It’s that time of year again.
The time of year where people sit down with a notebook and a pencil nub or a pen nearly out of ink and write down their list of New Year’s Resolutions. It has been many years since I made a list of resolutions. I quit when I realized how unlikely I was to keep them. Statistically, only 8-10% of people keep their New Years Resolutions, and I am not in that number.
However, one of my friends introduced me to Word of the Year, and I’ve found that to be a blessing. I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned it here before, but if you’re not familiar with Word of the Year (commonly referred to by the acronym WOTY), you should definitely give it a try. I’m not sure where the true origin of the idea is, but it’s a small, basic act that may have a big impact. You simply choose a word to be your guiding light for the year. Maybe something you want to pursue, maybe something you desire to have more of, maybe a word that reminds you to take action.
Some people choose amazing and colorful words. One of my sisters always chooses nouns—like dove (for peace), fire (for passionate living) and sunshine (for finding joy), then keeps an eye out for things that fit with her theme for the year. I’m a little jealous of her, because it’s so neat when she finds something physical that reminds her of what she wants to work on.
I have historically chosen boring words, simple and straight to the point, but I’d like to tell you a little bit about them.
The first word I ever chose was Compose in 2021. It was also the most beautiful word I’ve ever selected. The idea was that I wanted to arrange (compose) my life into something beautiful. I hoped to look at the pure act of living each moment as a work of art. 2021 turned out to be the year God reminded me to hand everything over to Him, let Him make decisions in my life, and let any composition be by Him and for Him.
In 2022, I chose Faith. Maybe I had an inkling at the beginning of the year what part faith would play in my life, but I didn’t know exactly how much my mustard-seed of faith would be tested. 2022 was a year of a lot of changes and what looked like dead-end streets and unknowns. But how does faith grow and expand if it’s not exercised?
My WOTY was Lighthearted for 2023. It felt like 2022 had drained me completely and I’d spent so much time among heavy decisions and occupations, I needed to learn how to laugh again. I’m not sure that I utilized my word as much as I should have in that year, but I definitely thought of it whenever I found myself laughing with pure delight. God also talked to me about using my word to mean “lightening my heart” which could be done by learning to share my burdens with others.
The theme felt like it stayed a bit connected to lighthearted as I entered 2024. I chose the word Hope. It seemed there were a lot of dim and dark things in my life, and I wanted to remember to keep looking up. 2024 was not an easy year. My ambition to find hope was sorely tested. My thoughts went back to 2022 and how faith only grew in trial. Hope seemed a little the same way.
2025 was a new year, and I was ready for a change. I chose the word Fearless. I am a tremendously fearful person, and I longed to find new courage to face my fears. This has been by far the most fierce word I’ve chosen, one where I’ve tried to learn to be a warrior rather than a victim. Of course, the year has been packed full of just about everything that I could ever dream up to be scared of—meeting new people, visiting new places, learning new skills, becoming vulnerable in new ways. Ultimately, Fearless has led me deeper into learning to trust God.
One thing I’ve loved is that my WOTY selections generally don’t fade into oblivion once the year is over. They stay in my heart and still make a difference in my life because the value of what I faced and the things I’ve learned doesn’t change except to grow richer.
And now 2026 is just around the corner. What is my Word of the Year going to be? I’ve talked about this with a few people in my life, illustrating to them that whenever I choose a word I can expect to be tested in that area. It’s been suggested I should choose a word like “chaos” or “trial and tribulation” so that my year is sure to be pleasant and peaceful.
But of course, I haven’t taken their advice. I’ve been using the last few days of living a Fearless life to gather all my courage together and choose what is perhaps my hardest word yet—Grow.
I have no idea exactly what this word will mean for me. It is utterly terrifying to imagine. I only know that I see a lot of areas in my life where I would like to become. There is no possibility I will be able to grow on my own, so I suspect there will be a lot of leaning on God in the coming year.
And so I am inviting you to join me. Choose the first word that comes to your mind or spend days pondering over the dictionary—I don’t care—but you’re sure to find selecting a Word of the Year a positive experience. This doesn’t mean you have to abandon your resolution writing if you really love it. You can just tack this on at the end. And if you, like me, dislike writing resolutions because you end up feeling like a failure, maybe a word to light the way would be the perfect thing for you, too.
To all my friends out there who I know faithfully choose a WOTY, I’d love to hear what it will be this time. Drop me a message or leave a comment. I love to find out what has been inspiring you lately, too, and what you will be looking forward to in 2026.
Happy New Year to all!
