Ask Yourself These 5 Questions to Discover Your One Word of the Year for 2024
{One Word 2023 October Linkup}
Link all of your ONE WORD blog posts below. Share an update about your One Word in the comments.
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Are you getting ideas for what your 2024 word might be? It’s not too soon to be thinking about it!
Take some time in the next few weeks to begin listening for a new word. Here are some questions to consider.
1. What aspect of your 2023 One Word worked for you?
For my word Human, it’s been easy to categorize into tangible, quarterly goals, alternating each month with a focus on Body, Heart, or Mind.
2. What about your 2023 word was difficult?
Human is such a broad topic that it’s been hard to narrow down. It’s everywhere and touches on everything since it’s the essence of who we are.
3. Would you rather your 2024 word be something similar to or completely different from your 2023 word?
Well, I think all my words—past or future—are ultimately connected to Human. So whatever word is next will also encompass humanity in some way. But I think I’d like something a little more contained for 2024.
4. Do you need something harder/easier/more playful/more serious, etc. for 2024?
I probably could use something more playful, but I will probably choose something serious again. I can’t help myself. (But maybe I can intentionally incorporate playfulness into whatever it is, getting the best of both worlds?)
5. Do you have unfinished business with your 2023 word that could develop into a 2024 word?
Yes, I’ll always have unfinished business with Human as long as I’m here, so by default my 2024 word will inevitably be an offshoot of it.
BONUS:
You might even draw a sketch of your One Words from previous years (if you’ve been doing this awhile), connecting the dots from the past, and see if they lead you to a new word for the future.
Let this be a fun time of listening and exploration!
Here’s the sketch I made of my words so far. . .
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This October linkup for One Word updates will remain open for two weeks, closing at midnight on Monday, November 6. Each link shared here will also be shared with our One Word Facebook group.
Next month’s One Word linkup will open on Wednesday, November 22 (one day earlier due to U.S. Thanksgiving on November 23).
If you’d like to receive our monthly One Word emails and ideas, .
Did your 2023 One Word work well for you? Are you getting ideas for your 2024 One Word yet? Leave a comment here.
I do a Word of the Week I haven’t thought about doing a Word of the Year before! What a great idea. x
And I think a Word of the Week is a great idea, Kim! 🙂 I might have to try that one year…
I’m still exploring my word for 2024, Lisa. These are great questions to ponder in doing so.
Blessings!
I’ll look forward to what you land on, Martha! We’re still a few months away, but my mind is already considering new options. 🙂
I have a post it note on my desk right now so when I word ‘shimmers” calls to me I put it on the list. I slowly collect possibilities for the next word. I really like how you use drawing of past words to brainstorm. I plan to try that!! Thanks.
I will forever associate you with shimmering words, Jean! I remember you mentioning that awhile back, and I’ve loved it ever since. I keep an ongoing list, too, of potential words. I’m far from decided, but my leading thought right now is a phrase. You’ve handled your phrase so beautifully this year.
Tx for the insights Lisa and for your word map. very interesting to see the connections. Perhaps you should take play, seriously. It is a big deal and most people dismiss it. Maybe PLAY is your word?? 🙂
Love you
Lynni
“take play seriously” … I love this, Lynn. 🙂 I am carefully considering your thoughts on this, and even if I don’t end up with Play as my primary word, it can still play a secondary role alongside whatever word I choose.
Great idea, Lisa. I’m trying this out for sure. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Corinne. It’s always an exciting time of year to me to start thinking of the next word. But I know we still have two months left with our current words, so I don’t need to get too far ahead of myself. ha.
Thank you Lisa for so faithfully keeping us on track. I had no idea that you had been doing this since 2010. What amazing things God has done in and through you in the last 13 years.
Thank you, Barb. I hadn’t realized I’d been doing it so long either! ha. Time flies. I started our One Word community in 2021 because it was something I personally needed. It’s really been such a blessing to come alongside others like you who really make efforts to practice their words all year long.
I do like your sketch! When sketching, it seems we have more freedom to explore our thoughts. I have an idea what my word focus may be for 2024. Generally my words have been more playful, but this possible next one is more reflective and serious. Thanks for keeping us on track! I haven’t blogged about my 2023 word, simplify, for awhile. I simplified my blogging for a time as I went through some big transitions!
I love how you put your word into practice by simplifying your life as you were dealing with big changes this year, Lynn! Most of us likely need lessons from you on that. 🙂 It’s exciting that you’re already getting glimpses of a 2024 word in a new direction. I look forward to how it fleshes out in the coming months.
I am still so far into my 2023 word, I haven’t an inkling what 2024 might be! Of course, my word (present) doesn’t lend itself to future thought!hehe
Oh, this is the perfect response, Sarah! 🙂 While Present hasn’t officially been my word this year, I keep trying to remember to lean into it again and again because staying in the now is helpful for my mental health. So I’ve enjoyed reading your posts and all the different angles that you’ve approached it from.
I’ve never done the one-word thing but I’m fascinated by the process people use to decide.
Yes, it’s interesting to me, too, as I watch how people figure out which word is theirs for the year! And then to see the creative ways they interact with it all year long. The word ends up becoming as unique as each person who chose it.
Lisa, I haven’t written much about my word (remember) this year … at least not like I have in previous years. I do feel like I have practiced it quite a bit, though, through Remembering Our Parents and work on other projects.
I do have an idea of what my word for next year will be. I hope to write a “remember” recap soon, and then move on to 2024’s word. At the rate I’m going, though, this all might just stay in my head. 🙂
Well, my opinion is that you’ve chosen the better thing, Lois–better to practice your word than write about it when it comes down to it! Although I love reading what you write. 🙂 So I’ll look forward to your recap and hearing what you’re choosing for next year!
Hi Lisa, great to see you link up for WBOYC this month. My Word of the Year (WOTY) for 2023 is Explore and I love writing a monthly recap on how my word has been the focus in the month. I’ve had some great words in the past -Gift in 2022, Bold in 2021, Jump in 2020 and Time in 2019 just to mention a few. My word Jump was one of my favourites and I got a photo of me jumping somewhere every month. I use my WOTY as a focus and use it in almost every way possible – it’s fun and creative. I’m already thinking of my word for 2024 and have some ideas on the boil.
I enjoyed your Q&A and congratulate you on your word Human.
Explore is a great One Word, Debbie. It reminds me of what I chose in 2012: Venture. It really did help me to think and act a little differently that year! (I’m not adventurous by nature, lol.) I also love your idea of taking a photo each month when you had Jump. I wonder if I could incorporate that into my practice with my word…. I may have to borrow that idea from you! 🙂 I look forward to hearing what you choose for 2024.
Thanks for linking up this month. I had three words this year and they’ve been ridiculously appropriate. You tip sheet on things to think about when choosing a new one is timely.
Isn’t it fun how our words end up being so appropriate? I’ve discovered that too. I like your idea of choosing 3 words. I’d guess that keeps it more fresh.
Hi, Lisa – Thank you for joining us for #WBOYC. This year I chose a ‘pocket WOTY,’ meaning that I have kept my WOTY private and have not yet shared it with anyone. This is the first year that I have done it this way and it really worked well for me. Although I will go with a different WOTY next year, I am confident that I will continue to go ‘pocket style’. For me, it’s provided internal guidance without me needing to translate my internal thoughts to something that I can share externally.
What a wonderful practice, Donna. I haven’t heard of a pocket WOTY, but I totally understand how it could be liberating to keep your word close to your heart, not exposing it to the world. Thank you for sharing this here!
Hi Lisa, I have to say that my word – compelling – hasn’t worked extremely well for me this year. Last year’s work, curating, did very well because I needed to curate so many things – photos, blog posts, stuff to move. But compelling is so much harder because I am compelled by things that aren’t always compelling a week later. Like pictures of bugs, pricetags, parking spaces so I can find my car, or too many of the same thing. Maybe I will pick a better one next year. Thanks for your help. 🙂
Ooh, I love curating. I can see how useful that one must have been last year. Compelling does sound a bit harder, but maybe it’s fine to be temporary. I’m like you; something compelling to me this week may not be compelling next week. Maybe that’s okay?
Some years my words work better than other years, so I feel you, Marsha. 🙂
Hello Lisa and lovely of you to join us at #WBOYC? I have selected a WOTY for several years now and most of the time at the last moment the word comes to me. I do like your 5 questions to discover your word of the year so may try these for 2024. Hope to see you at next month’s link up. x
It’s funny how WOTYs work! Some years I know them months in advance; other years, they come at the very last minute, or I switch at the last minute. It’s a fun exercise to work with a theme all year. I’ve loved the practice. Thanks for linking here, Sue!
Lisa, I’ve got to tell you guys that my one word was a flip this year. I did nothing with it, because I forgot about it. And I didn’t even think about a 2024 word until you mentioned it. I’m not sure if I want to pick a word for 2024 or focus on a couple of different Bible Verses, for memorizing and digging deeper into meanings and mindfulness and visualizing them. As I’m thinking as I’m writing this to you guys it occurs to me that maybe I could combine both for 2024. Like for example if I chose Mindfulness as my word I could combine it with the Scriptures I want to memorize and visualize. Huh… Thanks for making me think. Lol.
Thanks so much for sharing this great article with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
I love your idea of choosing a word that works with the other goals you have, Paula. I’m doing that somewhat with my new word for 2024 too!
Hi! My word was “be” in 2023, and it worked well for me. I was so busy “doing” that God called me to just “be”. This was so hard to do, but my circumstances caused me to “be” and that was so liberating and freeing! Just today, while reading God’s word and a devotional, God gave me the word “resilience” for 2024. I have never been the type to write a poem, but I was inspired to write a poem about my word “resilience”. Thanks for allowing me to share.
I think “be” was a brave choice, Sarah! It’s such an important concept, but one we struggle with in our doing society. Resilience is a great choice for 2024!