Looking for word of the year ideas? This is the place you will find them with over 100 faith-based ideas to inspire your year!
In 2018 I started this blog and subsequently launched into a journey of following the online world. Little did I know the adventure I would soon be on. In January 2019, I bought my first Powersheets from Cultivate What Matters and found myself contemplating something I had never heard before and that was a word of the year.
The tradition of selecting a “Word of the Year” has become a powerful practice for many seeking to infuse their daily lives with a positive and guiding force. Whether it’s affixed to a bathroom mirror or woven into a vision board, this single word serves as a compass, directing intentions and actions throughout the entire year. As we stand on the cusp of a new year, it’s the perfect time to delve into this practice and discover how it can shape your journey ahead. There is no such thing as a perfect word, but when you pick a focus word, it will help guide your year ahead.
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Picking a Word of the Year
How does picking a word of the year work?
You know all those New Year’s Resolutions that everybody sets, but very few people continue to pursue them past the middle of January? Well instead of picking resolutions, a word of the year allows you to frame your mindset around a single word that focuses on your goals. You can set goals, but everything ties back to the single word you chose.
For example, in 2019, I chose the word, “stability”. Every goal I set centered around that word. Even if I didn’t necessarily meet the goal, I was still focused on my overarching theme.
The goal is your overarching theme, but then you will have subcategories of more specific goals and ideas.
In a world filled with constant noise, finding a single word to encapsulate your aspirations for the next year can be a great way to anchor your focus. Picture it—each morning, as you gaze into your bathroom mirror, greeted by that chosen word, it acts as a reminder of your direction and purpose. It’s not just a resolution but an overarching word that permeates your personal and professional life.
It’s a powerful way to encapsulate your aspirations, guiding actions in different areas of your life while avoiding the notion of wrong answers. Rather than listing resolutions, this practice embraces a single word that serves as a beacon, steering you toward your goals.
A printable list of potential words can serve as a starting point, yet the true essence lies in finding a word that resonates deeply with your present moment. This word isn’t just about a goal; it’s a lens through which you approach life. It’s not confined to specific resolutions that might feel binding, but rather a guiding principle that permeates various facets of your life.
For instance, if you choose “growth” as your word of the year, it can manifest in different ways: striving for personal growth through learning, career advancement, nurturing relationships, and reading the Bible in a year. or cultivating a garden. It’s a word that allows for flexibility, aligning with your values and aspirations.
The beauty of this approach is that there are no wrong answers. Each word can be a catalyst for positive change, nudging you toward your best version, with Jesus at the center, without the pressure of rigid resolutions. It’s about embracing the present moment and using this chosen word as a compass to navigate the year ahead.
Breaking Down the Word of the Year
For example, in 2019, I chose the word “stability”. I was coming off of a very frustrating year and heading into an unknown period in my life. Yet I had some very distinct goals in mind with my business and the lifestyle I wanted.
My word was stability and it shaped how I thought through the rest of my goals.
Knowing I wanted to anchor my year with stability, all of the rest of my specific goals were created in a way that led to stability. For example, I wanted our finances to be more stable so I made a goal to save at least $5,000 that year. I desperately wanted to quit my job to be a stay-at-home mom, so I narrowed my blog focus and made a goal to take a class in Christian blogging.
Another way of making your ‘action steps’ is to format a personal growth plan. The free printable even has the word of the year at the top of the page to focus on your goals.
Here are some additional steps you can take to decide upon your word of the year.
1. Reflect on Last Year
I have listed above over 100 ideas for a faith-based Word of the Year. Are you still struggling to narrow it down? Here are a few questions to ask yourself.
What was my largest struggle last year?
What was my greatest victory last year?
Looking back on the past year, did your chosen word guide you in the right direction? Perhaps it was a word like “resilience” that carried you through challenges, or “growth” that pushed you to evolve. Reflecting on the impact of your word of the year can offer insights into how you navigated the past year’s experiences.
2. Look ahead to the Future
What Bible verse has been impactful to me recently?
What has God been convicting me of lately?
How is my family doing? In what ways can I best support them?
For those new to this practice, selecting a word of the year might seem daunting. But fear not! Consider revisiting a list of words that resonated with you in previous years. Sometimes, your word might find you—a sudden spark of inspiration in a moment of reflection. It could be an inspirational word like “clarity,” “joy,” or “courage” that speaks directly to your heart.
3. Pray and Seek God’s Will
One of the most important things you can do when thinking about your word of the year is to pray and seek God’s will.
God, what do you have in store for me this year?
How do you want me to mature and grow spiritually this year?
God, how do you want me to serve and lead the people you have placed in my life?
Once your word is chosen, embrace it fully. Create a vision board, write it in calligraphy, or incorporate it into your daily routine. Share it with friends or join communities that center around similar motivational words. Additionally, consider exploring affiliate links to resources or books that can further enrich your understanding and application of your word of the year.
Faith-Based Word of the Year Ideas
Use these personal word-of-the-year ideas to shape your year and add clarity as you strive for a better year!
I always like to contemplate the Fruits of the Spirit as options for my year before I move on to others.
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Gentleness
- Self-control
- Faithfulness
- Abundance
- Able
- Accomplish
- Adventure
- Align
- Authentic
- Available
- Aware
- Balance
- Become
- Better
- Bless
- Bold
- Breathe
- Bright
- Calm
- Celebrate
- Centered
- Challenge
- Change
- Commitment
- Compassion
- Confidence
- Connect
- Conquer
- Creativity
- Cultivate
- Daring
- Dedicated
- Delight
- Devotion
- Discipline
- Distance
- Dream
- Embrace
- Empower
- Expansion
- Express
- Faith
- Feast
- Fit
- Focus
- Forgiveness
- Fortitude
- Foster
- Free
- Friendship
- Giving
- Grace
- Gratitude
- Grounded
- Honesty
- Hope
- Humility
- Integrity
- Intentional
- Journey
- Joy
- Learn
- Listen
- Magnify
- Meek
- Mindful
- Nourish
- Nurture
- Organize
- Passion
- Permission
- Persistence
- Play
- Power
- Present
- Progress
- Purpose
- Radiant
- Recovery
- Relationships
- Release
- Reset
- Resolute
- Rise
- Risk
- Savvy
- Service
- Serendipity
- Simplicity
- Slow
- Smile
- Stability
- Strong
- Teach
- Thrive
- Tranquil
- Whole
- Yes
One-Year Bible Reading Plan!
Want to dive deeper into your faith this year? Increase your relationship with Jesus? Understand the Bible more? Then the one-year Bible reading plan is for you! We will work our way chronologically through the Bible starting in January and finishing in December.
Don’t worry! You don’t have to start in January, you can start at any point of the year!
Exploring the Deeper Meaning
Here’s a deeper exploration of Christian word-of-the-year ideas:
- Faith: At the core of Christianity lies faith—trust and belief in God’s promises. Choosing “faith” as your word of the year can deepen your reliance on God’s guidance and providence throughout all circumstances.
- Grace: The concept of God’s unmerited favor and forgiveness is encapsulated in the word “grace.” Embracing this word for the year can inspire acts of kindness, forgiveness, and a deeper understanding of God’s love.
- Hope: In times of adversity or uncertainty, “hope” serves as an anchor for the soul. Making it your word of the year can foster a sense of optimism and anticipation for God’s promises.
- Renewal: “Renewal” signifies a fresh start and a transformation. It can encourage a focus on spiritual growth, allowing old habits to fade away while embracing new, God-centered practices.
- Service: Centering your year around “service” emphasizes Christ’s call to love and serve others. It might prompt you to actively seek opportunities to help and support those in need.
- Wisdom: Seeking “wisdom” aligns with the biblical teachings of seeking God’s guidance in decision-making and discernment. It involves understanding God’s will and applying it to daily life.
- Peace: Amid life’s chaos, “peace” becomes a poignant word. Choosing it can mean actively pursuing tranquility, both within oneself and in relationships, through reliance on God’s peace.
- Gratitude: Living with an attitude of “gratitude” aligns with biblical teachings to give thanks in all circumstances. It helps foster contentment and appreciation for God’s blessings.
- Courage: “Courage” aligns with various biblical passages encouraging believers to be strong and courageous in the face of challenges, relying on God’s strength.
- Love: The ultimate Christian virtue, “love” encompasses the core of Jesus’ teachings. It can prompt a year centered on selfless love for God and others.
Incorporating these Christian words of the year into daily devotionals, prayer, Bible study, and reflection can deepen their impact in personal spiritual growth. Additionally, exploring Christian literature, devotionals, or resources related to these words can provide further insights and inspiration.
Remember, the beauty of selecting a Christian word of the year lies in its significance and how it resonates with your faith journey. It’s about drawing closer to God and allowing His presence to shape your life throughout the year.
Make the Most of Your Word of the Year
Now that you have chosen a word of the year, how do you make the most of it? Don’t let it just sit in a folder somewhere, that’s no better than setting goals and forgetting about them by mid-January!
- Place your word somewhere prominent.
- Don’t hide it! Frame it and place it where you frequently will see and read it.
- Take action steps.
- Now that you have your word, you need some action steps! Downloading the personal growth plan is a helpful way to formulate these.
- Do regular check-ins
- Are you living out your word of the year ideas? At the beginning of the year, it’s helpful to do this every day, but as the year progresses you could do ‘monthly check-ins’.
You are not married to your word of the year! Feel free to change it up and modify it as the year progresses. Often God takes us on a path that we did not expect. Submit to his timing and will and switch up your word if you need to! Go back to the word of the year ideas list and choose another, it’s that simple.
Breaking down your overarching word into smaller, monthly focuses can also be incredibly rewarding. Assign each month a specific aspect or interpretation of your word. For instance, if your word is “balance,” January could be about work-life balance, while February could focus on emotional equilibrium.
You could also choose a family word of the year, which is a great idea if you are a homeschooling or homesteading family! In each area of life, the word of the year acts as a guiding principle, influencing decisions and actions. Integrating this practice into family discussions, business planning sessions, or homesteading strategies can align everyone toward a common goal. It also provides a framework for growth and improvement throughout the year.
Moreover, the beauty lies in the flexibility of interpretation. While a word might have a primary focus, its application can be multifaceted, touching different aspects of life in meaningful ways.
Conversations about the word of the year within the family can foster shared goals and values. In business, it can become a rallying point for employees, aligning efforts toward a collective vision. And in homesteading, it can lead to practices that not only sustain the land but also nourish the spirit of stewardship.
Ultimately, the word of the year becomes a thread that weaves through the fabric of daily life, guiding, inspiring, and uniting efforts across various domains.
Resources
Has this inspired you to pick a word of the year from my word of the year ideas list?
One thing that I’m choosing to do in 2024 is have my word physically displayed. I have found some truly wonderful artists on Etsy that have beautiful designs to choose from. I’m putting it by my workstation to be able to see and look at it throughout the year.
Here are a few other resources that I use and love when I’m focusing my year.
Choosing a Christian word of the year can significantly impact your life, infusing each day with a positive, faith-centered focus. It’s about embracing a word that resonates with your beliefs and guides you throughout the entire year, weaving its significance into different aspects of your life.
Reflecting on the last year, perhaps you discovered the power of a word guiding your actions. This year, consider diving deeper into this practice by breaking your chosen word down into smaller, actionable segments—like a word of the month. For instance, if your word is “faith,” you might explore different dimensions of faith each month: trust, perseverance, prayer, and so on.
In your personal life, this can be a great way to bring spirituality into daily routines. Whether it’s through prayer, meditation, or studying scriptures, your word becomes a gentle reminder of your yearly theme.
Drawing from previous years’ experiences, this might not be your first time choosing a word of the year. Each year, the word might lead you in unexpected yet profound ways, providing insights for the next year.
As you consider words for the upcoming year, explore a list of Christian word-of-the-year ideas. Words like “grace,” “abundance,” “forgiveness,” or “compassion” can serve as inspirational and motivational words for the year ahead, aligning with core Christian values.
While traditional New Year’s resolutions often fade, an overarching word serves as a phrase of the year—a beacon guiding you in the right direction based on your core values.
Crafting a vision board can visually represent your great word for the whole year, reminding you of your yearly theme. It becomes a tangible expression of your faith journey, illustrating how your chosen word weaves through different aspects of life.
In essence, selecting a Christian word of the year goes beyond fleeting resolutions. It’s about embracing a word that resonates with your faith, shaping your thoughts, actions, and spiritual growth in the best ways possible throughout the year.
In essence, a word of the year isn’t just a fleeting resolution—it’s an intentional guide that journeys with you throughout the whole year. It shapes your perspective, decisions, and growth. So, as you contemplate your New Year’s resolutions, consider embracing the power of a single word—a beacon of positivity and direction for the upcoming year.
