How To Choose A Word Of The Year (That Actually Means Something)
Picking a Word Of The Year is a popular goal-setting exercise for January 1. It’s sooo cute and trendy to put up the Instagram post sharing your “word of the year” and what it means to you.
Aaaand like most New Year’s resolutions, it will be forgotten by about January 7. 🙂
So, here’s how to choose a word of the year that actually means something to you.
how to choose your word of the year
A word of the year can be a fun guiding light for the next 12 months.
But let me clarify: a single word isn’t going to be the motivating factor that makes you do something.
Like, the word itself doesn’t hold any power. You’re the one who puts power into the word.
You can use the word “intention” because you want to be really intentional about how you spend your time this year.
Sweet! But if you don’t actually take the steps, read the self-help books, create the schedule, disprove the excuses, and follow through on the phone calls/emails/setting up the book club/whatever, you’re not going to be more intentional.
It was a cute idea. But it didn’t do anything.
So how do you choose a word of the year that actually means something?
Tip 1: write like a 2nd grader
Everyone wants an eloquent, poetic, beautiful word that encapsulates their year.
My advice? Make it SO simple. Something that your brain can just really latch onto. (You can spruce it up for the Instagram post!)
How do you want to feel this year? Don’t get too fancy. Just go with your gut.
Honest
Strong
Slow
Brave
These are all really simple, meaningful words that pack a punch.
Pick a word that is SO simple.
Something really easy so your brain can really latch onto it.
Something like Baptized or Attunement or Veracity… listen, if that does it for you, great! But if you’re selecting a word just because it sounds impressive or looks pretty when you write it, try again.
Also remember that you can pick nouns! It doesn’t have to be an adjective. Courage, compassion, or gratitude are all popular choices. But of course, remember that the most important thing is the power you put behind the word. That’s what makes the word turn on!
Start by leaning into your dominant feeling for the year
I like to do this by meditating, but you could approach it in many ways:
writing in your journal
going on a solo walk
talking with a trusted friend or partner
maybe even thinking about that feeling while you’re doing something that makes you feel really good, like during a favorite workout.
What’s your favorite way to tap into your creativity?
Think of how you want to FEEL at the end of next year. That might be your word of the year.
Start by actually fast forwarding to the very last day of this next year. It’s the end of December… how do you want to feel as you look back at the past year you just finished?
Don’t focus on the things you accomplished, the things you pruned, or the habits you held. Instead, lean into the feeling that you feel in your body.
I find that this is a really powerful way to pick a word for the year.
What would you pick if no one was judging you?
I chose my word of the year in private this time. I actually didn’t intend to share it, but then I decided to (because I have a very public-facing blog company and I actually enjoy sharing all the ins and outs of my life!).
^ If my 4-year-old son had to pick a word to guide his year it would probably be “goat” or possibly “robot dog.” Ha.
Ambition is a word that would have embarrassed me to admit last year. I did a lot (a lot!) of soul digging to find out why I keep coming back to my need to be ambitious, and I found out it’s a key part of my personality and soul.
I love ambition! I feel most alive, excited, and lit up like a Taylor Swift sold-out arena show when I’m aligned with my internal ambition.
It hasn’t always been a healthy part of my life, and for several years I really tried to suppress it because I thought it was something that was a “bad” part of my personality. Or I thought it was all about my accomplishments, instead of using my ambition to tap into inspiration and curiosity and really drawing a lot of joy from my inner power.
I’m learning differently now, which is why I picked it for my word this year.
After lots of self-reflection and personal growth (and many, many mistakes), I’m learning how to balance it, do it for myself and no one else, and not do it to look impressive to other people.
And because of that, I chose ambition as my word of the year.
What To Do After Your Choose Your Word Of The Year
Put it all over the place.
Aaaaaall over the place! Our brains forget things really easily. 😉
I like to do it as a reminder memo on my phone, write it in the caption at my alarm so it’s the first thing I see in the morning when I turn off my phone alarm, and on a little sticky note at the bottom of my desktop screen.
Write it on your bathroom mirror, put it in your planner, set it up as a weekly reminder in your calendar… whatever works for you!
Recap: how to choose your word of the year
1. This is all just for fun! A word of the year can be a powerful way to approach your New Year’s intentions, goals, or just overall life direction.
2. The word itself doesn’t hold any energy. It gets energy from YOU! You’re the one who provides the constant motivation, the power, and the stickiness to that word plus the results you get from it.
3. Pick a simple word that easily makes sense to you.
4. Start with your desired feeling. One of the best ways to pick a word of the year is by focusing on how you want to feel.
5. This is allowed to be private. Don’t feel pressured to share it with anyone, unless you really want to! Picking a word in private can be a way to really choose something that’s aligned with your own soul’s purpose.
I hope this helps you find clarity in choosing your word of the year! It’s a fun tool that can bring tremendous growth into lots of areas of your life, if you let it.
And remember: this is all just for fun! Don’t worry about taking it too seriously and choosing “the perfect word.” Just have fun with it and see what flows.
While you’re working on your New Years word of the year, feel free to grab this free mini 5-day light body reset that I created!
It’s the perfect way to kick off the new year by feeling aligned in your body, strong, and comfortable in your body.
It’s how I approach my day-to-day life to always feel amazing in my body, and I’m happy to share these tools with you, too! Cheers too good things ahead. 🙂