One Word That Can Change Your Year
For years, I had friends tell me how powerful it was. At the start of each year, they would choose one word—a single guiding principle to focus their energy, decisions, and growth over the coming months. They described how it helped them stay grounded when life got messy or priorities became blurry.
I thought it was a great idea. But for some reason, I never quite made it to the point of choosing a word for myself.
Until this year.
Though I was late to the “one word” concept, now that I’ve embraced it, I can see why it’s so powerful.
A Modern-Day Touchstone
In ancient times, a touchstone was a small piece of stone used to test the purity of precious metals. By striking the metal against the stone, you could gauge its value and integrity.
Choosing a word for your year functions much the same way. It becomes your personal touchstone—a way to measure the strength, alignment, and purpose of your opportunities, challenges, and decisions throughout the year.
Does the opportunity align with your word? Does it feel inconsistent or powerful when held up against it? Does it support your focus or distract from it?
Over the Christmas season, I started reflecting on my word for 2016. Using an excellent planner from psychologist Alison Hill, I connected my word to my journey through the past year and my goals for the next. Even though I’ve only been living with my word for a few weeks, I’m already amazed at how this single point of reference has sharpened my focus and clarified my path.
Thinking About Your Word?
Have you thought about identifying a word for your year? If not, here are some questions to help you get started:
Will your word focus on one specific area of your life, like your career or relationships? Or will it reflect a broader theme for who you want to become as a whole person? For instance, if you want to lean into building deeper relationships, your word might be connect. If your life feels cluttered, you might choose simplify.
Is your word drawn from your journey so far, reflecting the next phase of growth? Or does it connect more directly to your goals for the year ahead? Maybe you’ve been growing in a particular area, and this is the year to internalize that as ownership. Or perhaps you’ve set ambitious goals for your work, and your word is stretch.
Will your word align with other areas of your life, such as family goals or shared plans? Or will it reflect a personal theme you choose independently of other factors?
Why It’s Worth It
Identifying a word for the year isn’t complicated, but it’s surprisingly powerful. It gives you clarity when decisions feel muddy and helps you stay grounded when life inevitably gets chaotic. It’s a simple exercise, but the impact can be profound.
So, is this the year you choose your word? It might just be the focus you need to make this your best year yet.