
If one word could define how you want 2025 to unfold for you, what is that single word?
I asked my husband this very question one morning this week and he stared at me blankly, so if you’re having the same reaction, you’re completely normal. It should provoke some deep thought!
Choosing a word to define your upcoming year has gained popularity recently as a way to simplify goal setting, making it more approachable, meaningful, and without the rigidity of typical New Year’s resolutions.
But is it another useless social media trend, or is there some validity to it?
Answer: This concept isn't just a trend; it's a powerful tool for intentional living. And here’s why it works:
Reason 1: It promotes focus
Choosing a single word will act as a mental anchor to keep bringing you back to what you want and why. That single word will cut through the noise of everyday life by keeping you connected to that central idea, which will provide clarity and help guide your priorities.
Reason 2: It fosters intention and commitment
Your word will also begin to act as a filter for choices, helping you remain aligned with your commitment to self. Each time you think of your word, visualize it, or say it out loud to yourself, you’ll deepen your intention to embody the concept that your word defines. That single word will evoke an emotional response that links back to who you are and who you want to become. It’ll keep you mindful of your progress, helping you recalibrate as needed.
Reason 3: It reminds you that you’re in control
Choosing a word to define your year is also a powerful way to remind you that you’re in control of the things you want. Living up to that word is not someone else’s responsibility nor can you rely on chance circumstances—embodying that word is solely in your hands. You must make the decisions, take the action, and align your mindset with what you want. You are the CEO of your life.
Do these three reasons leave you feeling intrigued by the concept of coming up with your own word to define 2025? If so, here’s how to choose your word!
Step 1: Brainstorm what you want to achieve
Set a timer for five minutes. Brainstorm everything that you want to achieve. For example, you might have goals that fall into any of the following categories: personal, professional, physical, relationship, mindset, financial, etc. If you feel blocked, keep asking, “What else?” Don’t give up and don’t be judgemental. Your goals will begin to flow and when they do, you might go longer than five minutes. If you have more to get out of your brain, don’t stop because the clock did!
Step 2: Brainstorm how you'll feel if you achieve your goals
Set another timer for five minutes. Brainstorm generally how you want to feel this year and specifically how you’ll feel when you achieve the goals you listed. Things like peaceful, confident, optimistic, grateful, energetic, excited, might come up. Keep digging. Each time you get stuck, ask “What else?” and uncover another layer. Again, if the ideas take you beyond five minutes, that’s okay. Just don’t give up before you’ve reached that time domain.
Step 3: Consider words that might apply
Review everything that you’ve written down. Consider what words might encapsulate everything that you want for yourself in 2025. Brainstorm, use a dictionary, a thesaurus, or even Google for options. Is there one word that stands out? If so, go with it!
Step 4 (Optional): Get a little help
If you haven’t found a word on your own, ChatGPT is a whiz at this. When I did this exercise, I took the results of my brainstorming and created a list. Then I plugged it into ChatGPT and asked for words—it was such a useful way to get clarity.
If you want to try this, create a word document with:
Give me 3 different words to define my year. Here’s what I want to achieve in 2025:
[INSERT YOUR LIST OF WANTS FOR 2025]
Here’s how I want to feel in 2025:
[INSERT YOUR LIST OF HOW YOU WANT TO FEEL IN 2025]
Then go to https://chatgpt.com, and paste all of that into the “What can I help with?” field. Then hit enter.
Review what ChatGPT gives you and if none of the words resonate, paste this sentence in below:
Give me three more words and make them [INSERT A DESCRIPTION OF HOW YOU WANT THEM TO BE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU WERE ALREADY GIVEN]
Keep doing this until you land on a word that feels like the perfect fit.
Step 5: Make it visible
Once you have the word that encapsulates just how you want 2025 to go, you MUST do this last step to truly tap into your year-defining word.
Make that word visible. Put it on display. This could mean putting it on:
Your phone’s wallpaper
Your computer’s wallpaper
Your computer monitor
Your bathroom mirror
Your fridge or somewhere else in your kitchen
Your car's dash
A bracelet or necklace
Your body in the form of a tattoo (if you're feeling particularly bold/committed)
You need to see this word regularly to remind yourself of its power in helping you define the year you want. Don’t do this work only to forget about it within a couple of weeks because your word has the power to transform you. Leverage the power of your intention, commit to the word, and live the life you’ve been dreaming about!
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