Another brand new year is upon us! I love picking an intention word as part of my my tradition of reflection and direction while looking toward the year ahead. In this post I’ll share:
- How simple intention words have shaped my creative journey so far;
- How to go about selecting a word; and
- My pick for 2025.
What is an Intention Word?
I’m pretty sure I picked up this idea from a Mel Robbins newsletter years ago. The intention word is my answer to the traditional New Year’s resolution. Rather than selecting a goal or resolution to work on beginning January 1st, I select one word. That word acts as a guiding force, steering me in the direction I want to go in the coming year.
Why not just stick to a resolution or SMART goal?
(If you haven’t had the pleasure, a SMART goal is one that’s Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. These can be quite effective, but I prefer to reserve them for the office.)
These days, it’s usually because:
- There’s no “one thing” that I want to do – I’m looking for a holistic approach to my own continued growth.
- I want to avoid the trap of feeling like I’ve “failed” for having missed or delayed one little aspect of my goal or resolution. (The classic example is when you resolve to do a 1-hour workout 3 days per week, and you miss one day – you tend to focus in on the failure rather than the multiple days of success.)
- With a lot on the go, it’s so much simpler to remember one word to weave into your daily life than it is to engage in one pre-defined task at set intervals.
I focus on my word throughout the year, usually beginning with the most basic meaning that it held when I picked it. The beautiful thing is that the intent behind the word blooms as the year goes on, taking on different (and perhaps deeper) meaning as I work with it.
How Intention Words Work: Reflecting on the Last Two Years
My intention words have been a huge part of my creative journey, which has had a huge impact on my life in general. I had been dabbling and dreaming for a number of years until 2023, when my intention word really helped me embrace my creativity (and my general drive to make stuff).
That was also the year that I launched this blog!
My intention word for 2023: “Create”
That was my guiding force, and there really wasn’t much to it. It was my first year really dedicated to using an intention word, so I kept it simple on purpose. I wanted to see what would happen if I let myself “create”.
There was no deeper meaning – it was literally just a permission slip to make stuff.
I chose “create” because I could sense that deep drive from within, and yet I felt I had lost my creativity and I was missing that part of myself. An inner restlessness was stirring, and I was starting to see its impact on other areas of my life. I needed the extra encouragement and commitment to stop making excuses and holding myself back.
Just start writing blog posts. Pick up a paintbrush. Try something new. I hadn’t anticipated the way in which the floodgates would open! Reconnecting with my creativity ended up having a deeper meaning after all: it helped me reconnect with myself.
By the end of 2023 my creative practice was a non-negotiable part of life. I decided it was time to lean into the journey, which had begun to turn inward. Who am I now? How do I relate to the life I had previously built? What is my medium and my message?
My intention word for 2024: “Authenticity”
My most basic intention for 2024 was about fitting this new version of myself into my old life, one that was so closely connected to dutiful overwork and a pre-defined notion of success that had been handed to me. I’m not just talking about success in my career, but in parenthood, relationships, and my creative practice as well!
I wanted to show up authentically for all of it.
Just as in the year prior, I was delighted that my intention of “authenticity” grew to be so much more than the way in which I was showing up in life.
It launched me into a pivotal period of self-discovery. The more I learned about myself, the more I learned about the world and my place in it. My practice of cultivating authenticity continued to open the floodgates that the year prior had started:
- My creative practice was no longer just about making stuff, it was about the little pieces of me that the stuff carried, and the intention and meaning that went behind it.
- My practice in authenticity became a practice of self-love, and I started expanding and evolving the ways in which I listened to and cared for myself.
- I brought my authenticity into more challenging arenas and sat with the discomfort, which helped me start breaking down limiting beliefs.
As I alluded to, the magic was not only in the self-discovery. It was in the challenge of finding love for what I discovered in there – that was the key.
For example, it’s not easy to be an introverted, deeply feeling, and sensitive person, and to stand confidently and compassionately in and with those attributes when we are so often taught that we need to be more sociable, to hide our feelings, and to grow thicker skin. The latter are the limiting beliefs. That we might honour the attributes we already have is to embrace our authenticity.
And that brings me to the next leg of my journey.
My Intention Word for 2025: “Release”
Once the year is done, the intention of that year carries forward and is built upon. I still “create”. I’m still exploring and cultivating “authenticity”. So much of this had to do with expressing who I am, so this year I’ll continue to nurture both of these by letting go of what I am not.
I was inspired in part by the concept of minimalism and decluttering, not just in my physical space but in my mental space.
I’m talking about decluttering all the things you’ve been taught to strive to be or believe in that aren’t adding value to your life, and that are not authentic to you. The limiting beliefs. The judgements. The well-meaning advice. The unhealthy habits. The meaningless busywork. Other people’s definition of success. The bottle that your feelings are kept in. The unattainable standards you hold yourself to. The need to prove your worth, as though you weren’t worthy already.
“Release” is a guiding force for all sorts of stuff – one can release worries, expectations for others, vices, perfectionism, and all the work that said perfectionism has prevented you from releasing into the world. It can all calmly, peacefully, go.
Inspired by how I feel after a good declutter of my home office, I want to make space for a sense of calm confidence and clarity, which will support me in continuing to create from a place of authenticity.
How I Choose an Intention Word for the Year
If you followed the story above, you can see how sometimes one leg of the journey flows into the next. That being said, it’s not always as simple as picking a meaningful word out of the air.
In looking to the year ahead, I usually have a number of things I want to accomplish. I probably want to feel a certain way. I may also want to change certain habits. These are my “hopes and dreams” for the year ahead, and the loudest one gets the most attention.
Then I brainstorm a number of words and what they mean to me or what I associate with them. I pick the one feels the most “right”, or that would be the most supportive of those hopes and dreams.
Breaking it down in to steps:
- I reflect on the past year, what I accomplished, what it has meant to me, and what I’d still like to work on.
- Considering where I’ve been, I get a general idea of where I’d like to go next:
- What would the next chapter be in this story?
- Were there any gaps or opportunities that I could focus on this year?
- Are there any tangible goals that I want to work toward? If so, what guiding principle would help me achieve it?
- How (or what) do I want to feel moving forward?
- I try to notice any themes or common threads that when weaved together, will support me as I move forward. (This is also a great time for a mind-map.) Then I pick some words that encompass those supportive threads.
- Keeping the vision for the next year in mind, I’ll take a step back and usually a word or phrase will stand out as most impactful or most all-encompassing.
Once I’ve picked my word, I like to journal about it, expanding upon it and reinforcing that idea.
How to Keep Your Intention Word Active
If you’re new to setting an intention word, you may wish to try any of the following to keep engaging with it:
- Paste it somewhere (eg. the front of your journal or on your laptop)
- Have it printed on a coffee mug
- Wear it – eg. make a friendship bracelet with the word or put it in a locket
- Include it on your phone lock screen or on a home screen widget
- Make a point to write about it – eg. what it means to you, or how you’ve incorporated it in the past day, week, month, etc.
- Set random reminders with your word on your phone or digital calendar so that it pops up throughout the year
- Create a little card or piece of art for it and leave it somewhere you’ll see often
For me, it’s partly the process I use to come up with the word that helps it stick. My “hopes and dreams” are important, so it’s easy to keep my intention word top-of mind to help me along. It’s also become habitual after two years, especially after experiencing the growth this practice can bring.
Writing a blog also helps because it involves a lot of reflection on my part. (I’m sure the themes of my intention word for 2025 will work their way into the blog again this year!) The more I write, the more opportunity I have to expand upon and evolve that intention.
Parting Words
Selecting an intention word and letting it act as a guiding force throughout the year has been a subtle practice, but an impactful one that keeps me in alignment with my values and vision as I navigate the year.
If you have a goal, a vision, or even just a feeling that you’d like to experience more of in 2025, what one word could you use to support and direct you towards it?
Wishing you a very happy New Year, full of positive intentions!
