The idea

What a word of the year is, and why it outlasts resolutions

Resolutions fail on a single bad week. Miss the gym twice in January and “go three times a week” is already broken, and a broken rule is easy to drop. A word of the year bends instead of breaking. If your word is “steady”, a bad week is just a week to be steadier in. That is the whole case for the one-word habit.

This is the personal practice, not the dictionary one. Each December, Oxford names its own Word of the Year, a word or expression of cultural significance chosen from its language data; for 2025 it was “rage bait”. Your word of the year does the opposite job. It is not a summary of the year that happened, but a direction for the one coming.

Calm

Word of the year ideas for a calmer year

For the year after a loud one. These words give you permission to do less, and to do it well.

Steady, Slow, Still, Rest, Gentle, Ease, Peace, Quiet, Simple, Enough, Breathe, Pause, Soften, Calm, Unhurried, Balance, Settle, Home, Space, Light.

Growth

Word of the year ideas for growth and courage

For the year you want to stretch. Verbs work especially well here, because a verb tells you what to do next.

Brave, Begin, Build, Grow, Rise, Try, Stretch, Learn, Leap, Dare, Become, Explore, Bold, Expand, Practice, Risk, Show up, Finish, Ship, Start.

People

Word of the year ideas for connection

For the year you want to spend more of with other people, or with the person you have been too busy to be.

Together, Gather, Present, Open, Kind, Listen, Give, Share, Belong, Reach, Welcome, Love, Generous, Nurture, Root, Return, Invite, Tend, Honest, Warm.

Focus

Word of the year ideas for focus and order

For the year you want fewer things done better. These words help most when you say them to yourself before agreeing to something new.

Focus, Clear, Less, Edit, Intentional, Deliberate, Order, Prioritize, Choose, Commit, Clarity, Discipline, Consistent, Ready, Simplify, Protect, Boundaries, Anchor, Thrive, Whole.

Joy

Word of the year ideas for joy and play

For the year you want to enjoy rather than survive. Easy to dismiss, and often the word people say they needed most by December.

Joy, Play, Delight, Wonder, Create, Savour, Adventure, Curious, Laugh, Bloom, Spark, Celebrate, Free, Yes, Wander, Bright, Alive, Fun, Make, Notice.

Resolutions fail on a single bad week. A word of the year bends instead of breaking.Word of the year ideas

Choosing

How to choose your word of the year in five minutes

  1. Write three sentences about how you want to feel next December. Not what you want to have done; how you want to feel.
  2. Read the word of the year ideas above and underline every word that matches one of your sentences.
  3. Cross out any word that sounds good but would not change a single decision you make next week.
  4. Read the survivors out loud. Pick the one you would still want to see on a bad Tuesday in March.
  5. Write it somewhere you will see every week, and write one sentence under it: what this word means you will do more of.

Keeping it

How to keep your word of the year in view

A word only works if you meet it often. Put it on the first page of your planner, at the top of each month, or in the centre of a vision board, where it can sit between the pictures of what you want the year to hold. At each month’s end, ask one question in your journal: where did I live my word this month, and where did I forget it? Our daily journal prompts include a month-end look-back you can pair with it.

If you plan on paper, our Printable Planner 2027 ($39) opens with a year at a glance and a goals and important dates page, the natural home for your word, then gives each month its own divider, month grid and habit tracker before all 53 weeks of 2027, dated. If you prefer to journal on an e-ink tablet, The Journal ($49) has a month review at the end of every month and 2027 already included, which is where the month-end question fits. More planning ideas live on the planning hub.

FAQ

Common questions, answered briefly

What is a word of the year?
A single word you choose to guide the coming year, used in place of, or alongside, resolutions. It is different from a dictionary’s Word of the Year, such as Oxford’s, which names a word that defined the year just gone.
How do I choose my word of the year?
Write how you want to feel next December, pick the words that match, cross out any that would not change a decision next week, and keep the one you would still want to see on a hard day.
What are good words of the year?
Good places to start: steady, brave, enough, present, focus and joy. The best one is the word that would change what you do next week, which depends on the year you just had.
Can I change my word of the year?
Yes. If a word stops meaning anything by spring, a review at the end of a month or quarter is a good moment to choose a new one. The practice is meant to help, not to be kept for its own sake.

Already chosen yours for 2027? Leave it in the comments, with one line on why. Reading other people’s words is one of the better ways to find your own.

People also ask

Other questions, briefly answered

What should I put on a vision board? What should I write in a daily journal? What are good journal prompts for mental health? What should I write in a gratitude journal?
Reference Oxford University Press: Oxford Word of the Year 2025, “rage bait”, and how the word is chosen (checked November 2026) corp.oup.com/word-of-the-year/