How do you choose a word of the year? Use this printable to get started! It’s full of great inspirational words. You may also like my word of the year generator.
Choosing a word of the year is a great way to set a focus for a new year. I’ve been picking words of the year since 2015, and I love the way it makes me think about what matters most to me. You can read more about my past word choices here:
- 2015 Word of the Year
- 2016 Word of the Year
- 2017 Word of the Year
- 2018 Word of the Year
- 2019 Word of the Year
- 2020 Word of the Year
- 2021 Word of the Year
- 2022 Word of the Year
- 2023 Word of the Year
How to Choose a Word of the Year
What You'll Find on This Page
Sometimes it’s hard to settle on a single best word for an entire year, so I created a fun printable to help!
I created a list of words that I’ve considered over the years, and then my kids added some as well.
You can download this word of the year printable here!
I find that words that are pretty open-ended work best as words of the year. For example, fail can be daring to fail (like in a failure club). It can also mean accepting past failures so that you can move on.
Wonderful might mean noticing all the things that are already wonderful in your life. It might also mean looking for ways to make life a bit more wonderful than it already is.
Zeal can mean pursuing a dream that you’ve always wanted to truly focus on. It can also mean allowing yourself to admire the zeal you see in others without feeling you need to match their singlemindedness.
And Now a Book to Go with Your Word of the Year!
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Looking for a great read to go along with your Word of the Year? Try Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.
If you’re looking for a great planner to use in 2019, I am loving this Tools4Wisdom disc bound planner. I used to use a Happy Planner, but I’ve decided I like the layout of this brand better.
Now, I haven’t actually picked my word of the year for 2019 yet. I will probably pick something from this list, but I’d love to hear your suggestions! Share any recommendations you have in the comments below, on my Facebook page, or by tagging me on Instagram.
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
My daughter’s American Heritage Girl troop is choosing joy as their troop word of the year. They are choosing to focus on joy and not on badges or other things, but on being joyful. So I nominate joy for your word of the year ;).
You know, that’s what came up when I clicked that word generator this morning :)
What a fun way to sum up the year. My word of the year is … create
That’s a great word of the year!