About this time every year, people begin new planners, set new goals, and sometimes choose a Word of the Year. This practice may seem gimmicky. But if it’s done with purpose, it’s a beautiful practice you’ll return to again and again. In this post, I’ll guide you through how to choose your word of the year.
Why choose a word of the year?
Some may think choosing a word of the year is a waste of good time. What’s to be gained by picking a random word for a new year? Indeed. If it is random, then there is really nothing to be gained. You might as well pick a shirt of the year or a tree of the year.
But I’m a word person, and I appreciate the importance of words. I almost wrote, “the power of words,” but that’s tricky. There is only One whose words have real power. Take a look at these two key verses from the Bible:
“And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”
Genesis 1:2 (ESV)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
John 1:1-3 (ESV)
Yes, God’s Word is omnipotent. His words are powerful.
Our words are not.
But they do matter. Just think about what it means when you hear, “I love you.” Or “You got this.” Or worse, if you hear, “I hate you” or “You’re a failure.”
Yes, words matter.
So, while you could choose a color of the year or even a painting of the year, which actually sounds like a fun thing to try, most people choose a word for the year, something that sets the tone.
How to Choose Your Word of the Year
First pray. Ask the Lord to guide you as you choose. It doesn’t have to be a long or complicated prayer. It can be simple. “Lord, help me choose a word for the year that will help me love You and love my neighbor.” Because isn’t this what it’s all about?
For some of you, a word may just jump into your heart. This is what I need most, you’ll think. Sometimes a word will connect with a goal for your upcoming year. For example, one year when I felt particularly overwhelmed, I chose simplify. Another year, after struggling to get down to business with my novel-writing, I chose focus. If you foresee big changes for your year ahead, you may decide courage is a good fit.
You can find countless lists online to jumpstart your thinking as you pray your way to a word for the year.
Now what?
Some years, I did nothing with the word except write it on a card and pin it to my bulletin board and think about it every so often. That’s okay.
More recently, however, I have seen this word as part of my faith life. What can this word help me learn about myself and more importantly, about my Lord? Visual Faith® Ministry has a beautiful practice with resources for their Logos 365 practice which has helped me learn how to play with this word all year long. (Check out their practice here.)
(Unfamiliar with visual faith? Start here.)
Start with the basics.
Look up the word in a regular dictionary. A hardback book or online.
Dig into the history of the word. (One resource which I’ve had in my toolbox for years is the Oxford English Dictionary which is a valuable one for anyone who geeks out on language.)
Another good resource is Websters 1828 Dictionary. Yes, this is the famous 19th century dictionary guy of Merriam-Webster fame who is also known for reforming the spelling of many words from British English. Like center instead of centre. And color instead of colour.
Search online for places that use the word — books, news stories, songs, poems. Keep your ears and your eyes open to find it everywhere. You will be surprised and blessed! Take notes. Tell your family and friends about your word.
Most importantly, search your Bible for the word or similar words. Use a concordance or this online resource to look up words in more than 200 versions of the Bible. Find one or two verses that can accompany your word of the year.
Write it down.
Even if you aren’t a journaler or planner, find a place to capture your collection for your word of the year. A place where you can write your definitions, Bible verses, lyrics, and more. One year I played with my word in Canva and created a piece of word art to print. That same year I gifted a mug with word art for my brother whose word was patience. (Again, Visual Faith® has a downloadable resource notebook you may want to use!)
I love to doodle, so I create my own hand-lettered designs with markers, colored pencils, and lots of pencils and erasers. It’s always about the process and not about the product!
What a word of the year is not.
Your word of the year is not magic. It’s not something that will manifest a reality in your life if you say it over and over all year long. It’s not going to make something come true if you create a vision board with your word plastered all over.
Nope. It doesn’t work like that.
It’s a faith journey.
Your word of the year can be part of a journey into God’s Word. Even if the word itself is not in the Bible, once you start digging into your word, you’ll find connections, verses, and even people who struggled with what you’re struggling with or who learned what you’re trying to learn.
Go where the Holy Spirit leads you, and prepare to be delighted.
Want more on how to choose your word of the year? Check out the posts below:
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