You have chosen a word of the year. Your next step is to make this word a part of your daily life. Here are some practical steps to help you do that:
Set Reminders: Set reminders on your phone or computer to encourage you to think about your word throughout the day. Set a scheduled time to reflect on how you used the word throughout the day, week, or month.
Journal: Writing is a powerful tool for self-reflection. Write about how you interact with your word throughout the day. Write how your word helped motivate you and deal with the challenges you faced throughout the day. What insight did you gain as you thought about your word?
Be sure to keep using the journal you used when you were discovering your word.
Create a routine: Routines help you stay focus, stay on task, cultivate mindfulness, and connect with your intentions. Create a daily, weekly, and monthly routine that includes your word in it.
Visit this section of my faith journey blog to get a resource that can help you use your word for the entire year.
Make it visible: Be sure to surround yourself with reminders of your word. Use it as a password (be creative when you do this), use it as a screensaver by creating some wallpapers for it. Find t-shirts with the word on it or have them made. Use it as a screensaver for your phone. Write it on your calendars, dry erase boards, notebooks, and name tag (use a sticker or sticky note to do this). Choose a color that evokes your word of the year. You can also do this with objects or images. Keep your word visible in all environments that you frequent.
Share your word: Share your word with others. Tell anyone that will listen: your friends, family co-workers about your word and why it matters to you. Join Facebook Groups with other like-minded people who use A Word of the Year. Ask them if they have a word of the year or have ever thought about using one. This is a good way to create a community.
Be flexible: Remember, your word is a tool, not a rule. Do not be rigid or a perfectionist about using your word. Give yourself some grace. Explore, experiment, and change as you go through the year. You may discover something new about yourself and your word.
By using your word every day, you create a deeper connection with the word while deepening the purpose, meaning, and success of using your word. This is a process, not a destination. Be patient, be curious, and be compassionate with yourself as you get in to the routine of using your word daily.
Remember:
By incorporating your word into your daily life, you give yourself a constant reminder of your intentions and purpose.