Unbridled: Why 2026 Is the Year to Ride Boldly

There’s been a lot of energy already this year around the shift from 2025’s Year of the Snake to 2026’s Year of the Horse, and with good reason.

The symbolism is compelling. The Snake represents transformation, a year to shed what no longer serves and prepare for what’s next. The Horse, by contrast, gallops in with power and possibility - embodying freedom, momentum, and bold new directions.

For Stuart and I, 2026 is already shaping up as a year of opportunity. So we’re fully leaning into the spirit of The Horse.

There’s a richness to the metaphor that resonates deeply: horse-powered energy is about unrestrained forward motion - charging into new territory with clarity, confidence, and drive.

While I don’t always choose a word of the year, this time one arrived instantly:  Unbridled

It captures exactly where we’re headed, and it aligns beautifully with the Arc31 core values of Agility, Responsibility, and Courage.

Unbridled Agility

The freedom to change direction, with the power to accelerate.

Agility means moving at speed with strategy - recalibrating fast and seizing opportunity, but never at the expense of intention. When done well, it becomes a competitive advantage.

Unbridled Responsibility

Freedom without discipline is chaos.

But when you combine clarity with accountability, you create the conditions for sustainable scale.  Unbridled doesn’t mean unruly, it means owning your path with precision.

Unbridled Courage

The boldness to bet on yourself.

With every leap, every reinvention, every big move, courage sits at the centre. It’s not about having no fear. It’s about acting in spite of it, trusting that you bring something worthy to the table.

The last time I felt such strong alignment between a new year and the opportunities ahead was 2017, when Icon began its expansion into Singapore. That happened to be the Year of the Rooster, and I still remember the delight of the Singapore doctors when they learned Stuart and I were both Roosters. They took it as a good omen - and they were right.

If the Year of the Horse brings even half the momentum 2017 did, we’re in for something special!