Have you ever considered choosing a word of the year to guide your decisions and shape your growth? It’s a concept that has been on my mind lately, especially now that we’re 11 weeks from Halloween, 15 weeks from Christmas, and more jarringly, closer to 2026 than we are to January 2025. Realising that has made me pause. This is not just a calendar reminder; it feels like a mirror held up to my year, reflecting how quickly time is moving forward and the opportunities that come with embracing change.
And since the year is racing towards its final stretch, I’ve been checking in with myself. Not with dread though, but with perspective and reflection. Because if 2025 is teaching me anything, it’s that life doesn’t wait for your plans;it keeps moving. But here’s the solution I’ve discovered: you can steer the way you respond to life’s shifts by having a word of the year!
Why a Word of the Year Works Better Than Resolutions for Intentional Growth
Now, if you remember, at the beginning of the year, I decided to go with a word of the year instead of the usual list of New Year’s resolutions. That word is change. And honestly, I couldn’t have chosen better, because nothing about this year has been predictable.
For instance, my job disappeared when the company folded. At first, the suddenness hit me like a jolt. But almost immediately, I thought to myself, maybe that was exactly what I needed—to find a role I’m passionate about and dedicate more energy to growing my blog.
Then there was Franco’s relocation to Boston. It wasn’t just a logistical decision—it was a crossroads. Going meant I would stay in London while he moved to America, introducing the challenge of a long-distance relationship. But staying would have been a missed opportunity. We had both started feeling frustrated by London’s rising cost of living, and we had been discussing future options. Letting him go felt like the only real way to shake things up, create space, and reset our paths.
And now I’m packing up our flat, surrounded by half-taped boxes and the quiet that comes with a home in transition. This move isn’t just emotional—it’s strategic. Downsizing helps me save, relocating to central London reduces my commute from over an hour to a few minutes, and gives me access to corners I can use for photo shoots and blog content. It’s a necessary change, aligning both my financial and professional goals.
Through it all, my word of the year is guiding me. Not as a threat, but as a compass: This is your theme. Work with it. Choosing a word of the year continues to feel smarter than any resolution list I could have written.
- Resolutions are rigid. Break one, and it feels like failure. A word of the year adapts with you.
- Resolutions fizzle. By March, they’re often forgotten. A word of the year shows up daily.
- Resolutions are narrow. A word of the year widens your perspective, shaping how you face both wins and losses.
- Resolutions sit on paper. A word of the year becomes part of who you are.
Using a Word of the Year for Daily Habits & Goal Setting
Here’s where it gets really personal. A word of the year doesn’t just sit there—it’s actively shaping my daily choices. Take my blog, for example. A resolution might have said, “I’ll write and publish one post a week.” Sounds simple, right? But life gets in the way. Some days I’m tired, some days the sofa is too tempting.
However, with change as my guide, the question is always alive: What needs to change today to move me closer to my goal? Sometimes it’s small—closing Netflix five minutes earlier, opening the laptop, writing a single paragraph. Other times it’s bigger—reworking an idea stuck in my head for weeks. Each time I act on that question, I see real progress. Not big leaps, just small, deliberate choices keeping momentum alive.
And surprisingly, science backs this up. Studies show that forming new habits isn’t just about willpower—it’s about repetition, cues, and routines. “If-then” planning has been proven to significantly improve follow-through. My word of the year acts as that cue every morning: What needs to change today to get closer to my goal? It’s keeping me accountable, focused, and growing.
Now, every morning, I’m asking: What needs to change today to feel happy, to grow, to reach my goal? Even tiny actions count. If I don’t do them, the thing I want won’t happen. That awareness is reshaping how I live, making small wins feel like real victories.
How to Start Your Word of the Year (Even in the Final Months of 2025)
If you’re feeling like this year is slipping through your fingers, take heart—there are 19 weeks left in 2025. That’s 19 weeks to shift gears, start something new, or embrace your own word of the year. You don’t need January to reset; you just need a decision. And it doesn’t have to be monumental. Small, consistent actions, guided by intention, add up faster than we realise.
Steps to Live Your Word of the Year Daily
- Pick a word that resonates with your goals, mindset, or the change you want to see.
- Ask yourself every morning: What needs to change today to get me closer to that goal?
- Take at least one deliberate action in line with your word—no matter how small.
- Track progress weekly and reflect on how the word is shaping your decisions, habits, and perspective.
For me, 2025 isn’t the year I planned, but it’s the year I’m needing. Change isn’t comfortable, but it’s clarifying. It’s showing I can rebuild, reimagine, and realign, even when the ground beneath me is moving. And crucially, it’s continuing to guide me through every choice, habit, and reflection for the remainder of the year.
So no—I’m not rushing towards 2026. I still have 19 weeks left to live this word of the year fully—and so do you.
PS: Note to self—maybe 2026’s word should be stability. Then again, where’s the story in that?
