How to Create a One Word Resolution for 2024

If you are tired of failed attempts at New Year’s resolutions, try this instead: a one word resolution.

What exactly is a one word resolution?

A one word resolution is a simple way to reframe your mindset for the new year. Instead of making a goal to achieve before the end of a calendar year, like you do with a traditional New Year’s resolution, you choose one word that will guide your thoughts and actions throughout the year.

One word resolutions are usually positive words. They are often words that describe a quality or action that a person wants to embody. They can be any word, such as nouns, verbs, or adjectives. You can even add a word to it to help define it more and make it into a phrase.

But it should be a word that has meaning to you. This one word will be your focus this entire year. It will motivate you, inspire you, and be your drive.

My experience with one word resolutions.

I love starting a new year. New Year’s Day is my favorite holiday and favorite time of the year. This is a time that is set aside to make you a better person. It’s your chance to make goals, start over, and to improve yourself.

Of course, you can make goals and start over anytime of the year, but there is something magical about doing it at the beginning of the calendar year. It is the designated time to do it. The only time when the whole world is doing it with you. You hear about it on TV, on the internet, in magazines and by people you are surrounded by. There is an energy about it, and that energy propels you.

But sometime between January first and the end of March, that energy might start to fizzle out. And many goal makers around the world, or at least in the United States, abandon their goals.

I’m not exactly sure when the whole idea of making a New Year’s resolution fizzled out in me, but sometime in mid-2021 I started thinking about how some people choose a word for the year instead of making a resolution. It was around this same time that I started feeling like I wasn’t praying when I should be praying. I especially wanted to pray before I tried to figure out my struggles on my own, but I wasn’t doing this.  So, I got a piece of colored duct tape and wrote “Pray First” on it. I stuck it to the side of my loft bed where I would see it every day, in the hope that this phrase would turn into a habit.

That was the start of my choosing a word for the year. Sometimes I turn my word into a small phrase to give it a little more direction, like how I did in 2021 with the phrase “pray first.” In 2022 I chose the word “focus.” Focus to me meant being 100% focused on whatever I was doing at the time and not getting distracted by other things. In 2023 I chose another phrase, “on time.” I wanted to focus on not being late. The word “time” seemed like a better fit than “prompt” or “punctual.” But since the word “time” is so vague and can mean many things, I chose “on time,” as in “I want to be on time from now on.”

How to pick your one word resolution.

I like to choose a word that will improve my life in some way. It’s usually in an area that I’m lacking in. I don’t have to search long to find it, it pops up in my mind. It’s almost like my word chooses me.

If you find that you aren’t as lucky and you are not sure which word to pick, here are two different ways to help you figure out your word:

Questions to ask yourself:

• Do I want to make a positive change in myself? You might choose “committed,” “enthusiastic,” or “motivation.”
• Is there a quality I see in somebody I admire, and would like to develop that quality in myself? You might choose “confidence,” “helpful,” “humility,” or “dependable.”
• Is there a strength I would like to develop? You might choose “fearless,” “courageous,” or “wisdom.”
• Am I looking for a theme to encompass my life this year? You might choose “thrive,” “balance,” or “empowered.”
• Is there a physical activity I would like to do more of? You might choose “run,” “cook,” “walk,” or “dance.”
• Do I want to have a more positive attitude this coming year? You might choose “happy,” “laugh,” “joyful,” or “peace.”
• Do I want to improve my quality of life? You might choose “simplify,” “organize,” or “relax.”
• Do I want to get my finances in order this year? You might choose “prosperous,” “debt-free,” or “save.”
• Do I want to be more giving this year? You might choose “generous,” “donate,” or “kindness.”
• Do I want to grow closer to God this year? You might choose “pray,” “scriptures,” “obedience,” or “growth.”

Word list:

• Pick 20 words from the word list below that resonates most with you. You can also choose your own words.
• Now group any words that seem to go together.
• Go through each group one at a time and pick the word that you like most from each group. Eliminate the rest of the words in the group.
• Of the remaining words, pick four that you like the best.
• Out of those four, rank from most favorite to least favorite.
• Number one will be your one word resolution.
• If you like to split up your year into quarters, like I do, you can take the four words you previously ranked and assign one to each quarter. Some people like to choose three words for the year. You can use your top three words if you would like to try this method.

One word resolution ideas.

Here are 100 words that can help you figure out the right word for you. You can choose one of these words as is, add or take away a suffix or prefix, change the tense, make it plural or singular, or add a whole other word to it to define it more. You can even use these words for inspiration in choosing a different word not on this list.

• Accessible
• Adventurous
• Ambitious
• Balance
• Beautiful
• Boundaries
• Breathe
• Calm
• Caring
• Centered
• Cheerful
• Committed
• Communicate
• Complete
• Confidence
• Conquer
• Constant
• Courageous
• Creative
• Curious
• Dance
• Debt-Free
• Decisive
• Delightful
• Dependable
• Employable
• Empowered
• Encouraging
• Energetic
• Enjoy
• Enough
• Enthusiastic
• Exciting
• Fascinating
• Fearless
• Focus
• Forward
• Friendly
• Fun
• Generous
• Gentle
• Genuine
• Gratitude
• Grow
• Happy
• Helpful
• Imaginative
• Inspiring
• Intentional
• Joy
• Kindness
• Knowledgeable
• Laugh
• Leap
• Likable
• Listen
• Love
• Mindful
• Move
• Observant
• Open-minded
• Optimistic
• Organize
• Outgoing
• Overcome
• Passionate
• Patient
• Peace
• Perseverance
• Plan
• Pray
• Prompt
• Radiant
• Reassuring
• Relax
• Reliable
• Resilient
• Resourceful
• Respectable
• Run
• Save
• Self-awareness
• Simplify
• Sincere
• Smile
• Strong
• Successful
• Thankful
• Thoughtful
• Thrive
• Time
• Trustworthy
• Unique
• Upbeat
• Uplifting
• Vibrant
• Walk
• Wholehearted
• Wise
• Witty

What to do with your one word resolution:

1. Define it. Look up the definition of your word to get a better understanding of it. Then write a paragraph or two about what this word means to you. Include the reason why you want this word in your life right now.
2. Surround yourself with it. Have this word in many places so you will see it often and won’t forget about it. You can put it on clothing, like a T-shirt. You can put it on jewelry, like a bracelet or necklace. Write it on a small stone with a permanent marker and carry it with you every day. Have the word posted around your home on post-its or wall art.
3. Learn about it. Try to learn as much as you can about your word. You can read a book about it, buy a workbook, or take a class on it. You might even talk to a counselor or therapist to learn more about the word and how it relates to you.
4. Make a plan. Make a detailed plan for how you are going to use your word. Start by brainstorming a list of activities and actions you can do that involve your word in some way. They don’t have to be big and elaborate, you can have a lot of simple activities on your list that you can do in just a few minutes. Do at least one thing every day to move you forward. You can include activities such as:

• Writing in a journal.
• Reading a book about the subject.
• Filling out a habit tracker every night.

Here are some more specific examples you can try:

• For “organize” you can declutter or organize one small area of your home every day.
• For a word that involves finances such as “save” or “debt-free,” you can make an expense tracker and fill it out daily.
• For “helpful,” you can help an elderly neighbor with a chore that is difficult for them to do on their own.
• You can write a letter to someone for the words “encouraging,” “friendly,” or “communicate.”  

These are just a few of the many activities you could come up with, it just depends on what your word is.

Tips so you don’t lose focus:

You must be very intentional with your word of the year. If you are not actively doing something with your word on a regular basis, you will quickly lose focus and your one word will be as useless as the treadmill from resolutions past.

Here are some tips to help make your one word for the new year stick:

• Use an accountability partner. Tell a friend what you are doing to help keep you on track. If your word involves an activity, do it with a friend or have them help you with it.
• Change the signs around your home periodically. Signs are a good reminder of your word but try switching the signs up every now and then. When you see them day in and day out, you will quickly become blind to them. Move them to different places in your home every few weeks.
• Use a habit tracker. Be more mindful of your one word resolution by using a simple habit tracker to mark every day you are doing something involving your word.
• Work in quarters. Some people like to divide their year up into quarters. If you think you are more likely to achieve your goals when you work in quarters, then try the suggestion in method two in this article to pick your word. Use the last four words you picked and assign each one to a three-month period during the year. It’s easier for some people to keep focus if they work in quarters.
• Continue to be intentional. Being intentional is the key to success for these resolutions. Be sure to write your actions on your to-do list daily and put reminders on your calendar or planner.

Final thoughts on One Word Resolutions.

Choosing a one word resolution is a nice alternative to making a traditional New Year’s resolution. Having one word to focus on this upcoming year will help to improve your life and your mindset.

Whether you pick your one word at the start of the new year or anytime during it, using the tips in this article will help you align your actions with something that is important to you and help you grow as a person.