How to Choose a Perfect Word of the Year for 2023

December, with her woolen socks and wrapped scarves and plates of cookies, tries to slow time. She pulls us to fireplaces, books, warm cocoa and warm conversations. She’s not bound by the business of gift buying, the busyness of mall traffic, Nutcracker rehearsals, birthday parties for Christmas babies.

She is the doorway to winter. To carved quiet. Soft snow. A lull above the surface that’s as necessary for growth as green canopies, daffodils, and ripe garden tomatoes.

She’s gentle, cradling us in candlelight, lingering breath, and more night to urge us to rest.

Listen to her call you to your knees, to prayer, to introspection. See how she reflects what this past year has held, and what’s been missing. She’s a friend.

And maybe it’s just me, but I need December’s reminder that the close of a year is as important as the start. This month is a chance to finish well and reorient for what’s coming next. To let go of what’s no longer shaping me to look Christ. To dream, and wonder, and fill with hope.

One of my favorite ways to prepare for the next year in December is to choose a word of the year. It gives me time to think it through without feeling rushed to make a quick decision. It also builds anticipation for how God might cultivate my heart in the upcoming year.

I prefer a word for the year over New Year’s resolutions because it’s invitational rather than prescriptive. It sets a trajectory without giving me fuel for my perfectionist tendencies. Postures my heart without letting my mind get in the way. Simplifies one thing in a world loud and complicated. Reminds me that the direction is more important than the pace.

Do you choose a word for each year? Wait until January to think about it? Give up before you pick a word because it’s another decision and you don’t like making decisions?

Imagine if you already had your new word chosen before New Year’s Day? You’ve written it on your mirror, a sticky note on your dashboard, or on your phone wallpaper. You’re expectant and ready.

Now, let’s talk about how to get there.

3 tips for finding a perfect word-of-the-year

Strategy #1: Purposefully pay attention

Over the next few weeks, keep your eyes and ears wide open. As you read your Bible, that book sitting at the top of your stack, your favorite blogs and emails, pay attention to words that resonate with you. List them in your journal or on your phone. As you crank up the Christmas music, tune into a podcast while you cook or drive, or listen to the Sunday message, note the words that you can’t shake.

Once you have 5-10 words in your list, begin praying through your word choices. Ask God to highlight the one He’s inviting you to dig deeper into over the next year. If it’s helpful, cross off words that don’t stir something inside you until you’re down to just one word.

Strategy #2: Start with a different list

You pull out a blank paper to write your word of the year ideas and suddenly you can’t think of a single one. Been there too. What if you approached it from another angle and began with a different sort of list?

On the left side of the page, list the labels you’ve placed on yourself or had others say about you. Write down the words that sting, even if you know in your head that they aren’t true.

Next, ask God what He says about you. Draw an X through your first list and begin listing the truths you and God are chatting about on the right side of the page. Feel free to add in ones you’ve learned from Scripture or check out a list, like Joyce Meyer’s scriptural affirmations.

Finally, schedule some white space on your calendar in December to pray over the words in the right column. This might look like taking a short walk once a week so you can talk with God undistracted. Setting a 5-minute timer and free-writing an honest prayer. Getting up a few minutes earlier so you can chat with God over a cup of coffee. Ask God to highlight the word that’s most important for you to lean into next year.

Strategy #3: Grab my list of 200 missional word of the year ideas

If starting from scratch feels like too much pressure, take advantage of the list of word ideas I compiled. There are 200 words to choose from (and yep, they’re alphabetized, in case you’d like to know!). Each word carries potential to grow you as a missional neighbor. They’re an open invitation to ripple-effect neighboring, encouraging you to let the things God is doing inside you ripple out beyond you and reach your neighbors.

The list is free, and you can grab it here:

Once you have the list in front of you, spend some time praying for God to point you toward the right word. As you read through the words, circle the ones you want to come back to. Pray through those words several times over the next few weeks, and choose one you keep coming back to.

A perfect word of the year

Deciding on a word of the year for 2023 will feel less overwhelming and complicated if you carve out small pockets of white space in December. Regardless of which tip you take, a little intentionality will help you make the most of your time.

A perfect word of the year is simply one that fosters growth in an area that God’s already working on inside you. Don’t get hung up on which word is the very best. Trust that God can use any of the words that keep surfacing in your thoughts as you pay attention, write a list, or springboard off another list to grow good things inside you.

Want a bonus tip? Make your word-of-the-year visible so you don’t forget about it. The first year I chose a word, I put it on my phone as my wallpaper. I’ve done the same every year since then. If you’ve never created a phone wallpaper graphic, Canva is a free app and easy to use.

I’ll leave you with a prayer of blessing.

May you find December a welcome friend. May her gentle call to slow down help you carve a little white space into your calendar this month. May these moments help you pay attention, hear God, and choose a word of the year.

Just a friend over here in your corner,

Let’s start neighboring the uncomplicated way!

Have you ever wished the people who live next to you were not just your neighbors, but your friends? The sort of friends who know the messy stuff and walk with you through it. Share meals, watch each other’s kids, generously lend tools, that ingredient you can’t cook dinner without, time.