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2023 Word of the Year (and 100 ideas for yours)

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:

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

A few other posts you might love: 

Pin it for later: 

100 ideas for your "Word of the Year" and what to do once you've picked it

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29 Comments

  1. Nice list of words. Thanks for sharing. I was looking for a unique word that can hijack my attention and found your list. Quite interesting article.

  2. I picked courage because this will be my first year in college and it will take a lot of courage for me to continue college. I never knew it would be this hard.

    1. Khadijah, college can be difficult and rewarding. too. Hoping the journey becomes easier for you. Wishing you the best. AF

  3. My 2021 word has been UNCERTAINTY. And it’s been very applicable, in more ways than I wish. lol. So my 2022 word is RELEASE. I initiated a One Word 2021 community at the beginning of this year that turned out to be SO helpful in helping me stick with my word. We’re going to continue it into 2022! I’ve been working this week on getting the signups and things ready. I’m excited.

  4. Confidence is my word for 2022 I am confident i am getting through things this year.