How to Choose 1 Word for 1 Year
Let's dive deeper into how to practically choose a Word of the Year. Where does the inspiration come from? What do you do if you are stuck? Here are the answers you are looking for!
In 2011, my life changed.
I changed because I chose a Word of the Year. The change was dramatic in 2011 — it was a year of FREEDOM. But the greater change has come through the consistency of choosing a new word every subsequent year. Consistency compounds. Let that sink in. Your consistent, everyday actions change you more than a beautiful moment.
“Consistency compounds.”
So the year-in, year-out action of choosing a Word, and regularly, intentionally learning and growing from that Word has shaped me more than if 2011 was the ONLY year I participated in the project.
2 Ways to Choose a Word of the Year
If you haven’t chosen a word for 2024, you aren’t too late (even if you have stumbled on this post partway through the year…start now!). For the next few weeks, I will expand on how to learn and grow from your 2024 Word of the Year. This week, we’ll take a deeper look at how to choose your 2024 Word of the Year.
Most years, I have a Word for the upcoming year chosen by the middle of December. This year I was behind, and I’m not sure why. It’s possible I was still so engaged in my 2023 Word (PEACE) that I wasn’t ready to think about a new Word. I could have been more distracted this year.
Whatever the reason, I was a little caught off guard at the close of 2023 and had no clue what my new word would be.
1. Pay attention
Most years, I have a general sense of a direction, phrase, or word I want to focus on. In 2012, I chose the word RISK because of a book I read — The Machine Gun Preacher. I was impressed by the risks he was willing to take to minister to the people he was called to. In 2016, I read a scripture out of the book of Isaiah about restoration.
You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again. -Isaiah 58:12
It was the impetus for me to make RESTORE my 2017 Word of the Year.
In 2020, I walked A LOT and listened to A LOT of podcasts. During one of those walks, I heard an interview with Pastor Michael Todd who talked about the challenge in his life to stride with God instead of strive for success. My 2021 Word of the Year was STRIDE.
“What has God pointed out to you recently?”
This is a great way to choose a Word of the Year — look toward something God has pointed out to you in your natural everyday life. However, I didn’t have that prompt for this year, so I took a different route.
2. Be creative and brainstorm
Here is how I came to my 2024 Word of the Year over 4-5 days:
Brainstorm | I took 2-3 days to sit and brainstorm ideas for words. Each session wasn’t much longer than 10 minutes. I wasn’t very choosy in what I wrote down. I also allowed myself to make note of a word that popped up multiple days. At the end of this process, I had a list of 15 words (three of which were repeated).
Narrow | I took a day to narrow down this list. I started by just crossing out words that didn’t seem right. I was pretty straightforward. If I didn’t feel it, I crossed it off.
Narrow pt 2 | After my first narrowing, I cut my list in half to 8 words. I took another day to narrow this list to four and then two words. At this point, I was torn between the two. I liked both. In fact, I was able to preach on the topic of Word of the Year on Sunday, December 31, and I had not chosen between the words at that point.
Choose | On January 1, I bit the bullet and chose a word…CONTENTMENT.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the years is the word is not nearly as important as the process. It’s the process that teaches me. The day-in and day-out shapes me more than the word itself.
“It’s the process that teaches me.”
The process is a great concept for choosing your Word. Let it simmer a bit. Give yourself some time. I love that I gave myself a few days. At the same time, I didn’t procrastinate.
So no matter what route you take to choosing your Word, you can’t choose wrong. So as Nike says, “Just do it.”
BONUS: My first Lesson of 2024
I officially chose my Word on January 1, but I had a good idea on New Year’s Eve. So that day when my pastor stood up and challenged us to think back over 2023 and list at least one thing we were grateful for, I knew I had my first lesson.
If I want to be content with my life, I need to begin with gratitude for what God has already done. No matter how good or bad I feel like 2023 was, there were great things that happened. In that short span of a couple of minutes, I listed these things:
seeing my older son passionate about serving and following Jesus
having all of my family home during the Christmas break
the opportunity to travel with Kia and my younger son to Brazil in August
taking a week-long family vacation to Florida in May
As I mentally made that list, my heart shifted. My life was good.
To be completely honest, I am not looking forward to 2024. Mostly, I am dreading the political season we seem to be headed. For me to be content with my current reality — chaotic or peaceful — I need to be grateful for the beautiful things in my life.
I hope this encourages you too.
Share your Word.
I have been collecting some great stories of people who have and will be participating in the Word of the Year. I’ll share some of these in the coming weeks.
If you have a story of growth from past years of participating in the Word of the Year, would you share it with me (either in the comments or replying to this email)?
If you have chosen your 2024 Word of the Year, leave a comment with your Word!
Writing + Advent Playlist
I don’t know if we have the same taste in music, but here are some songs to explore. All the links go to Spotify. While writing this post, this is some of what I was listening to:
Best of 2023 Playlist - Artist Austin Kleon’s favorites from 2023
Fear is Not My Future - Maverick City
The Prince - Madeon