Choosing Your Word: A Guiding Light for the Year Ahead
There’s something powerful about naming your intentions. It’s less about grand declarations or neatly packaged resolutions and more about listening—to yourself, your heart, your intuition, and even the Divine. For many, this is where the practice of choosing a guiding word for the year begins.
I spent an afternoon recently with clients immersed in this practice. Together, we explored words that drew us in, those that inspired or reflected the emotions we want to carry into 2025. We didn’t talk much about resolutions. Instead, we focused on the art of choosing a word—a touchstone, a compass—to help navigate the road ahead.
Why Choose a Word?
In a world that often pulls us in countless directions, a word can bring clarity. Instead of rigid goals or checklists, it’s an invitation to focus on being rather than just doing. It’s a way to pause, reflect, and set an intention that feels aligned with the kind of life you want to create and the kind of person you hope to become.
How Do You Find Your Word?
Here’s how you can get started:
Reflect. What do you hope for in the year ahead? Who do you want to become? Write everything down without judgment.
Look for Themes. As you read through your list, start identifying patterns or deeper feelings behind the things you want to do or experience. Maybe the words on your list, like “focus” and “clarity,” reveal a longing for “alignment.”
Choose a Word. This isn’t about perfection—it’s about resonance. Your word should feel like a gentle nudge toward your hopes and dreams.
Carrying Your Word with You
A word isn’t meant to collect dust in a journal. Keep it visible—as a note on your desk, a screensaver, or even part of a vision board. Let it act as your reminder to pause and realign when life pulls you in other directions.
Some years, the word emerges quickly, clear and true. Other times, it takes a little while—a slow unfolding. Either way, it’s worth the effort. This practice is about giving yourself the gift of intention and the space to grow into the life you envision.
Do you have your word yet? If not, start with the simplest of questions: What kind of person do you want to be this year? The answer might just guide you home to yourself.