How to Have A Winning New Year. Pick a Word
One word can change your life or one cruel word spoken by another can haunt you for the rest of your life. And that’s why choosing a word for the next 365 days can be life changing instead of the traditional life sucking resolutions. Included in this post are plenty of word of the year ideas, how to pick your word of the year and what to do with your word of the year.
Word Of The Year Verses Versus New Year Resolutions
At the start of January, my health club is swamped with eager participants ready to crush their goals. By the end of the month, it’s a ghost town. All those good intentions crumpled up in a gym bag, hidden underneath the brand-new workout clothes. Been there. Done that, ended up feeling like a failure with my lack of follow through.
Resolutions are a setup for failure while a word of the year lifts you up for success.
New Year’s resolutions are the nagging relative making you feel guilty, while a one word is your best friend guiding you through the next twelve months.
How Do I Choose My Word Of The Year 2024?
It’s best to find a word that God already has already picked out for you in 2024. That’s the sweet spot word! But no pressure!
Follow the Steps Below for picking your One word.
1 See my word of the year ideas below. Scan the list and pick one or two words that seem to jump out at you or interest you.
2 Find out the definition of your word(s), this will help narrow the selection process if you can’t decide between two year of the words.
3 Write the definition and find a Bible verse of the Year to go with your year of the word.
4 Pray over your word of the year.
What are the Benefits of picking a Word of the Year?
Choosing a word of the year is easy and fun. When you’re focusing on one word throughout the day, it helps with managing your time and thoughts better throughout the day.
Your year of the word will help guide to pick better choices at the moment. For example, if your word is (present), and you’re with your kids or friends, you might really practice listening to them to honor your word.
Choosing a word might make new routines easier by sticking to that word.
Your word can get lost in the busyness of life. Keep your special word in front of you, by wearing word of the year jewelry.
Let’s Pick Your Word Of The Year
I’ve included a free printable instant downloadable word of the year worksheet to help you in this entire process. The first page will help you select your word of the year, if you’re torn between two words. The second page will help you do a deep dive into your word keeping the vision in front of you.
Step 1 -300 Word of the Year Ideas
Below is a chart of potential year of the word of the year ideas. Also I provided an easy to read numerical list.
- Abide
- Abstain
- Abundance
- Acceptance
- Accomplish
- Achievement
- Act
- Adaptable
- Advance
- Alert
- Align
- Alignment
- Anointed
- Anticipation
- Appreciate
- Arise
- Ask
- Authority
- Authentic
- Available
- Awaken
- Balance
- Be
- Becoming
- Behold
- Believe
- Better
- Beautiful
- Blameless
- Birth
- Bloom
- Blessed
- Brave
- Breakthrough
- Brilliance
- Build
- Calm
- Capable
- Change
- Choose
- Clarity
- Closer
- Committed
- Compassion
- Complete
- Confidence
- Considerate
- Connect
- Consistency
- Contentment
- Conquer
- Courage
- Courageous
- Cultivate
- Declutter
- Decrease
- Decree
- Dedicated
- Deeper
- Delight
- Deliberate
- Deliverance
- Dependent
- Depth
- Determination
- Devoted
- Discernment
- Discipline
- Discover
- Dream
- Driven
- Dwell
- Eager
- Efficient
- Elegance
- Empower
- Embrace
- Encounter
- Encourage
- Endurance
- Engage
- Energy
- Exuberant
- Expectant
- Enjoy
- Endure
- Enlighten
- Enough
- Epic
- Execute
- Exhale
- Expectant
- Explore
- Extravagance
- Excellence
- Excel
- Expend
- Faithful
- Faithfulness
- Family
- Faith
- Fasting
- Favor
- Fearless
- Fierce
- Find
- Finish
- Fight
- Flourish
- Flexible
- Focus
- Foundation
- Forgive
- Fortress
- Fortitude
- Forward
- Freedom
- Fruitfulness
- Follow
- Gather
- Gentleness
- Giving
- Glory
- Glad
- Go
- Goodness
- Grace
- Grateful
- Generosity
- Grit
- Genuine
- Hallelujah
- Happy
- Harmony
- Harvest
- Healed
- Healing
- Healthy
- Holy
- Honor
- Hope
- Humility
- Hunger
- Illuminate
- Imagine
- Increase
- Inspire
- Intentional
- Intense
- Intimacy
- Invest
- Invite
- Improve
- Jesus
- Joy
- Justice
- Kindness
- Laugher
- Learn
- Launch
- Less
- Listen
- Live
- Love
- Lovely
- Loyal
- Masterpiece
- Magnificent
- Marvelous
- Meekness
- Mercy
- Mighty
- Mindful
- More
- Motivation
- Move
- Momentum
- Multiply
- New
- Nourish
- Noble
- Now
- Nutritious
- Obedience
- Obtain
- Oneness
- Open
- Opportunity
- Organize
- Original
- Overcomer
- Overflow
- Patience
- Patient
- Passionate
- Pause
- Peace
- Permission
- Persist
- Persistence
- Plenty
- Powerful
- Practice
- Pray
- Praise
- Praiseworthy
- Preparation
- Present
- Presence
- Prevail
- Produce
- Proclaim
- Progress
- Promises
- Propel
- Prosper
- Pure
- Purposeful
- Pursue
- Push
- Quality
- Receive
- Rebuild
- Rejoice
- Relish
- Release
- Renew
- Relentless
- Repentance
- Rest
- Restoration
- Revival
- Revive
- Righteousness
- Rise
- Satisfied
- Sanctified
- Saved
- Salvation
- Savor
- Search
- Seek
- Serenity
- Serve
- Shine
- Silence
- Simplify
- Sing
- Solid
- Spiritual
- Sparkle
- Splendor
- Stability
- Stable
- Stamina
- Steadfast
- Step
- Stewardship
- Stillness
- Strength
- Strong
- Studious
- Study
- Submit
- Support
- Success
- Surrender
- Survivor
- Tenacious
- Tether
- Thrive
- Thoughtful
- Time
- Together
- Transformation
- Transition
- Treasure
- Triumph
- Trust
- Truth
- Unity
- Unshakable
- Unstoppable
- Valuable
- Victorious
- Victory
- Vision
- Virtuous
- Vitality
- Volunteer
- Vulnerable
- Wait
- Warrior
- Whole
- Willpower
- Wisdom
- Worship
- Worthy
- Worthwhile
- Yield
Congrats, If you found you’re year of the word, jump to step 4.
If you are torn between two, the digital printable will help you narrow your choice down to one word in the following three easy steps.
Step 2 Meanings
Finding the definitions for both of your potential words will provide clarification and help narrow your choice. Also, you will discover which definition fits in better with your plans, goals, and desires for 2024.
Go to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, then record definition on the word of the year printable provided.
Now find two Bible verses, one for each word by using this resource, Knowing-Jesus. This is easy, simply scroll down toward the end of the page and insert your word. Look for this box pictured below.
Find one verse for each of your words. Choose the scripture that leaps out at you and/or fits your situation. Write the Bible verses on the printable. Now you’re almost done, the next section is the fun part.
Step 3 Confirmation
Ask God which of the two words shall be yours for 2024. God will always provide confirmation, “on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.” (Deut 19:15). I suggest you pray and ask God and see what He highlights to you over the next couple of days.
Don’t rush, this word of the year will be your “friend” for 365 days! It like a scavenger hunt seeing where your word turns up. It can show up anywhere, in the Bible, a sermon, song, movie, spoken by another. The possibilities are endless. Be alert and keep your eyes open.
For instance, this happened to me when I was trying to decide between efficient and proclaim. Proclaim appeared twice during my regular Bible reading. The next day a pastor mentioned proclaim in their sermon.
I pray in Jesus’s name the Lord will show you confirming signs within the next couple days so you will know exactly which word will be yours for 2024.
If you are unsure about asking God for signs, check out our December word.
Once you feel you have confirmation, fill out page two of the printable. You can jump ahead to Step 4A since you have most of this information in your selection process.
Step 4 Definition and pick a Bible Verse Of The Year
Finding the definition, along with the synonyms at Merriam Webster, will help bring this word alive and hopefully help you met your plans and desires over 2022. Record what you find on page 2 of the free printable.
Next find a Bible verses of the year, that uses you word of the year using this resource, Knowing-Jesus. Simply scroll down toward the end of the page and insert your word. Look for this box pictured below.
Choose whatever scripture seems to leap out at you and/or fits your situation. Write your Bible Verse of the year on page 2, of the free printable. This Bible Verse of the year that includes your year of the word might be the scripture that helps guide you throughout 2024.
Step 4A Prayer
Write a heartfelt prayer to God stating why and how this word of the year along with your Bible verse of the year will guide you through 2024. Just journal why you selected this word and the outcome you desire for 2024.
Word of The Year Ideas
Keep your year of the word, along with your Bible verse of the year alive. I confess last year’s word got lost in the shuffle and I’m determined not to let that happen this year, so here are some tips to keep focused on your one word.
- Schedule it your phone’s calendar on the 1st day of every month
- Text the word to yourself
- Journal about your one word
- Get a tattoo (just kidding!!)
- Daily be Mindful of your word.
- Make your own screensaver.
- Order a calligraphy/print of your one word on fiverr.
- Or ask your kids to draw your word.
- word of the year bracelet
- word of the year necklace
The beauty of getting your children involved, they might want to select their own. Or maybe you might select one word over your entire family.
I pray your year of the word for 2024 and your Bible Verse of the year will be a blessing and setting you up for success for your entire word. Not like those resolutions that don’t see the light of day after the third week of January.
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Abide….Psalm 91:1 is going to be my key verse this year. Thank you Susan, for this wonderful tool to help me keep on course 2021. 💜
I love that word abide!!! Your key verse is perfect. I can’t wait to see what God does in your life in 2021. Abundant blessings!