5 Questions to Lead to Your Next One Word of the Year (Start Now!)
{One Word 2024 October Linkup}
Yes, it’s already time to start thinking about your One Word for 2025!
Are you already getting ideas for your next One Word? Don’t wait until December or January. What you choose now will help frame your entire year.
Take a moment in the next few days to listen for a word that resonates with you.
5 QUESTIONS
Here are five questions to explore what matters most to you and to guide your choice. I give my own answers here.
1. What worked well—and what fell flat—with my One Word 2024?
My One Word 2024 CURIOSITY turned out to be incredibly versatile. Curiosity can be applied in any situation, at any time, and in any place. The challenge was focusing it enough to make it practical. To keep it manageable, I paired Curiosity with 26 other words this year (ex: wonder, gratitude, empathy, attention), rotating a new word every other week. It kept things fresh and gave me direction.
2. Do I have unfinished business with my 2024 word that can evolve into my 2025 word, or is it time for a new direction?
Because almost anything can be explored through curiosity, I think whatever word I choose next can naturally lead into another cycle of discovery and curiosity.
3. What challenges or opportunities are on my horizon, and which word will empower me to face them head-on?
I foresee familiar challenges in 2025 that I’ve had in 2024: navigating loss and grief, finding ways to live true to my values, staying connected with those who choose to be part of my life, and continuing to work on causes that matter to me. I’m trying to find one word that can encompass those goals.
4. Does my 2025 word need to be fiercer, lighter, more playful, or more serious to match where I’m headed?
I toy with the idea of choosing a more playful word each year, but in the end, I’m always drawn back to something more serious. I want a word with purpose—one that helps me make the most of the years I have left.
5. Which word lights a fire in me, inspiring me to live my values?
Right now I’m torn between two different directions. One set of words I’ve been considering is: Connect or Matter or Ripple. The other set includes: Here or Impermanence. I’m not sure yet, so I’ll keep thinking about it.
BONUS CHALLENGE
Sketch out the journey of your past One Words. Do you notice any patterns or progression? Could those be leading you to your next word?
For fun, I threw my last 5 words (2020-2024) into ChatGPT and asked it to create an image. With a few of my own modifications, here it is. I can personally see how one word led to the next each year, even if it’s not obvious to someone looking from the outside.
Let us know what word you’re thinking of choosing for 2025! Our October linkup will stay open from Thursday, October 24, until midnight on Thursday, November 7. Next month’s linkup will open on Sunday, November 24 (and on the 24th of each month for 2024).
If you’d like to receive our monthly One Word emails and ideas, join here any time of the year.
Link all of your ONE WORD blog posts below. Do you already have an idea for a 2025 One Word of the Year? Share your potential words or an update on this year’s word in the comments.
Link Up About Your One Word!
- Share 4 Somethings – October 2024
- My Must-Read Nonfiction Recommendations: Books that Deepen Connections
Hi, Lisa – For my 2 cents, I love the word ripple. It is fun, thought-provoking, is full of possibilities and fits in well with what I know of you through your writing!
I appreciate your thoughts, Donna! Ripple has been intriguing me for awhile, so I’m glad to hear your opinion on it. I think it could go many different directions. Thanks!
Those are some intriguing options for next year!
I guess it’s time for to begin thinking, but my words in the past have always sort of sprung themselves on me, emerging from my reading usually.
My words usually come through my reading too! I’ll look forward to whatever new word springs up for you, Michele. You have interesting choices that often track with my choices too. 🙂
I’d love for you to join us over at the Creatively Crafty Linky Party every Wednesday through Sunday
https://creativelybeth.com/creative-crafts-linky-party/
Followed and Pinned!
Creatively, Beth
Thanks for the invitation, Beth! I’ll add your linkup to my list.
Great questions, as always, Lisa. I think I’ve found my word for 2025, but still have to let it settle.
Oh, exciting, Corinne! I’ll look forward to seeing what word settles in with you. I keep wavering between 3 or 4, but I think I have the basic direction I want to go anyway.
I love all of these points for reflection Lisa! It’s been interesting to see the progression of my one words over the past several years too.
Like you one has led into the other.
This year’s Word is Change & so much change has happened but also I’ve changed within the change which has been positive & progressive!
Like you, I’m not sure what next year’s will be yet but I’m excited to see what it will be.
Thank you for hosting.
blessings, Jennifer
Isn’t it amazing how one word can lead into the next, without us even intentionally making it so? Change will be a hard word to follow; it’s such a powerful one. I’ve thought about using Impermanence for 2025 (which is similar to Change)…but not sure yet.
Great questions, Lisa! I like how you paired Curiosity with 26 other words and added newness every other week. The thoughts you shared made me think of the word authentic. I think I have my word for 2025, but I’m still confirming it.
Glad you’re already thinking about a word too for 2025 already, Lisa! I love following your journey each year; you dig deep and wide in your explorations with your word. We all benefit from your study.
Thanks for the questions. My Word usually comes to me easily, usually around the Jewish New Year. But I haven’t thought about it yet this year. The questions will help get me going on it.
My words have usually come easily too, thankfully. My bigger problem is typically narrowing it down to one choice. 🙂 I’ll look forward to what does come to you when it arrives, Jodee!
As I was beginning to think about my word for 2025, I listed some I thought would be for me. God caused me to focus on FAITH. As I prayed about it, His direction to it made sense.