I shared a page from my bullet journal about my word of the year on social media and had a TON of questions from my followers, so figured I’d write a post about it instead of answering questions over and over.
For the last six years, I’ve picked a word to guide my focus for the year. It helps shape all the decisions I make and keeps me focused on creating the changes I desire in my life.
A few people wanted to know where this concept came from. It’s been popular online for the last 5 or 6 years, but as far as I’m aware, it originated with Ali Edwards’ One Little Word program in 2006.
This post really isn’t about how to pick your word, because there are a lot of amazing resources for that online already (see resources at the bottom of this post).
The only thing I’ll add is that your word needs to feel like it fits. Some years you’ll need a more active word because you’re in a season of growing. Other years, you’re needing more rest and rejuvenation and will want something softer. I was craving a gentler ride in 2016, so my word was EASE. It fit perfectly and taught me a lot about ways I can handle my business life in a way that felt less stressful. In 2017, I’m determined to get out of my own way and say yes to things that scare me, so I’ve chosen LEAP for my word.
Sidenote: If you want to learn more about the stages you naturally go through as you progress in life, Molly from Stratejoy has an awesome article about why you shouldn’t compare yourself to others who are in a different stage than you. She explains the Cycle of Years that we all go through. I highly recommend checking it out!
Today I’m sharing some ideas for implementing your word of the year into your life once you’ve chosen it. This picture is the post that started the landslide of messages I received. I asked, “How can I LEAP in 2017?” Then I applied that to different areas of my life. It gave me a unique perspective and I saw there were things I could do in all areas of my life to leap, rather than just in my business.
Last year I added my word of the year to the front of my bullet journal. This kept it in my mind because I saw it often.
Create a Vision Board
Another fun idea is to create a vision or inspiration board. You can do this by googling your word or searching on Pinterest. You could even make a Pinterest board for your word. It’s really easy to put them together using the collage feature on PicMonkey or by using an app like Photogrid.
Once you have your collage made, you can print it out to hang up where you’ll see it every day, or save it as your phone wallpaper or the desktop background on your computer.
For more info on how to create a vision board, visit this article from Christine Kane.
Themed Reading List
Another great idea is to create a list of books to read that support your word of the year. Here’s the list I’ve put together so far for my word, Leap.
- The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
- The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
- Wild by Cheryl Strayed
- You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
- Let’s all be Brave by Annie F. Downs
- Wild & Free by Hayley Morgan
- The Universe has your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein
If you have any other suggestions for me, I’d love to hear them. You can leave them in the comment section below.
Another idea, which I haven’t done yet is to create your own personal manifesto about how you’re going to apply the word to your life this year. If you’d rather journal, I think that’s a great idea to really revel in your word.
Monthly Quotes
I found 12 quotes that go along with my word for the year. I plan to use one each month and write it in my bullet journal and on my monthly calendar page.
Resources for Picking your Word of the Year
I personally go through a year-end review and goal setting process, and a very small part of that is picking my word of the year. It’s been a favorite feature of my blog readers for the last several years. The workbook includes over 60 pages of worksheets that will help you set goals for the new year. Click here for more information.
Another great resource is Ali Edwards’ One Little Word Workshop.
Also check out Susannah Conway’s 5 day course and workbook to help you find your word of the year.
Join the Conversation
Have you picked your word of the year yet? If so, I’d love to hear what you picked. Share it in the comments below.
