You’ve thought about what you want for your year ahead, and you’ve chosen a word for the year. Now what? All that careful thought (and sometimes research)–you don’t want to forget it in a few weeks. In this post, I share 16 creative ideas for what to do with your word of the year.
Choosing a word for the year or for a season can be a beautiful practice. There are so many reasons to try this. Some choose one as a theme for their year. Others choose something that reflects their hopes and prayers or maybe their goals. Many will pray about it and let God guide them to a word and only He knows how it will unfold. No matter what, it’s a wonderful practice to add to your planning journey and to enrich your faith life. (If you haven’t ever done this, check out my post about How to Choose Your Word of the Year.)
Once you have yours, it can be a challenge to know what to do with it. Write it down. Yes. But what else? I’ve learned that if I don’t do something with my it, I may forget about it. By the end of the year, I won’t remember what I selected. If your word of the year feels like a one-time thing and you’re not happy with that, then read on for some ways it can become part of your daily or weekly faith rhythms.
What to Do with Your Word of the Year: 16 Creative Ideas
#1. Talk to God about it.
Ask God for how you can learn more about your word. Pray. And then pray that He would show you ways you can learn from it.
#2. Put your word of the year somewhere you’ll see it.
Write it down somewhere you will see it every single day. Even if it’s a sticky note on your computer. Or in your planner. Move that sticky note to each day/week/month.
#3. Tell other people.
This can be an accountability thing! When you tell people you have chosen a word of the year, they may ask you why and what you plan to do with it. They can also help you find places it appears. A friend was given a bookmark with her word on it one year. Another received a lovely journal with the word on the cover.
#4. Dedicate a whole page to it.
Dedicate a page in your journal or planner exclusively to your word. Write it at the top. Be prepared to fill the page and maybe even more pages throughout the year.
#5. Learn more about it.
Spend time with a dictionary, analog or digital. Fill your Word Page with definitions, synonyms, antonyms.
#6. Find Bible verses that contain your word.
If your word is in the Bible, spend time looking up verses where your it appears. It’s helpful to use multiple translations. This is easy to do on BibleGateway. Some years my word has shown up more than 500 times in the Bible.
#7. Find similar words in the Bible.
Even if your word is not specifically in the Bible, as you study God’s Word, consider what else you may need. One year I chose “focus,” and my intent was I needed to focus on writing instead of being distracted by all kinds of other activities. The word “focus” was not in my translation of the Bible (ESV), I discovered it in The Message and other translations. I also learned that it came from Latin for “domestic hearth.” So cool! As I explored, the word became even more meaningful for me.
#8. Do a word study.
As I did with above, do some word studies on your word. What is its etymology? Check out this website that may help you begin. If it’s in the Bible, then use the Blue Letter Bible or another language resource to determine the Hebrew or Greek words. That’s only the beginning of an adventure!
#9. Watch for your word of the year in the real world.
Be on the lookout for your word everywhere you go and then capture the memorable quotes on your Word Page or in your journal. You can take a shortcut and Google your word to see what you uncover. Be sure to check out the following:
- Music, hymns, praise songs
- Television shows/movies
- Books
- Poetry
- Even advertisements!
#10. Create a word of the year sketch.
Even if you aren’t an artist, you can do this with pen and paper, crayons or colored pencils. I am not an artist but I love to create visual reminders for things that are important to me. Play with this. Write your word in the middle of a page in bubble letters. Circle it. Then hang it somewhere you’ll see it often. Each month, add something to it (from ideas above), and by the end of the year, it’s a wonderful memory. (See ideas from Visual Faith Ministries and their Logos 365 practice for faith art.)
#11. Make it your phone’s background.
Use (free) Canva to create images with your word that you can make into a background or wallpaper on your digital devices.
#12. Crosstitch your word.
Crosstitch (or embroider) your word on a bookmark or small wall hanging.
#13. Journal about your word of the year.
Journal the reasons you chose this word at the beginning of your journey. When you learn something new about it – or when you discover a new connection to your life – journal about that. At the end of the year, reflect again in your journal.
#14. Create WordArt with your word.
Create WordArt using an online generator like this one or even try using AI. You could even do this without digital tools. One year I made a WordArt for my brother and gave him a mug with the image for his birthday. I may do this for myself this year!
#15. Create an acrostic.
If you like to play with words and poetry, create an Acrostic poem. Write the word vertically and next to each letter, write another word that describes it.
#16. Reflect on your word of the year.
At the end of the year, return to your journal and reflect on how God has been at work in you with this word.
The Most Important Thing to Do
Hopefully these ideas will spark some of your own as you begin your journey with your word this season. Most importantly, ground yourself in God’s Word as you play with your word. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14 ESV).
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