How to Choose Your Word of the Year (And Actually Live By It)

January arrives with a strange mixture of energy and fatigue. Sure, we’re coming off the intensity of the holidays, but we’re also buoyed by the promise of a reset. As the calendar flips, something becomes clear and there is a sense that this might be the moment when things click into place. Especially if you were one of them. Great “lock-in” This fall, you may already be thinking about your goals, routines, and what kind of year you want your year to be. January feels more like a continuation than a beginning.

Featured image from Michelle Nash’s interview with Eileen Fitzgerald.

How to choose a word of the year (and actually live by it)

Even with that momentum, it can be easy to feel pulled in too many directions at once. Big intentions, half-formed plans, and the pressure to do everything and do everything right can quickly disrupt what seemed clear just a few weeks ago. This is why choosing a word of the year can be very helpful. Rather than adding more goals, narrow your focus. One word that will help you decide what to say yes to, what to let go of, and how to live out your year with more intention.

My words this year are clarityAnd I’m approaching it in a different way. Not as a one-time ritual, but as an anchor to return to throughout the year. I’m going to show you how to choose a word of the year and how to actually live that word as the year unfolds.

What is the word of the year?

This will be the one word you choose to determine how you live, feel, and make decisions for the next 12 months. Instead of focusing on what you want to accomplish, focus on how you want to approach your life: your goals, routines, relationships, and daily choices.

What do you like most about choosing a word of the year? Its flexibility. Their resolutions tend to be strict and results-oriented, so they are easily abandoned when life gets in the way. Words are something to return to, not something to be completed. Provide direction without demanding perfection.

Think of your words as a lens, not a to-do list. You’re not checking it, you’re letting it shape how you see the year as it unfolds.

That’s why Word of the Year supports intention setting without adding pressure. It gives you a clear reference point when deciding what to prioritize, what to simplify, and where to focus your energy without having to pivot to another control item.

Let’s get started

Start by writing down three words that you’re drawn to right now. Don’t overthink it! These can be words you’ve noticed recently, qualities you long for, or themes that seem relevant to this season of your life.

Then take a day or two to sit down with them. Keep your list somewhere visible, like in a Notes app, on your desk, or tucked inside a journal, and notice how each word makes you feel as you go through your routine.

Finally, notice which words are repeated over and over again. The right way often shapes the way you think, perceive, and make small decisions. That’s usually your cue.

Questions to help you think

Are you stuck between a few words? Or maybe you don’t know where to start? A little reflection can add clarity. These questions cannot be answered all at once. Think of these as prompts you can come back to during your walk, in your journal, or at the end of the day.

• What would you like to do more of in your daily life this year?
• Where do you feel overwhelmed or stretched thin?
• What do you feel is missing right now?
• What qualities would help you overcome challenges more calmly?
• What words make you feel grounded rather than demanding?

As you think back, notice which words convey a feeling of support rather than desire. You’re not looking for something impressive. You want to find words that fit where you are right now and help you move forward along a roadmap that you can always return to.

What if nothing comes out?

It’s okay! There is no need to force this. If you still can’t think of a word, pause for a moment. Sometimes clarity comes from noticing patterns rather than making quick decisions. Pay attention to what you are drawn to over the next few weeks. What you read, what you crave, what feels heavy and light in your daily life.

It’s also okay to select placeholder words. Something as simple as: easily or concentration—Check back later. The word of the year is not decided on January 1st. You can look back and improve as the year progresses.

How to put your words into practice every day

Choosing your words is just the beginning. The important thing is not to follow it completely, but to return to it. You don’t need a new routine or daily ritual to keep your promises. It works best when it’s simple and flexible.

Use your words as a filter. When deciding how to spend your time, what to commit to, and what to let go, ask: Does this confirm my words or take them away from me? Even just checking in every now and then can help clarify things.

To keep your words going beyond January, try a short monthly reset.

• How did my words look this month?
• Where did I get lost?
• What small shift can you make next month?

Examples of powerful words of the year

Please remember. There is more than one right choice. You only choose what you feel is most appropriate for the season.

• Clarity: Simplify decisions, commitments, and mental noise so you can focus on what really matters
• Easily: Reduce friction in your daily life and choose something sustainable over something that feels forced.
• In person: Concentrate on what’s in front of you rather than what’s next
• courage: Act even if you feel anxious or anxious
• trust: Let go of excess control and let things unfold with more confidence
• expansion: Create space for growth, new opportunities, and a broader perspective

If one of these words evokes a feeling of relief or recognition, pay attention. It often indicates that you are on the right path.

takeout

A word of the year will give you something to come back to when life feels busy, noisy, or off track. Real value comes from revisiting your words over and over again and using them to reset, refocus, and make small adjustments along the way. Choose words that support how you want to live this year, not how you think you should be. That’s where it helps and where it tends to last.