How to Choose a Word of the Year

A Gentle Start to the Year

I stopped making resolutions because they felt like rigid rules I couldn’t keep. When I first heard about choosing a word of the year, I dismissed it as just another trend. But as I reflected on the past year, I realised how a single word had quietly anchored my experiences without me even trying.

The Power of Choosing a Word

For me, a word of the year feels like an invitation to slow down and realign with what truly matters. It’s not about chasing goals but about guiding my energy towards how I want to feel and who I want to become.

A word of the year serves as a flexible guide, allowing life to unfold naturally – without the pressure of constant striving.

Sankalpa

In Yoga the word of the year might be considered to be a sankalpa. A sankalpa is a concept in yoga philosophy around connecting to our personal inner truth. San means connection to truth, kalpa means vow or commitment. Yoga philosophy is complex, so I caveat that this is my personal understanding and interpretation. But I consider there to be sankalpa with a capital ‘S’ which connects to our deeper life purpose, and sankalpa with a small s which could be a goal or intention that we give focus or practice along our way. A sankalpa is often more than one word in length but no more than a short sentence.

Reflecting on My Word of the Year: Peace

Last year, I wasn’t looking for a word, but a word found me: Peace. It came to me during an exercise in Tracee Stanley’s The Luminous Self*. At first, I resisted it. Peace felt like giving up—like letting go of dreams I still held close.

But as the year unfolded, peace became a gentle reminder to trust the process. To give over rather than give up. It taught me to embrace patience and have compassion to myself.

It wasn’t always easy, and I didn’t focus on peace proactively, but reflecting on the past 12 months, I see how it wove itself through my year.

How to Choose Your Word for the Year

If you’d like to try choosing a Word of the Year, here’s a simple process to guide you:

1. Reflect on the Year Gone By
Begin by reflecting on the past year. Consider the lessons, joys, and challenges that shaped you. This reflection will help you identify what to release and what to nurture moving forward.

• What emotions or patterns from last year no longer serve me?
• What do I want to nurture moving forward?
• What themes or ideas keep surfacing as I reflect on the past and dream about the future?

2. Visualise the Year Ahead
Close your eyes and imagine yourself at the end of this year. Picture how you want to feel and what you’d like life to look like.

• If I could sum up my ideal year in one word, what would it be?

3. Look for Patterns
Write down any words that come to mind as you reflect. Notice recurring themes or ideas.

• What keeps coming up in my thoughts and feelings?

4. Test Your Word
Once you have a word in mind, sit with it for a few days. Ask yourself:

• Does this word excite or inspire me?
• Will it guide me in meaningful ways throughout the year?

Remember, there’s no “wrong” word—it’s about choosing what feels right for you.

Start the Year with Intention

Choosing a word of the year is a beautiful way to begin the year with intention and grace. It’s not about getting it “right,” but about connecting with what feels meaningful to you.

To make this process easier, I’ve created a free workbook packed with prompts and exercises to help you find your word. Click here to download.

If you’ve chosen your word, I’d love to hear it! Share your word of the year by tagging me (@stickymatcoaching) on Instagram or LinkedIn by tagging me or sending a message. I’d be delighted to cheer you on as you start your journey.

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