“Your words have power. Speak words that are kind, loving, positive, uplifting, encouraging, and life-giving.” -Unknown
Have you ever heard of the One Word Challenge? Several years ago, pre-pandemic years, picking one word for your year was all the rage. I’m sure it’s still out there floating around for some, but I haven’t heard as much about it as I did when the idea was newer. What some suggested you do, instead of listing several New Year’s resolutions or even one New Year’s resolution was to pick a word that you could make a focal point for your year.
I did a post about this back in 2019. One Word Resolutions. In that post I considered a number of words to resolve to remember in the year to come. I ended up thinking the word listen might be a good word for the year. I have to admit I don’t remember if I listened better in 2019 or not. I’d like to think so, but sometimes we forget to remember the goals we set.
Why revisit the idea, you’re probably thinking, if it isn’t going to stick? I can hope that it did stick for a little while and perhaps stayed with me even after I no longer remembered to remind myself to listen.
But one missed goal doesn’t mean you can never take another shot. My love of basketball is coming into play there. 🙂 Besides, I like words. You might even say I love words. I like word games. I like spreading words across a monitor screen to try to tell a story. I like hunting for the right words and slashing out the wrong words when I’m writing. I like speaking words. I like listening to words.
You know, I’m beginning to wonder if my one word should be word. No, I think I can come up with a better word. So what? Some that would surely work are joy and love and hope, but if I’m going to take this one word challenge again, I want to come up with a word that does just that. Challenges. Not that joy and love and hope can’t present challenges in a person’s every day life.
Hmm. I just scribbled some words down in my notebook without taking time to think too much about the words that popped into my head. The first to come to mind was trust. Then experience followed on its heels. Strangely enough, survive was my next word. I think I’m remembering 2020. Improve would certainly be something that I could do. Then I took a deep breath and thought relax.
Next I looked at the word art I posted up top. Lots of great words in it. Seek. Persevere. A writer needs both of them. I need to seek ideas for the new story I’m writing and I need to persevere to go from that opening sentence to the end. I love opening sentences. Maybe I’ll share the opening sentence for my upcoming book on my next post. Or the first sentence for the book I’m writing now. That one could very well change.
Back to my one word challenge. Maybe I should pick focus so I wouldn’t be chasing down rabbit trails. Another word in the mix of words in the picture is wonder. I like that one. Perhaps I should concentrate on the wonder of life, the wonder of story, the wonder of friendship, the wonder of God’s love, the wonder of nature. So tonight I choose wonder. It may not stick, and who says we have to have only one word for a year. Why not one word a week or maybe even a day according to our circumstances? I guess I can wonder about that, can’t I?
Have you ever taken the One Word Challenge and chosen one word to focus on to make your life better? If so, are you willing to share your word? What word catches your interest and inspires you for 2023?
Comments 26
I liked all of the comments. I have never chosen a word for the year. However, I like the idea. My choice would be patience for a lot of reasons. So here we go … with patience.
Author
I’m thinking we could all use an extra dose of patience, Loretta. We seem to live in a world where everything is rush, rush. Do this. Do that. Sometimes it’s good to stop, take a deep breath and be patient with yourself as well as others.
I’ve never thought about picking one word for the coming year. I’m not much at sticking to resolutions, so I would probably forget what my word was, ha!
Author
I’m terrible at keeping resolutions too, Connie. I guess it might help to write them down but if I did that, I’d probably lose the list in the paper mess that seems to grow on my desk while I’m not looking.
You made me smile saying you might just forget the word. Ask me next week if I remember mine. Maybe. Maybe not. LOL
I’ve never picked a word. Thank you for sharing. Blessings
Author
Maybe a good one for all of us would be “blessing,” Lucy. As you can tell, I obviously don’t settle on one word either. I’m blessed by you reading my books and my words. Thank you.
Do not fear/Joy kept jumping out at me during Nov. & Dec. Luke 2:10.
So, I chose do not fear & joy for 2023. I’m still working on some of my verses for the year.
Author
Do not fear/joy is a great way to live as you trust in the Lord’s love, Lisa. Sometimes that can be hard, but sounds as if you have the faith and love of the Lord to capture that joy and leave behind fear.
It’s interesting that you are choosing verses to help you live with joy. A great way to stay focused.
The one word that I would choose (at least for this month) would be “thankful”. I want to focus more on God’s blessings to me each day, rather than on any problems or worries in my life.
And after reading your latest post, I am reminded how thankful I am to have met you in person; to have read several of your wonderful books and still have many more I’m looking forward to reading soon; and to receive your inspiring, uplifting, and friendly posts several times a week. I definitely feel like I have been blessed with a new friend and sister in Christ, Ann!
Author
I like the idea for choosing a word a month, Roberta. It could be the same word or it could be something new that fits your needs better in February, March or August. But thankful is one most of us could carry throughout the year as we count our blessings each month.
It was great meeting you too at the book event. I hope I get to come back your way again sometime. And I do very much appreciate you reading my books and my posts here. Love it when you and others join the conversation.
God just gave me my word for the year. It is ‘intentional’ and I’m hoping it’ll stick with me. No wasted moments. Enjoy all the little things. Savor all the memories. And most important of all is to be intentional about my faith.
Author
There are definitely many times I need to be more intentional, Joanne. I do have some wasted minutes often, but at times we need that time off too. Of course, time off, time to rest and recharge aren’t the kind of wasted minutes you’re meaning. For me, that’s the pause while I’m deciding which chore to do first or where I get distracted from what I need to be doing and don’t get anything done. But I do want to enjoy the little blessings of everyday and savor those memories. I know the Lord will bless you for being faithful and intentional with your service.
I also read about choosing a word this year, and chose TRUST. That is the word that seemed to jump out at me. I am not sure why. I do trust God, but maybe I need more trust?? I guess I don’t always trust myself.
Thank you, Ann, for your posts. I enjoy reading them.
Author
Trust sounds like a great word to contemplate for 2023, Ann. Sometimes we do need to trust our own feelings more, our own abilities, our own ways to make others happy or to make ourselves happy.
I appreciate you reading my words.
I have not played this game before but am going to give it a shot. I am currently having some physical issues walking. This issue has been going on for 15 months now and doctors have been unable to find the issue. Some days are more challenging and painful than others but since Christmas it has been worse. My word will be SMILE…I do not want to become someone who walks around mad at the world. I need to smile even if I hurt, even if I want to cry. I know God has this and I just need to continue to trust in Him and smile! Happy New Year Ann!!
Author
Oh, Pamela, that is such a courageous word for you to choose with the pain you’re dealing with. I’m so sorry you haven’t found help for it and pray that in the New Year it will get better, not worse. But SMILE is a great word and one that will bless those around you too.
My word would be forgive. It is a gift you give to others without their knowing and a gift you give to yourself to help you move forward. Many blessings to you and yours in 2023.
Author
You are so right about forgiveness, Mary. Often if we don’t forgive, it hurts us much more than the person we think has wronged us. I’ve often had forgiveness as a faith thread in my books. I guess that’s because we so often need to forgive or be forgiven.
Mine would be cherish. This Christmas we were all together as a family. Our oldest son and family live in Japan . We had not seen our two grands for four years. They, of course, changed immensely physically, but still wanted their back scratched and wanted to bake cookies, cherished traditions.❤️
Author
What a lovely word to choose, Bonnie. And what great reasons to pick it. I’m so glad you got to have your family all together. It has to be hard when one of you children live so far away. But thank goodness for internet that lets you keep in contact.
I remember your previous one word challenge blog, but I don’t remember what word I chose that year. Hmmm.
Choosing one word is much easier than typical resolutions. I want my word this year to be Focus. I want to focus on one thing at a time instead of falling into a rabbit hole of one thing leading to another mentality. You know, like walking into a room to do one chore, but finding something else that needs to be done, and then something else….until nothing gets accomplished. 🙂 I hope it works!
Kudos to Donna Jean….126 books is incredible! My goal was 50 for 2022, but I didn’t quite make it. Too many rabbit holes, I guess! 😉
Author
Then you have a good memory, Lavon. I don’t remember what I post that long ago. But I did post different things this time. I went back and read that old post to make sure I did! In that 2019 post I considered focus as a good word for me. I think it might still be, especially this month as I’m trying to write a new story. Focus. Oh yeah, and perseverance. If I keep those in mind I might get it written.
Believe it or not, Ann, you’re the third email I’ve received in the last two days about this word challenge! Maybe the Lord is trying to tell me something!? I’m going to be thinking about the word I should choose for this year. I may not remember it the whole year, but I’ll at least give it a try. Thank you!
Author
That’s how I think about it too, Judi. Just giving the idea some consideration sort of opens your mind up to new ways of looking at things whether you follow through with it the whole year or not. I guess the One Word Challenge is still pretty popular if you’ve heard about it three times in two days.
Never heard that word game before, but I like it. I believe mine will be smile. As much as I can. More often than I do. And maybe the next year the word optimism will follow naturally!
My word would have to be Read, I read 126 books in 2022 so I would like to set the goal a little higher for 2023. Reading is my way of relaxing and getting to know the characters in the book I am reading. So I guess it will be read, read , read.