Setting Intentions: What's Your Word for 2025?
The new year is here, and with it comes the desire for a fresh start, a reset, and a vision for the months ahead. While traditional New Year's resolutions often set us with lofty goals and sometimes unrealistic expectations, there's a more straightforward, more focused approach: choosing one word to define your year.
A single word can act as a compass, guiding your decisions, priorities, and energy throughout the year. This word isn't just a goal or a resolution—it's a mindset, a focus, and a reminder of what matters most to you.
If you're ready to simplify your goal-setting process, here's a straightforward guide on How to Choose Your Word of the Year for 2025:
Reflect on the Past Year
Before looking ahead, take a moment to reflect on 2024.
- What went well?
- What challenges did you face?
- What lessons did you learn?
- What do you wish you had more (or less) of?
These reflections often reveal patterns and themes that can inspire your word for the upcoming year.
Think About Your Priorities for 2025
Ask yourself:
- What do I want to focus on this year?
- What areas of my life need more attention or balance?
- How do I want to feel as I move through the year?
Your word should align with your values and aspirations, serving as a guidepost for where you want to direct your energy.
Choose a Word That Resonates
Your word can be anything that feels meaningful and powerful to you. Some examples include:
Growth: To expand your skills, knowledge, or opportunities.
Balance: You must balance work, personal life, and self-care.
Courage: If you want to take bold steps or face fears head-on.
Joy: If you aim to bring happiness and gratitude to your days.
Simplify: If life feels overwhelming and you seek clarity.
Make It Visible
Once you've chosen your word, keep it front and center. Here are some ways to integrate it into your daily life:
- Write it in your planner or journal.
- Create a vision board featuring your words.
- Set it as your phone or desktop background.
- Use it as a mantra during meditation or quiet moments.
- Share it with friends or loved ones for added accountability and support.
Let It Evolve with You
Your word is a living, breathing intention. As the year unfolds, allow your relationship with it to grow. You may find new ways it applies to different areas of your life or unexpected lessons it brings.
My Word for 2025
My word this year is EMPOWER. Empower definition: make (someone) stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights. When I google Empowerment, I stumbled upon this great article below from www.local.gov.uk:
What do we mean by empowerment?
Empowerment means people having power and
control over their own lives. People get the
support they need that is right for them.
Empowerment means that people are equal
citizens. They are respected and confident in
their communities.
You can’t empower someone else or make
someone empowered. It is about ways of
working and supporting someone that
means they can take control and
responsibility for their own lives.
Some people might need more support than
other people – but that doesn’t mean everyone
can’t be empowered!
Decisions made on behalf of people who lack
capacity should be made in the person’s best
interests and should involve the person as much
as possible, and those who know them really
well.
When people are empowered the power is with
the person and not the professionals or services.
We know from the Transforming Care work
that lots of people who end up in learning
disability hospitals have no power or control
over their own lives and what is happening
to them.
If we work with people in a different way that
means they are empowered they will have better
lives and this will stop some people from ending
up in hospitals or in placements a long way from
home.
How will we know if people are empowered? Another beneficial step is to periodically, every few weeks or each quarter, assess your progress with the use of your word and adjust as necessary. Read more here:
What about you? Have you chosen your word for 2025? I'd love to hear what you've picked and why. Share your word on social media using #MyWordFor2025 and let's inspire each other. Need some ideas? Google "one word" and several ideas will come up- and I find it helpful to also look up the defination and see how it feels to you.
Practical Steps to Implement Your Chosen Word into Your Daily Routine
1. Start Your Day with Intention
Begin each morning by reflecting on your word. Ask yourself how you can embody it in your actions that day. For example:
- If your word is "balance", plan your day with time for work, rest, and play.
- If your word is "growth", identify one small thing you can learn or improve.
2. Incorporate It into Small Habits
- Use your word as a theme for journaling or a gratitude list.
- If your word is "mindfulness", incorporate deep breathing or meditation into your daily routine.
3. Visual Reminders
- Place sticky notes with your word on your mirror, desk, or fridge.
- Create a digital wallpaper with your word for your phone or computer.
4. Align Decisions with Your Word
When faced with choices, ask yourself:
- Does this align with my word?
- Will this decision bring me closer to the life I want to live this year?
5. Share It
Share your word with a friend, partner, or accountability group. They can remind you to stay true to your intention and celebrate your progress.
How to Track Your Progress and Stay Motivated
1. Create Monthly Check-Ins
At the start of each month, reflect on how your word influenced your actions, thoughts, or decisions in the previous month. Set mini-goals to help you align more closely with it.
2. Journal Regularly
Dedicate a few minutes weekly to write about how you lived your word. What worked? What didn't? What lessons did you learn?
3. Celebrate Small Wins
Acknowledge moments when you successfully embody your word. For example, if your word is " confidence," celebrate speaking up in a meeting or trying something new.
4. Find a Tracking System
- Use a habit tracker app or calendar to note when you take actions that are aligned with your word.
- Create a visual chart or graph to measure your consistency and progress.
5. Incorporate Reflection Prompts
Regularly ask yourself questions like:
- How did I live my word today?
- What challenges did I face?
- How can I embody my word tomorrow?
What to Do If Your Word No Longer Resonates
1. Reassess and Reflect
- Ask yourself why the word no longer feels right.
- Have your goals or priorities shifted?
- Are you misinterpreting how the word applies to your life?
2. Pivot or Evolve
- Adjust your word to better align with where you are now. For example, if "growth" feels too broad, you might refine it to "focus" to channel your energy more intentionally.
- Alternatively, choose a complementary word that enhances or builds on your original one.
3. Give Yourself Permission to Change
Remember, this process is about intention and growth. If your word no longer serves you, changing it is an act of self-awareness and adaptability, not failure.
4. Reintroduce the Word in a New Way
Explore how your word might apply to different areas of life. If it doesn't resonate professionally, it might still guide you personally.
By taking these steps, your word can remain a meaningful and adaptable tool to guide your year, no matter how your circumstances evolve.
Here's to a focused, intentional, and meaningful year ahead!
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