Words can certainly hold so much power in the most wonderful of ways. It’s why we should always make an effort to speak kindly to ourselves and steer clear of negative self-talk. It’s also why affirmations are so powerful in building our self-concept and attracting abundance into our lives. And honestly, some words hold so much power and beauty on their own. Sometimes, a single word can make such a lovely statement on its own and be an affirmation in itself. Or a word could be a solid foundation to build our lives around. Which is why it’s no mystery that many people feel called to choose a word of the year.
Because honestly, sometimes all you need is a single word. Sometimes, a word on its own is a mantra, an affirmation, a goal, or a resolution. It makes a statement without saying anything else and without an explanation. Some words require no explanation to be a complete statement. So let’s choose a single word that resonates with us, and allow it to shine in the coming year. Or maybe a few words that resonate with us, if we’re focusing on more than one area of our lives in the New Year. And let’s let it be our guiding force as we step into the next chapter of our lives.
What Exactly Is A “Word Of The Year”?
Simply put, when we choose a “word of the year,” we are choosing a meaningful word that we are striving to live by over the next 365 days. It is a singular word that we set our New Year’s resolutions and intentions around in the next era of our lives. Or maybe it’s multiple words if we’d like to focus on a couple of different aspects of our lives. You don’t have to choose just one word; there aren’t any rules around choosing your word (or words) of the year. All that truly matters is that the word you choose to embody over the next year is positive and affirming. And that it has meaning to you, and what you’re striving to manifest.
Choosing Your Word Of The Year
As I said before, there are absolutely no rules when it comes to selecting your word (or words) of the year. That said, it is important to consider your intentions, goals, and manifestations over the next year, and choose words that embody who you’re looking to become in the next year. Your word of the year should also fill you with joy and feel affirming and motivating. And the word you choose shouldn’t feel overly pushy or spark any negative emotions for you. So while there are no rules here, there are certainly a few things to gently consider as you select your word of the year.
- What are you looking to manifest? Sometimes, the overarching theme for your manifestation makes for the perfect word of the year.
- What are your biggest goals and dreams for the next year? What words best describe your goals and the actions or archetypes you need to embody to achieve them?
- Who are you looking become this year? Perhaps your word of the year can describe the archetype of the lovely human you’re leveling up into.
- What words spark joy for you? What words resonate strongly with you? Pay attention to those words, as the universe is guiding you directly to your word of the year through these feelings. Listen to your intuition.
- If a word gives you any negative feelings or feels like too much pressure to embody, don’t choose that word. While your word of the year should challenge you, it shouldn’t feel heavy.
- Don’t overthink it! Trust that whatever word or words you land on are right for your word of the year.
Using Your Word Of The Year To Guide You In The Next Year
Choosing your word of the year can honestly be a great starting point as you start to prepare for the New Year. Perhaps you may consider allowing this word to guide the resolutions and goals you set for the New Year. Or even what gets left behind in the previous year that does not embody that word. And honestly, you even get to decide what exactly your word of the year means to you for the next 365 days. Certainly, not every goal or resolution that you set has to be related to your word of the year. But it’s lovely to set goals and resolutions that come back to your chosen word (or words).
- As you’re planning out your actionable goals and resolutions, what steps or actions represent your world of the year? If your word of the year is an action, what ways can you integrate that word into your plans?
- Oftentimes, our word of the year is an affirmation or a statement on its own. But writing down and saying affirmations with that word to use in the next year naturally incorporates it into your daily rituals.
- Consider what actions and choices embody your word of the year, and strive to incorporate more of them into your life in the next 365 days. While also releasing and letting go of actions and choices that are out of alignment with that word.
Honestly, your intuition is key when it comes to letting your word of the year guide you over the next 365 days. You don’t need to overthink this, my lovely. Just consider how you can naturally live by your chosen word (or words) as you step into the next chapter of your life.
Having Some Creative Fun With Your Word — Make It Stick!
Honestly, you’ve got to allow yourself to have some fun and get creative with your word of the year. Especially as it allows you to fully sit with it, visualize it, and do a deep dive into how that word is going to shape your year. Plus, it taps into your creativity and allows you to make something wonderful out of a single word. Or maybe a few chosen words with deep meanings. Honestly, the possibilities of how you can get creative with your word of the year are endless. You’re only limited by your imagination.
Admittedly, turning your word of the year into a creative project may be a bit extra. But let’s not be afraid to be extra as we’re striving for our best lives. Especially when our word of the year embodies who we’re becoming.
Turn Your Word Of The Year Into A Journal Prompt
Sometimes the best journal prompts are a single word, which is often the case with our chosen word of the year. And with journaling being such a cozy way to tune in to your inner world and dive deep into your thoughts and intentions, why not journal about your word of the year? Journaling about your word of the year gives you a chance to put what this word means to you on paper. And to lay out how you intend to embody your word of the year. While also giving you something concrete you can read throughout the next 365 days and beyond, when you need a little reminder of your powerful chosen word.
Incorporate Your Word Of The Year Into Your Vision Board
Not only are vision boards a powerful visual tool for manifestation, but they’re also a lot of fun to make. Honestly, they’re one of the most fun New Year’s or new era projects to sit down and make. You can truly go all out on making a physical or digital vision board that’s enticing to look as everyday to manifest your dream life. That said, your word of the year can certainly be a major part of your vision board for the upcoming year. Honestly, merely having your word of the year on your vision board is a great way to integrate it into your vision board. Just so you’re seeing that word every day!
You can even make your word of the year the main focal point of your vision board, and have quotes and images around it that tie into your word of the year. Seriously, have some fun with setting up your vision board and letting your board become a visual representation of your chosen word.
Turn Your Word Of The Year Into Typography
Typography and handlettering are such wonderful art forms that make for some simple yet striking works of art. Heck, many of us have lovely typography as an art piece hanging in our homes. Or saved to our Pinterest boards. So, why not turn your word of the year into a lovely art piece and take the time to get creative with the word itself? You can choose to do it by hand and create a piece you can hang in your space. Which honestly makes it even more special, as it’s in your artful handwriting. You can also create something digitally using Canva to turn your word of the year into a background for your phone, laptop, or tablet.
And honestly? All you need is the single word in your typography piece. But you can choose to define what it means to you as a part of the piece as well. Make it yours, and have some fun choosing a font that fits the vibe of your word. And take your time with it. You’re quite literally drawing or painting the word, so take your time with it as you meditate on your word of the year.
Create A Playlist That Embodies Your Word Of The Year
Music is quite powerful in firing us up and getting us into the energetic state that we’re looking to be in. So, why not create an entire playlist of songs that embody the vibe or the energy of your word of the year? Your word of the year doesn’t even necessarily have to be in the song title or even the lyrics of the song. So as long as the song embodies your word of the year, and helps you feel the energy you’re calling in through that word. But if that word is in the lyrics or the song title? Even better.
Honestly, you’re simply creating the soundtrack of the era you’re stepping into. So have some fun with it. Make it sassy, empowering, and motivational. Make it aligned with the version of you that you’re becoming.
Lovely Words To Embody For Each Focus Area Of Your Next Era
No matter what your focus is in the coming year, there is a beautiful word that embodies it that is perfect to be your word of the year. Whether you’re looking to build your confidence and feel good in your own skin, start your entrepreneurial journey, focus on your wellness, implement more joy into your life, or whatever else, there’s a word that embodies your goals. Heck, you can choose a word from multiple different focus areas, and have a different word of the year for each. But honestly, some words can easily embody all aspects of your life as you step into your next chapter. Especially as you ultimately get to decide what your word of the year means to you.
So, allow me to share some lovely words with you that you may want to consider for your word of the year. Grab your notebook, and write down the words that stick out to you and resonate the most with you. Your word of the year just might be on this list, or maybe another will pop into your mind as you’re looking for inspiration within this list.
Building Confidence and Feeling Beautiful
- Admired
- Affirmed
- Allure
- Be
- Beauty
- Believe
- Bold
- Can
- Capable
- Charm
- Confidence
- Daring
- Darling
- Desired
- Divine
- Elegance
- Empowerment
- Empress / Emperor
- Excellence
- Extra
- Fabulous
- Fearless
- Fierce
- Glamourous
- Glow
- Greatness
- Heroic
- Identity
- Intuition
- Individuality
- Magnetic
- Magnificence
- Noble
- Originality
- Possible
- Potential
- Pride
- Queen
- Radiant
- Rare
- Ravishing
- Robust
- Resilience
- Self-esteem
- Self-love
- Talented
- Unapologetic
- Unbreakable
- Undeniable
- Unique
- Unstoppable
- Validated
- Valuable
- Wealthy
- Vibrant
Personal Growth and Leveling Up
- Accountability
- Action
- Aligned
- Ambition
- Ascend
- Astonish
- Authenticity
- Awaken
- Become
- Begin
- Betterment
- Bloom
- Bravery
- Challenge
- Change
- Climb
- Commit
- Courageous
- Consistency
- Cultivate
- Dedicate
- Depth
- Determination
- Direction
- Do
- Effort
- Encouragement
- Evolve
- Finesse
- Flourish
- Focus
- Forward
- Foundation
- Go
- Goals
- Grit
- Grow
- Improvement
- Inspire
- Integrity
- Intellect
- Internal
- Ignite
- Kindle
- Leap
- Learn
- Limitless
- Manifestation
- Mindset
- Momentum
- Motivate
- New
- Now
- Onward
- Passion
- Patience
- Purpose
- Practice
- Quality
- Radical
- Ready
- Rebellious
- Redeemed
- Refine
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Self-aware
- Sincerity
- Steady
- Strive
- Thrive
- Transformation
- Triumphant
- Transcend
- Upward
- Versatility
- Virtue
- Vision
- Wisdom
- Willpower
Manifesting Wealth, Success, and Entrepreneurial Progress
- Abundance
- Accomplish
- Achievement
- Affluent
- Delegation
- Dream
- Driven
- Entrepreneur
- Establish
- Exceed
- Fame
- Fortune
- Influential
- Ingenuity
- Innovate
- Invest
- Leadership
- Legacy
- Mastery
- Money
- Multiply
- Noteworthy
- Opportunity
- Paid
- Pioneer
- Productive
- Profitable
- Progress
- Promotion
- Prosper
- Recognized
- Reputable
- Resourceful
- Results
- Riches
- Stability
- Strategize
- Success
- Upgrade
- Victorious
Strengthening Your Health and Wellness
- Alive
- Energized
- Habits
- Healing
- Healthy
- Live
- Movement
- Nurture
- Nourish
- Recovery
- Renewal
- Rest
- Restoration
- Sober
- Strength
- Sustain
- Tend
- Vigor
- Vitality
- Wellness
Cultivating Peace and Balance In Your Life
- Appreciate
- Boundaries
- Balance
- Bliss
- Breathe
- Calm
- Choose
- Clarity
- Decide
- Ease
- Enough
- Flexibility
- Forgive
- Freedom
- Gratitude
- Grounded
- Happiness
- Harmony
- Honesty
- Hope
- Independence
- Intention
- Justice
- Land
- Liberation
- Listen
- Meaning
- Miraculous
- Nature
- Observe
- Optimism
- Peace
- Perspective
- Positivity
- Purity
- Quiet
- Quaint
- Reason
- Reclaim
- Refresh
- Relaxation
- Relieve
- Rejoice
- Rejuvenate
- Reset
- Safe
- Simplify
- Space
- Spirituality
- Stillness
- Serenity
- Slow
- Tender
- Tranquil
- Truth
- Thankful
- Warmth
- Wholesome
- Yield
- Zen
Allowing For More Fun, Leisure, and Adventure
- Adventure
- Art
- Celebrate
- Create
- Curiosity
- Delight
- Discover
- Enthusiasm
- Explore
- Expression
- Fulfillment
- Fun
- Imagine
- Journey
- Joy
- Laugh
- Leisure
- Memories
- Play
- Recreation
- Spontaneous
- Travel
- Wanderlust
- Wonder
- Zest
Building and Strengthening Connections
- Belonging
- Bonding
- Collaborate
- Community
- Compassion
- Connection
- Contribute
- Cherish
- Devotion
- Empathy
- Family
- Friendship
- Generosity
- Interact
- Intimacy
- Kindred
- Kindness
- Love
- Openness
- Relate
- Reliable
- Romance
- Supportive
- Together
- Trust
- Understand
- Unity
- Unconditional
- Uplift
- Vulnerability
Conclusion
Honestly, with so many lovely words to choose from, it can be hard to pick just one word to live by as your word of the year. And as I said before, you don’t have to pick just one word. There’s no rule saying you can’t have multiple words of the year. But I do recommend being intuitively selective and choosing the words that resonate the most with who you’re becoming in the next year. Choose words that feel like affirmations. Choose words that feel the most aligned with who you’re becoming. Whether you settle on one strong word or five, know that you’ve chosen the right words to live by for the next year. And be ready to embody them.
Did any of these words stand out to you? Are you planning to use any of them as your word of the year? Are you planning to use a word that isn’t on this list? What are your intentions for the year? I’d love to hear about your intentions for the new year, your word of the year, and why you chose that lovely word!
Nice read. Great idea!