intentional practices that have become non-negotiable for me as a business owner and as a woman of faith: I create a business plan, and I choose a word of the year.
This year, my word is ALIGNMENT.
For me, business planning has never been just about numbers, goals, or strategies. It’s about building a life and business that work together not competing with each other. And after a challenging year where I felt disconnected in many areas of my life, alignment became the word that surfaced again and again.
Why Alignment Chose Me This Year
Last year stretched me in ways I didn’t expect. On the outside, things may have looked fine business moving forward, responsibilities handled, showing up where I needed to but internally, I felt off. Disconnected.
Disconnected personally.
Disconnected in my business.
Disconnected spiritually.
My faith never wavered, but oh boy, was it tested.
There were moments where I felt tired in my soul. Moments where I questioned my capacity, my direction, and whether I was truly walking in obedience or just pushing forward out of habit. I found myself doing all the “right” things but not always feeling at peace while doing them.
That tension was the signal.
Alignment isn’t something we choose because life is going well. Often, we choose it because something feels misaligned and our spirit is asking us to pay attention.
What Alignment Means to Me
Alignment isn’t a trendy word for me this year. It’s a return. A recalibration. A coming back to center.
Here’s what alignment means to me in this season:
- Faith-led decisions – Not asking God to bless my plans, but inviting Him into the planning from the beginning
- Business that supports my life – Creating strategies that honor my energy, my values, and my season of life
- Clarity over hustle – Letting go of doing more and focusing on what actually matters
- Integrity in my yes and my no – Saying yes to what aligns and releasing what no longer fits
- Peace as a compass – Allowing peace, not pressure, to guide my choices
- Consistency between who I am and what I do – Showing up the same way behind the scenes as I do publicly
- Spiritual alignment – Staying rooted in prayer, God’s word, trust, and surrender, even when the path feels uncertain
Alignment doesn’t mean everything is easy. It means things are honest. It means I’m listening. It means my faith, my business, and my personal life are no longer operating in separate lanes.
Alignment in Business Planning
This is exactly why I don’t separate life planning from business planning.
When I sit down to plan my year, I’m not just asking:
- What do I want to grow?
- What do I want to launch?
- How I want to serve?
- What do I want to earn?
I’m also asking:
- How do I want to feel this year?
- What needs to change so my business serves my life?
- How Am I making a difference?
- Where am I forcing something that God may be asking me to release?
Alignment shows up in my calendar.
In my offers.
In how I spend my time.
In how I rest.
And when alignment is present, the noise gets quieter. The distractions fade. The path forward becomes clearer not because I have all the answers, but because I trust the direction I’m being led.
Carrying Alignment Into This Year
My word of the year isn’t a resolution. It’s an anchor.
When decisions feel heavy, I’ll come back to it.
When opportunities arise, I’ll run them through it.
When things feel off, I’ll use it as my checkpoint.
Does this align with my faith?
Does this align with my values?
Does this align with the life and business I’m building?
That’s the work this year. And honestly, it feels grounding just to name it.
Do you have a word for the year? Comment below and let me know.
LYDIA GILLIS PHOTOGRAPHY is Denver based Personal Branding Photographer, educator and Live and Grow Retreat Host. She helps photographers run a profitable and sustainable business.
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