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Word of the Year Ideas (+ free printable!)

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Do you want to select a word of the year (or word of the month, week, or day), but aren’t quite sure of what to pick? This list of word of the year ideas can help!

Keep scrolling past the list of positive words to grab a free printable word of the year reflections journal page with a complete printout list of the word suggestions.

Text "how to pick a word of the year (with free printables!)" next to a preview of two printable pages. One is a journal page and the other is a list of positive word of the year ideas

Table of Contents

  • What is a word of the year?
  • How to pick a word of the year
  • How to use a word of the year
  • Word of the year list
  • Word of the year free printable

What is a word of the year?

A word of the year (or month, week, or day), is a word you pick to guide your year (or month, week, or day). People usually select a positive word or a word that reminds them of their intentions and desires.

A word of the year helps remind you of your goals and desires for the year. You can use it as a mantra, as part of your affirmations practice, or as inspiration for journaling. It can help guide your goals and intentions.

How to pick a word of the year

Your word of the year needs to feel “right,” which is why picking a word of the year can seem so daunting sometimes! Here are a few questions you can journal on as you select a word of the year:

  • What intention do am I setting for the new year?
  • Why do I want to manifest this intention this year?
  • What do I feel I need most this year?
  • How can I work together with Universe to achieve my intentions this year?
  • How will it feel to achieve my intentions and meet my goals?

These questions are included on a free printable journaling page available further down the page. Look for the row of purple arrows.

Answering these questions can help guide your selection. If, for example, what you desire most in the new year is a feeling of peace, select an appropriate guiding word. Words like peace, relax, allow, trust, and accept might be appropriate for you. Words like adventure, hustle, and excited might not be a good fit if you’re craving peace.

Keep your answers in mind as you read through the list of word of the year ideas below.

Here’s a quick look into my thought process when I selected my personal word of the year. For the year ahead, I have chosen “Aparigraha,” or non-attachment. I’m working on natural vision improvement (yes, that’s a thing), and know that non-attachment will help my progress.

Vision is the only sense we attempt to force on a regular basis instead of allowing the sensations to arrive at our body. Instead of trying to force and strive for more clear vision (which totally doesn’t work), I’m seeking to have fun and enjoy the experience while expressing gratitude for my eyes. The more I relax and let go of worry about the blur, the more clear my vision becomes. (Curious about natural vision improvement? Check out this post from the Weston A Price Foundation and, if you’e really curious, sign up for a free class with my vision instructor.)

Text "Need more self-care in your life? Get your free printable self-care journal! Click here to discover more."

How to use a word of the year

I personally like to write my word of the year at the start of my new planner to remind me of my positive intentions. Sometimes I also write it on a note on my fridge or at my desk. You might repeat it like a mantra or use it as your guide when making choices.

You can make a game out of looking for your word of the year as you move through each day. You might even be able to find pillows, posters, mugs, etc. that remind you of your word of the year!

An image of a coffee table in front of a sofa. The sofa has a throw pillow with "calm is a super power' on it. The table has a notebook and a tea tray with tea, towels, a candle, a crystal, and a small plant on it.

Word of the year list

As you go through this list, you will immediately find words that do not resonate with you. Cross them off, either mentally or physically on the free printable. Then, you can make a short list of 3-5 words (if you need to), before narrowing in on a single word of the year. You can always use your shortlisted words later as a word of the month, week, or day!

Make sure to keep scrolling down the page for your printable word of the year list PDF and journaling pages to help you uncover your word of the year.

  • Abundance
  • Accept  
  • Accountability  
  • Achieve  
  • Active  
  • Adaptable  
  • Adventurous  
  • Allow  
  • Aparigraha
  • Appreciate  
  • Assertive  
  • Attentive 
  • Authentic  
  • Awaken  
  • Balance
  • Be  
  • Beautiful  
  • Believe  
  • Belong  
  • Bliss  
  • Bloom  
  • Bold  
  • Boundaries  
  • Brave  
  • Breathe  
  • Bright 
  • Brilliant  
  • Build
  • Calm  
  • Capable  
  • Carefree  
  • Caring  
  • Celebrated  
  • Challenge  
  • Change  
  • Cheerful  
  • Cherished
  • Compassionate
  • Confident
  • Consistency
  • Cooperative
  • Courageous  
  • Create  
  • Decisive  
  • Declutter  
  • Dedicated  
  • Dependable  
  • Determined  
  • Devoted  
  • Disciplined  
  • Dream
  • Easy-Going  
  • Elevate  
  • Embrace  
  • Empathic  
  • Empowered  
  • Encourage  
  • Energetic  
  • Enjoy  
  • Enlightened  
  • Excited  
  • Experience  
  • Explore 
  • Faith  
  • Family  
  • Fearless  
  • Fitness  
  • Flourish  
  • Focus  
  • Forgive  
  • Forward  
  • Freedom  
  • Generous  
  • Gentle
  • Give 
  • Goals  
  • Grateful  
  • Grow  
  • Happy  
  • Harmony  
  • Healthy
  • Honest  
  • Hope  
  • Humble  
  • Humorous 
  • Hustle  
  • Imagine  
  • Improve  
  • Independent  
  • Inspire  
  • Integrity  
  • Intentional Intuitive  
  • Inventive 
  • Journey
  • Joy  
  • Just
  • Justified  
  • Kind  
  • Laugh  
  • Learn  
  • Lively  
  • Loved  
  • Loving  
  • Loyal  
  • Lucky  
  • Magical  
  • Mindful  
  • Miracles  
  • Motivated  
  • New  
  • Nurture
  • Open-Minded  
  • Optimistic  
  • Organized  
  • Overcome  
  • Passion  
  • Patient  
  • Peaceful  
  • Persistent  
  • Positive
  • Powerful  
  • Practical  
  • Proactive  
  • Prosperous  
  • Protect  
  • Purpose  
  • Quick  
  • Rational  
  • Ready  
  • Realistic  
  • Receptive  
  • Refresh  
  • Relate  
  • Relax 
  • Reliable  
  • Relieved  
  • Renew  
  • Resilient  
  • Resourceful 
  •  Respected  
  • Rest
  • Revive  
  • Rise  
  • Romantic  
  • Sacred  
  • Safe 
  • Satisfied  
  • Secure  
  • Seek  
  • Shine  
  • Skilled  
  • Smart  
  • Sociable  
  • Soulful  
  • Strong  
  • Successful  
  • Support  
  • Surrender  
  • Teach
  • Thoughtful
  • Thriving  
  • Transform  
  • Transparent  
  • Travel  
  • Triumphant  
  • Trust
  • Truth  
  • Understanding  
  • Unique  
  • Unlimited  
  • Unstoppable  
  • Uplift  
  • Valuable  
  • Versatile  
  • Vibrant  
  • Victorious  
  • Vision  
  • Vulnerable  
  • Warm  
  • Wealthy  
  • Welcoming  
  • Wellness  
  • Willing  
  • Wisdom
  • Wise  
  • Witty  
  • Wonder  
  • Worthy  
  • Zestful  
  • Zing

Word of the year free printable

Ready to get clarity and select a word of the year? Download your free printable word of the year reflection journal plus a page with all the word of the year ideas!

Two free printables to help you find your word of the year. The front page is a journaling reflections sheet and the page behind is a list of 50+ positive word of the year ideas

Like all free printable journals here on The Artisan Life, these are available for personal use. This includes use with your personal classroom or an activity you are personally organizing. You are not licensed to redistribute, or sell, the files or printouts to others. Please just refer your friends and coworkers to this page so they can download their own copy for free.

If you agree to this license, you may click below:

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Text "click here to download your printable"

I hope you enjoy the free word of the year printables and that they help you achieve clarity! If you enjoy journaling, make are to check out these additional journal and planner printables here on The Artisan Life:

Journal Prompts and Planner Printables

These journal prompts remove the fear of the blank page and allow you to start journaling today! Make sure to grab your free printable journal pages in each post.

Journaling for Self-Care (+ self-care journal prompts & a free printable)

These journal prompts for self-care and self-discover help you dive deep and discover more about yourself.

Free Printable Hygge Journal

Grab your favorite blanket and a warm mug of tea - it's time to get cozy with these hygge journal prompts.

Cozy Tea Theme Free September Planner Printables

Get cozy and organized for fall with these free printable tea themed planner pages in US letter and Happy Planner Classic sizes.

Free August Planner Printables for US Letter and Happy Planner Classic

Wrap up the last full month of summer with these beach themed planner printables for August.

August Journal Prompts for Adults (+ free printable beach theme journal pages)

Grab your free printable beach theme journal pages/note pages and 31 August journaling prompts for adults.

July Journal Prompts for Adults + Free Printable Journal Pages

Make time for self-care this July with these July journaling prompts for self-discovery.

Free Printable July Planner Pages (US Letter & Happy Planner Sizes)

Stay organized this summer with these boho tropical themed planner pages for July.

June Journal Prompts + Free Printable Journal Pages

Refresh your journal practice for summer with these free printable mermaid themed journal pages and journaling prompts for June.

Free Printable June Planner Pages for US Letter and Happy Planner

Get ready for summer with these free printable mermaid themed planner page inserts!

Printable May Planner Pages

Celebrate spring in full bloom with these beauitful planner inserts for May! Available in US letter and Happy Planner Classic sizes.

Printable April Planner Pages

Get ready for spring with these pretty floral planner inserts. These printable April planner pages are available in US letter and Happy Planner Classic sizes.

March Journal Prompts & Free Printable Journal for March

Rejuvinate your juornal practice for spring with these free March journal prompts and printable journal.

Printable March Planner Pages for Happy Planner & US Letter

Get your planner ready for spring with these free printable March planner pages for US letter and Happy Planner Classic.

February Planner Printables

These sweet planner printables for February are decorated with hearts and coffee. US letter size and Happy Planner Classic sizes are included.

February Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery

Grab your free printble journal for February!

January Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery and Achieving your Goals

Reflect on your goals and what you will do differently this year to achieve them with these January journal prompts.

December Journal Prompts

Have a more relaxed holiday season with these December journal prompts.

November Journal Prompts

Reflect on gratitude and Thanksgiving with these November journal prompts.

October Journal Prompts

These October journal prompts are a lot of fun! The sweet and spooky watercolor illustrations on the printables are a great way to get in the Halloween spirit.

Journaling for New Moms

Discover the benefts of journaling for new moms.

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natashalh - the artisan life

Hi, I’m Natasha! I’m so glad you’re here.

I’m a former classroom teacher with a Masters of the Arts in Teaching turned homeschooler & gardener. I share educational & planner printables and tips for making gardening with kids successful and affordable.

I also publish printed coloring & activity books. You can also find me on YouTube.

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