Using Your Word of the Year All Year Long

As the year draws to a close, goal-setting season is upon us. And, if you use any sort of goal-setting system, that means prep work.

I have been using and recommending the PowerSheets goal-setting planner for years. One of the many things I love about this planner is that it encouraged me to choose a word of the year. Click here for a review of the 2022 PowerSheets Goal-Setting Planner.

That said, even if you do not use PowerSheets or one of the many goal-setting systems on the market, I highly recommend having a word of the year for your goals. One reason is that a word of the year will help you remain focused on the goal or goals that truly matter to you.

I have written about the helpfulness of having a “word of the year” in a post last year. I even provided some ideas for how to choose the word in that post. But, until this past year, I didn’t do much more with the word than pin it up somewhere. Basically, I didn’t really use it.

2021 was the year where I decided I would really engage with my word of the year. And, it was such a helpful exercise that I thought I’d write a short article on some of the ways the word of the year can be put to use as we move beyond setting goals to achieving them.

In this article, I note 5 easy things anyone can do with their word of the year to put it to use and keep it at the forefront of goal-planning and goal-achieving all year long. I also include some journaling prompts to help you explore the ways this word can work in your goal-setting this year.

5 Ways to Use Your Word of the Year

In 2021, I chose the word, “becoming,” which for me felt like I was making transformation the focus of my goals. Taking a more intentional approach with my word of the year has been both a challenge and a great way to keep it central in my goal-setting process. I felt so much more connected to my word when I actually put it to use in various ways.

Here are 5 ways that I used my word:

1. Incorporated it into all my named goals. In the PowerSheets goal-setting system, the prep work walks us through various worksheets and journaling prompts to help identify the goals that we want to achieve in a particular year. Once I identified the general areas that my goals addressed (home, family, career, spiritual, etc.), I used my 2021 word of the year, “becoming,” to expand on how I wanted to approach my goals. So, I listed my family goal as “I am becoming a loving and supportive mother to my children.” Each of my goals had the word “becoming” in it, and I could envision myself growing or making changes toward the goal.
2. Found quotes with my word of the year. Each month, the PowerSheets planner has a comprehensive tracker for daily, weekly, and monthly habits and goals called a Tending List. (For more on this unique feature of the planner, see this review). At the top of the tending list is a section to include “encouraging words.” I found that another way to keep my word of the year fresh and explore different ways of applying it was by searching for quotes that include my word of the year and adding them to the encouraging words section of my Tending List. I found them in all sorts of places- books I was reading, the internet, and even scripture. A Google search with your word of the year and quotes will bring up suggestions (the number of quotes will depend on the word, of course).
3. Used it in quarterly refreshes. While my initial goals each had my word of the year woven into its description, I realized that I would not carry it forward into the year if I did not include my word in my evolving goals. After the initial prep work, the PowerSheets planner includes three quarterly refresh sections to help set goals for each quarter of the year. These mini-prep work pages encourage us to reevaluate the goals we previously set and determine what will be the goals for the 3 months that follow. As I reframed, replaced, or added new goals, I made sure to use my word of the year. Again, it helps to choose a word of the year that can be applied to any sort of goal. (Is a quarterly goal check in overwhelming? Check out this article for ideas on doing your own mid-year goals review.)
4. Displayed it. I mentioned this in the first post I wrote about choosing a word of the year. That year, a friend had sent me a plaque with my word (grace). It was lovely, and I kept it in my home office. This year, I took it a step further. I added my word to a vision board, wrote it on an index card I kept next to my bed, and wrote it out in my planners. Keeping it where I could see it was helpful in making sure that I would think about it often, and especially as I contemplated my goals.
5. Journaled about it. Writing is a great way to explore with words, and I found this also works when exploring a word. When I delved a little deeper into my word of the year, I found it had layers of meaning both in language and for me personally. I learned that becoming is something that brings me a sense of hope because it implies that I am not done growing and I am capable of doing more. Spending time with the word through writing also helped me to see the many reasons why this word was so right for me, my current season, and the goals I have set for myself.

Journaling Prompts for Your Word of the Year

Here are some journaling prompts that can help you dig deeper into the word that you have chosen as inspiration for your year:

• What was your intention in choosing your word of the year? Is that intention changing as you progress through the year with this word?
• Before you chose this word for yourself, what kind of meaning did it hold for you, if any? Did you think about it much?
• After choosing this word, what does it now mean to you? How can it help you get closer to achieving your goals?

• Look up your word of the year in the dictionary. Does it have multiple definitions? Which resonate most with you and why?
• What are the antonyms (words with opposite meaning) to your word of the year? How do these words help you know that you have chosen the right word for this year?
• If you know the word in a foreign language, or can look it up- does it have any connections to other words that, when translated in your native language, resonate with you?
• What other words did you consider for this year? How does your chosen word better suit your current goals than the ones your rejected?

Having a word of the year is a great way to hone in on the intentions we have in setting certain goals. Actively using that word, and finding ways to explore it throughout the year can be a rewarding way to uncover our desires and motivations as we set goals for ourselves.

Do you choose a word of the year? What are the ways you have used that word? Leave a comment below!

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**Image credits-images on graphics courtesy of Canva. Remaining images in this article are courtesy of Pixabay.

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