How to Keep Your One Word of the Year From Fading (3 Simple Ways)
{One Word 2026 February Linkup}
Is Your One Word Still With You?
By the end of February, statistics say that most people who made New Year’s resolutions have let them go.
But a One Word feels different to me. Maybe because it’s not a checklist but more of a relationship.
If you still remember your word, you’ve not fallen behind. Even small reconnections matter.
For some ideas to work on the relationship with your One Word (or just any theme that’s been popping up in your life lately), try these three suggestions.
1. Something to Hear
Find a song with your word in the title or lyrics. Add it to a playlist you already use (or create a new one just for your word). Play it in the car or at home while you’re making dinner or folding laundry.
Extra credit: Compose your own verse to go with the song.
I created a new playlist with 20 songs for my word SHIFT. While I couldn’t find many songs with Shift in the title that I liked (other than The Commodores’ “Nightshift”) I did find a LOT of great songs about change, many from the Civil Rights era of the 1960s and 1970s, which feels particularly relevant again in the U.S.
“I’m starting with the man in the mirrorI’m asking him to change his waysAnd no message could have been any clearerIf you wanna make the world a better placeTake a look at yourself and then make a change”
– chorus from “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson
2. Something to Say
Find a short quote, poem, scripture, or paragraph connected to your word. Print it. Tape it near your bathroom mirror.
Read it out loud once a day for a week or so. There’s something powerful about hearing your own voice say your word.
Not intentionally, but I’ve noticed that I use the word Shift a lot more in my everyday conversation this year, often instead of “change.” Shift just feels a little softer to me.
“A miracle is a shift in perception from fear to love.”
– from A Course in Miracles
3. Something to See
Maybe you placed your word somewhere visible in January. Now move it to some place new.
Put it on a sticky note on your laptop. Change your phone wallpaper. Write it on a card and tuck it into your wallet.
Or try this: take one photo a day of something that represents your word. It trains your eyes to look for it. And what we look for, we begin to find.
Here are 3 photos from my camera roll last week about Shifts.
An evening out to meet the wonderful Tyler Merritt, who is shifting the world to be more kind and hopeful
Writing postcards to shift legislators’ agendas so they’ll make our schools safer
Shifting our book club by adding in another friend
From Idea to Reality
The more you involve your senses with your One Word—hearing it, saying it, seeing it—the more your word moves from idea to reality.
It doesn’t have to be anything dramatic. Just simple connections.
The February One Word Linkup Is Open
The linkup is now open from February 26 – March 12 for your One Word blog updates.
Or share in the comments. What’s going well with your word? Where are you struggling with it?
I’ll be highlighting each blog post from the February linkup in our Facebook group over the next few weeks. Our next linkup opens March 26.
If your word feels like it’s fading a little, this is your invitation to brighten it back up.
Question for you:
What is one small way you can reconnect with your word (or monthly theme) this week—through something you hear, say, or see?
Share your thoughts about your One Word or monthly theme in the comments.
If you’d like to receive our monthly One Word emails and ideas for 2026, join here.
Link Up About Your One Word
- This Is What He Remembers About Me? (Is It Still True?)
- Experimenting with a Shift in Pace (Share 4 Somethings)
I agree, Lisa, our Word of the Year feels different from New Year’s resolutions because it’s based on relationships instead of a checklist. I find my One Word helps me live intentionally, and exploring new areas brings me joy.
Yes to all of that, Lisa. It’s interesting when I see a previous One Word pop up somewhere and I feel an instant connection, like visiting with an old friend again. 🙂 So glad you continue to stick around year after year in our One Word community with your beautiful word choices.
These are great ways of keeping our words front and centre Lisa, thanks for the ideas. I always set up a playlist of songs with my word in it and have fun with my choices. Thanks for the linkup opportunity. My word ‘silliness’ is going well so far!
Deb from debs-world.com
I can imagine you have quite an interesting playlist this year with Silliness! How fun. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my Shift playlist this week. I’m glad your time with Silliness is going well.
Thanks bunches for hosting and warm hospitality Lisa!
{{Hugs}}
You’re welcome, Paula. It’s always good having you in the mix here!
I love how you keep your WOTY alive Lisa! And give us so many suggestions & ideas, thank you.
I’ve seen my theme ‘the Sanctuary of Thanksliving’ at work throughout February, not necessarily in a loud way but in many subtle ways as shared in my posts above.
I think the most impactful was in the Bushfires.
Blessings to you, Jennifer
I always look forward to the posts you’ll share about your word(s), Jennifer, and this month will be no exception. Thank you for linking up your insights with us here!
Shift does feel softer than change. Perhaps it’s because change seems like big steps and shift like smaller steps.
Good insight, Linda. I think you’re right – when I think about shift, I often think about those small shifts I make when I’m sitting in a chair or waiting in a line. It’s nothing major and hardly even noticeable, but enough of a change to make a difference in how I feel.
I always enjoy your “camera rolls”, Lisa. So much fun! Thank you for your consistent desire to encourage us about our “one word.” Have a blessed weekend, sister!
You’re welcome, Horace. I love having a space where we can come together to share about our words.
I love looking back on my month with the videos – I can’t believe I’ve been doing it for several years now. I never would have thought imagined it. ha. Hope your weekend is as warm and pretty where you are as mine is here in Alabama.
Great ideas, Lisa. Thank you. Now wondering what songs will go into my ‘Rooted’ playlist!
Nothing pops immediately into my head about Rooted – but nothing came up immediately for Shift either! ha. I had to google. 🙂 I’ve really enjoyed listening to them though now that I gathered them.
You, my friend, are taking shift to a whole new level in 2026. May God continue to bless you as you make the subtle changes that He has asked of you.
Shift has definitely been more engaging than I expected it to be! It’s been an interesting year already. 🙂
Lisa, I love the idea of adding my one word to a playlist! I have so many playlists, and I might create one with songs that include my word in them. Great ideas, Lisa.