A Word to the Wise: Selecting ONE Word as Motivation for the New Year

A Word to the Wise

Selecting ONE Word as Motivation
for the New Year

By NAfME Member Lori Schwartz Reichl

“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.”—John Keating

The Motivation of ONE Word

“A word to the wise” is an informal idiom that means someone is about to give advice or a warning. It is a way to convey insight or guidance. How could we consider ONE word to be motivational for this new year?

In episode #36 of the Making Key Changes podcast, titled “ONE Word,” I told the story of my friend since childhood, Rachel Clancy, who continues to encourage me to choose ONE word to define each new year. If you aren’t familiar with this process, it is taken from the book that Mike Ashcraft and Rachel Olsen wrote in 2012 titled, My One Word: Change Your Life with Just One Word. The book centers around faith practices, yet its concept is universal. The authors believe that words have power. The idea is to swap the long list of year-long resolutions for a single word that represents what you most hope for yourself and allow this word to become the lens through which you examine your heart and life for an entire year. This ONE word provides insight and guidance for the year.

As we outlined in podcast episode #47, during the final episode for 2024, we may have narrowed down a few possible words and begun to test these words out. Since the new year has started, it is time to make our final selection of our official ONE word. If you’d like some ideas for potential words, go back and listen to episode #36. If you selected your ONE word at the end of December as inspiration, then reflect on these first few days of the new year and ensure you are on track with your word. If that word is no longer relevant, consider selecting a new word. Write potential words down and go through each word to weigh the pros and cons. You might consider talking through these possible words with loved ones to inquire which word they feel fits you best or with which word they could most support you.

Previous ONE Words

In 2023 the ONE word I selected was NOW. Professionally, this word motivated me to focus on one large task or project at a time. I had to stop procrastinating on certain things and to just do them . . . NOW. During that year, I made huge strides on completing several projects. Instead of saying, “I’ll get to it eventually,” I prioritized tasks (both small and large) that had been looming over my head. I scheduled them appropriately and completed many of these projects during 2023.

In 2024, I rearranged those three letters from the word NOW to select my new word of OWN, as in “to acknowledge full responsibility for something.” Owning my life meant that I acknowledged what was going well and what was not. As 2024 unfolded, my ONE word of OWN took on a more personal meaning. I took ownership of my actions and reactions in more manageable and immediate ways. We have the ability (and possibility!) to make our lives whatever we want. Sometimes ownership requires the help and support of others, which is always appreciated.

For 2025, I thought about rearranging those three little letters one final time to spell the word WON. Instead, I am leaning toward selecting a new word, and one that represents renewal.

Each year, I have chosen ONE word. I’ve been focused on that ONE word. And I’ve allowed that ONE word to become the lens through which I reflect, research, and refresh my life. Did you select ONE word for this new year? If so, how has it been going? If you did not select ONE word at the start of this calendar year, I hope you consider selecting your ONE word today and using it as motivation for the entire year. As the hustle and bustle of school or work continues for the second half of the school year, daylight savings time is still evident, and the weather is cold in particular areas of the country, we could all use extra motivation.

Selecting Your ONE Word

Consider these three key changes you can make to narrow down your ONE word for this new year:

Key Change #1: Select Your ONE Word 

If you selected your ONE word at the end of December as inspiration, then reflect on these first few days of the new year and ensure you are on track with your word. If that word is no longer relevant, consider selecting a new word. Write potential words down and go through each one to weigh the pros and cons.

Key Change #2: Share Your ONE Word

Don’t be afraid to tell those you love, serve, and lead what you are doing by selecting ONE word and why you are doing it. If you are participating in this practice with family, friends, or colleagues, then share your word with them. Sharing is a way to hold yourself accountable and a way for others to care about what you are trying to accomplish. Write down your ONE word and post it in ideal places, like on a mirror, near your clothing closet, in the bathroom or kitchen, at your desk, or near your workout space. Make it your screensaver for your computer or wallpaper for your phone. Keep it visible so you see it often, it isn’t forgotten, and it can motivate you at different times of the day or week.

Key Change #3: Practice Your ONE Word

Apply your ONE word to as many areas of your life as you would like. Consider your loving, serving, and leading spaces as places where you will use your ONE word as motivation. Create ways to check in on your progress each day, week, or month about how you are actively implementing the use of your ONE word. And don’t be afraid to change your word if it is time for something new.

Applying Your ONE Word

You can choose your ONE word for many reasons. In recent years, I have focused my ONE word on different areas of my life to be used as motivation to apply growth in both my professional and personal life. Maybe you select the word TOGETHER for your family or use it with a partner. Maybe you choose the word ACHIEVE for your work aspirations. Maybe the word CHERISH is used for your friends, colleagues, or students. Words that some of my friends chose in 2024 included FOCUS, FEAR, and ENLIGHTEN.

In 2023, my word was NOW. In 2024, my word was OWN. If I rearrange those three letters one last time, I will have spelled the word WON. If you haven’t done so, select a word NOW. OWN this word and by the end of the year, you will feel like you have WON, too.

How are we making key changes to select ONE word for motivation for 2025? Listen to episode #49 of the Making Key Changes podcast, titled “A Word to the Wise” to narrow down your ONE insightful word to guide you through this new year.

Photo at top by Zhen H on Unsplash

About the Author

NAfME member Dr. Lori Schwartz Reichl is the visionary thought leader of Making Key Changes. Her career began in music education where she learned the importance of a key change—a shift in the tonal center of a piece of music, often used to inject energy or produce significance. She eventually realized the necessity and impact of making key changes in many areas of her life and the desire to help others do the same.

Since transitioning out of one classroom as a public school teacher, Lori has uniquely created a global classroom for her work. She motivates organizations, teams, and individuals to reflect on their daily practices and offers actionable key changes to grow. She guides all contributors to create and maintain a shared vision in their communities, companies, classrooms, and careers. Together, they unlock their greatest potential in collaboration with those they love, serve, and lead.

Learn more about Dr. Lori Schwartz Reichl at MakingKeyChanges.com. Subscribe to her Making Key Changes weekly newsletter and listen to her weekly podcast.

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