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How to pick a word of the year
Choosing a “Word of the Year” can be a powerful practice for personal growth and focus. In this post I will help you find your word of the year and how it will benefit you in the upcoming months.
Whether this is your first time using a word of the year or a repeat habit you’ve developed each year Is a fresh start to reflect and renew. In this post let’s focus on how to use your word of the year to supercharge your goals in the upcoming year – or whenever you choose to begin your renewed focus.
Table of Contents
Why you should pick a word of the year
It helps with intention and focus
Selecting a word helps you set a clear intention for the year ahead. It serves as a guiding principle or theme that you can center your actions, decisions, and goals around.
It gives you direction and clarity
Did you ever think a single word could have so much power? A well-chosen word of the year provides a focal point for your aspirations and plans. Having a single word to represent your goals makes it easier to remember and apply throughout the year.
Simplifies goal setting
Goals can be overwhelming. In fact I wrote a whole post on the downside of achieving goals. Instead of making a long list of resolutions, a word encapsulates a broader idea or feeling. This simplicity can make it easier to stay aligned with your intentions.
Try my free goal-setting sheet that gets results and makes achieving a goal less overwhelming.
I have a full 60 day goal journal with prompts that gets results too.
Adapatble
A word of the year can be flexible and adaptable to different situations. It can guide you through various aspects of your life, from personal growth to professional endeavors.
I stop and think often during the year and ask myself how my situation is impacted by my word of the year. Do it? don’t do it? or do it in this way to support my word.
Be mindful and reflect
Your word encourages regular reflection on how your actions align with your chosen word. This mindfulness helps foster self-awareness and keeps you focused on your desired direction. I find my joy jar (I go into detail on this later in the post) being front and center keeps my eye on my goal.
Inspiration and motivation
People want this every day. While it is encouraged that we develop habits rather than constantly chasing motivation and sources of inspiration, we still want it. Your word can help with this.
Your word can serve as a source of inspiration and motivation, reminding you of your purpose and encouraging you during challenging times.
Helps with consistency and commitment
I struggle with this. I have shiny object syndrome! Your word promotes consistency in your thoughts and actions by providing a constant reminder of what you want to achieve or embody throughout the year.
I find it gets me back on track when I get caught up in shiny new things.
Now let’s get into how to pick the perfect word for you.
A value based life
Picking your word of the year can be a little overwhelming and I want to help you get away from overwhelm and narrow it down. This isn’t a difficult process once you get started.
To help your decision I have created a list of several words that could be how you want to feel as you move into the new year. If none of them hit just right use it to inspire other words that could fit the direction you want your life to go in.
How to find your word of the year
I have compiled a big list of words you may consider as your focus for the upcoming calender year. This is not an exhaustive list but there are enough words that should help you move into the direction of what is resonating with you.
As you complete the narrowing down process you can search out synonyms of the final word and see if it resonates with you even more.
Pick up to five words then start to cull down to three. Your main word should be something you feel the most strongly about of the three.
You may like: How to reinvigorate your life by reinventing yourself. See the checklist.
Your main goal forever and always is to be your best self. What is holding you back from being that best self? Are you giving too much of yourself away? Not focusing on an area of life that is lacking? Are you drowning in clutter, guilt, overwhelm at what to do to move forward? We are all human. It’s ok to be where you are right now. Life is ever changing and you can shift into a new direction if you don’t feel good about the direction you are going currently.
I encourage you to make a list of 10 things you want in your life no matter how big or small. See how a word may relate to them (any word will supercharge these 10 things in all honesty). If you see a pattern than the majority of your list is leaning toward one area of your life maybe that is where your focus needs to go. This exercise is a great way to reflect, pivot and correct if you’re going down the wrong path.
Keep looking at and rewriting that list on a daily basis.
Create a joy jar to speed up manifestation
A joy jar is a wonderful way to keep your word of the year front and center on a daily basis. Keep it somewhere you can see it daily. Move it from time to time so you don’t get so used to seeing it that you don’t see it anymore. Try your desk, kitchen, nightstand, coffee table, hearth and bathroom.
Once you make yourself a Joy Jar and start putting something in it daily whether it be a memorable meal, a kindness from a stranger, joy derived from your friends or a coworker, family or pets, a new idea that inspires you, action toward one of your 10 items, a surprise, a feel good movie, etc. It’s nice to unpack that jar at the end of the year. I put my word on my jar so it’s very clear and I look at it every single day.
I like to supercharge my joy jar with the abundance crystal, citrine. I cleanse and recharge every second full moon. It considerably increased the manifestation of instances relating to my word of the year.
At the end of the year, reflecting on how your actions aligned with your chosen word allows you to celebrate progress and growth.
I am excited for your new path in 2024!