How to Choose Your One Word Focus

What does it mean to have a “one word” focus? What’s the purpose of setting one primary focus for your new year? How do you choose your one word focus? How do you stay focused on it? In this blog post I’ll answer all these questions, tell you about a free worksheet I have to help, and share some of my own and others’ words as examples.

What is a one word focus?

It’s when you choose one word (or it can be a short phrase or quote) to be your primary focus for your year. It should be something important and personal to you—perhaps a word that is like an umbrella to include most of the goals you want to achieve that year, a quality you want to grow in, or a reminder to intentionally keep your head in the right place throughout the year.

 

Why a one word focus?

It can be overwhelming when we think about ALL the things we want to grow in, do, or achieve. Choosing a one word focus is a great start in narrowing down your list—to go strong in one area at a time rather than spreading yourself too thin, becoming discouraged by slow progress, or even becoming paralyzed from the overwhelm and giving up on your goals entirely. Focusing on one thing (or just a few things) is much more manageable and it helps you to take intentional action.

As I said before, your one word focus can act as an umbrella to include multiple goals, but if you’ve struggled with reaching your goals in the past, then I’d encourage you to only set 1 or 2 goals at a time. Once you reach it or are at least consistently working toward them for a couple months, then you can consider adding another. But remember to ask yourself with each goal you set: does this fit with my main focus and help me to achieve my primary goal?

Setting a one word focus is also a powerful tool in directing your brain where you want it to go. Studies have shown that constantly reminding yourself of your goals (especially writing them down) will help your brain understand “this is important.” And if your brain thinks it’s important, then it will store it in your long-term memory and find ways to make it a reality even when you’re not consciously thinking about it. How many times have you set resolutions or goals that you just completely forgot about later or that got pushed down on your priority list? Intentionally deciding on and writing down your focus is a huge step in the right direction.

 

How to Choose Your One Word Focus

I have a FREE worksheet with specific questions to help you choose your focus.

If you’re a subscriber to my email list then you already have access to my exclusive page of resources, including this worksheet; just look at the bottom of any of your emails from me to get the link and password. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can be added by using the form below; this will add you to my list where you will get 1-2 emails from me a month with blog posts, YouTube videos, and important news, as well as access to this worksheet.

Here are a few tips:

• Spend time reflecting on last year. What did you accomplish? What are you proud of? What worked well for you as you tried to make progress toward your goals? What areas could’ve used improvement? What didn’t go so well?
• Think on the words of “being” and “doing” that are most important to you right now. Who do you want to be? How can you improve that character trait this year? What are you hoping to accomplish? What’s a dream you have that you’ve been putting off? What needs to increase or lessen in your life? What’s a priority for you to see, do, or experience this year?
• Frame your story. Your life is a story. This next year of your life is a chapter. What do you want the theme of this year’s chapter to be? What title would you give this chapter in anticipation of growth and success?
• Imagine the future. Think to the following year. What would you regret next year not doing THIS year? Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, and holocaust survivor, in his famous book Man’s Search for Meaning says, “Live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you are about to act now!” It’s so easy to get caught up in day-to-day life, immediate gratification, or distractions that we forget to live with intentional focus. So imagine your life a year from now. Are you grateful for Past You’s decisions? Or are you frustrated at Past You? There’s time to change the future.

How to Remember It All Year

What’s the point of setting a one word focus for your year if you’re not even going to remember it to take action on it? As I talked about earlier, we need to make it easy for our brains to focus on what we want it to focus on. Here are a few ideas for helping you to keep your one word on the forefront of your mind:

• Write it out in your journal every day
• Write it at the top of each page in your calendar
• Create or order custom art to remind you of your word and hang it where you’ll see it daily (I did this for my 2017 and 2018 words)
• Buy an engraved bracelet or necklace you can wear each day (I did this for my 2016 and 2019 words)
• Set a reminder on your phone to go off daily with your focus word or phrase
• Schedule time on your calendar once a month or once a week to reflect on how it’s going so far and realign yourself
• Make it the lockscreen wallpaper on your phone (this is what I did for my 2020 word!)
• Make it the cover photo on your Facebook or Twitter page (added accountability!)

 

Examples: My Past Focuses

Want a few examples of a one word or phrase focus? Click the links below:

• My 2023 Focus: clear
• My 2022 Focus: connect & celebrate
• My 2021 Focus: make mistakes
• My 2020 Focus: story
• My 2019 Focus: experience
• My 2018 Focus: trust, hustle, rest
• My 2017 Focus: chase the lion
• My 2016 Focus: have courage and be kind

Here are some examples from other bloggers:

• Emily Francis: actions
• Lori Gracey: balance
• Kristin Marie: will

 

Your One Word Focus

Spend time this week thinking upon the questions and filling out the worksheet. Once you decide on your focus, come back and tell me about it in the comment section below! I’d love to hear!