Today I’m talking all about picking a word of the year for 2022 and sharing 100 ideas to help you pick one! This is a great alternative to New Years Resolutions or a way to organize all of your different goals. 

 

Picking a Word of the Year

Have you picked a “Word of the Year” before?

The practice of choosing a “Word of the Year” is that, instead of setting a lot of different New Years Resolutions, you select one single word to be your focus for the year.

You can use that word to set goals or intentions for each area of your life but have them all tie back to the single word. For example, if your word of the year was “abundance” you might have sub-goals of investing in an abundant number of friendships, or hitting an income goal, or spending more quality time with the people you love without your phone. “Discipline” could entail going to the gym, sticking to an evening routine, and no longer being late to meetings. 

By tying all of your goals back to your overarching word, it is easy to keep them front-of-mind. 

Put the word in prominent places in your life to keep it top of mind – your phone screen, on your fridge, on the front of your planner.

Breaking down my Word of the Year

The first time I picked a word of the year was back in 2017. I used the following two quotes to help guide my choice: 

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” -Unknown

My word was: Uncomfortable.

When picking my word for 2017, I wanted something that would remind me to take risks, to do things differently than I’ve been doing them. I wanted the reminder to sacrifice what I want now for what I want more. I wanted it to work for my goals in my family, in my relationships, in my personal growth, and in this blog. Here’s what I wrote:

“I wanted 2017 to be a year of discomfort.

It means more trips with the kids in tow, even if it would be easier to stay home.

It means less about me and more about others.

It means more rigorous workouts and waking up earlier.

It means more patience, more presence, and new habits.

It means more projects that challenge me.

It means getting myself off the couch, out from behind the screen, and away from excuses.

Some of the discomfort will be forced. We have some big family changes coming this year and the new + different will inevitably mean a bit of discomfort. But a lot of it will come only by choosing it, from making time for things that are not what I’ve been choosing for the last few years.”

The next year I chose the word “discipline” and listed the different areas of my life and what discipline would look like in each of them. I’ve used a handful of words over the years and now it’s time to pick a word for 2022!

 

Still looking for your word for 2022?

I’ve listed some of my favorites but before you pick one, take a while to think about what your goals are, who you really want to work on becoming in 2022. What are characteristics of that person? What do your goals for different aspects of your life have in common?

Maybe you’re searching for more simplicity in your business and home life?

Maybe you’re looking to be more daring in your relationships and in your work?

I love the theme a word of the year sets to your goals + direction in the new year. Once you’ve picked it, set it as your phone’s lock screen. Write it on the bathroom mirror (in dry-erase marker). Frame it for your desk or your nightstand. Keep it in the forefront of your mind and use it to set smaller monthly goals throughout the year.

 I hope one of these speaks to you!

2022 Word of the Year Ideas

• 1. Abundance
  2. Adventure
  3. Align
  4. Authentic
  5. Available
  6. Aware
  7. Balance
  8. Become
  9. Better
  10. Bless
  11. Bold
  12. Breathe
  13. Bright
  14. Calm
  15. Celebrate
  16. Centered
  17. Challenge
  18. Change
  19. Commitment
  20. Compassion
  21. Confidence
  22. Connect
  23. Creativity
  24. Cultivate
  25. Daring
  26. Dedicated
  27. Delight
  28. Devotion
  29. Discipline ** (my word for 2018)
  30. Distance
  31. Dream
  32. Embrace
  33. Emerge
  34. Empower
  35. Expansion
  36. Express
  37. Faith
  38. Feast
  39. Fit
  40. Focus
  41. Forgiveness
  42. Foster
  43. Free
  44. Friendship
  45. Glow
  46. Giving
  47. Grace
  48. Gratitude
  49. Grounded
  50. Honesty
  51. Hope
  52. Humility
  53. Integrity
  54. Intentional
  55. Intuition
  56. Journey
  57. Joy
  58. Kind
  59. Learn
  60. Listen
  61. Love
  62. Magnify
  63. Meek
  64. Mindful
  65. Motion
  66. Nourish
  67. Nurture
  68. Organize
  69. Passion
  70. Peace
  71. Permission
  72. Persistance
  73. Play
  74. Polish
  75. Power
  76. Present
  77. Progress
  78. Radiant
  79. Recovery
  80. Relationships
  81. Release
  82. Reset
  83. Resolute
  84. Rise
  85. Risk
  86. Savvy
  87. Service
  88. Simplicity
  89. Slow
  90. Smile
  91. Space
  92. Sparkle
  93. Strong
  94. Teach
  95. Thrive
  96. Tranquil
  97. Whole
  98. Yes
  99. Zen
  100. Zest

 

 

Favorite Journals + Planners to use with your Word of the Year for 2021:

• this linen bound journal from Promptly Journals (it is even more beautiful in person – find more options directly on their website here)
• this spiral bound weekly + monthly planner (less than $15) 
• I’ve found Anthropologie always has a highly curated GREAT selection of high quality planners (shop them here) 

Have you picked a word for the year? I’d love to hear it!

A few other posts you might love: 

• now that you’ve picked your “Word of the Year,” 10 things to do with it
• my favorite clean energy drink (ditch the soda + coffee for this in 2022 and your body will thank you) 
• New Year Resolutions for moms

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