Word for the Year 2022 Printables

It’s time to start prepping for 2021. This article will help you pick your Word for the Year 2022 and start focusing on what is to come!

**Updated with 2022 Word of the Year printables!**

Steps for Choosing Your Word of the Year

1. Focus on Your Goals

Think about what you want to accomplish in 2021 and write down all of the goals that come to mind. Include both long term and short term goals.

After you have a decent list put together, start looking for trends.

You might have a number of goals surrounding your business or your health. If so, you may want to consider words that relate to the overall theme of your goals.

2. Look for Inspiration

Coming up with a word that is fitting and can encompass what you want to focus on is a lot harder than it sounds. I have sat and stared at a blank page in my journal for an hour, only to get up and leave it blank.

One of my favorite ways to find inspiration for my word of the year is to head to Pinterest.

Look up motivational or inspirational quotes.

Read through them and pick out words that stand out to you. Scribble those words down on a piece of paper.

Don’t worry about finding the perfect word right now. This is going to act as your word bank and you can narrow it down later on.

3. Create a Vision Board

This is an optional step. Although, I think it’s a great way to visualize what you want in the next year.

It can be a ton of fun too!

Grab some old magazines, a few glue sticks, scissors, and a piece of poster board. Think back to your goals for the upcoming year, flip through the magazines, and cut out images and text that inspires you. Glue them onto your poster board.

You might find your word in a magazine, or you might put your vision board together and then your word will come to you like an epiphany.

This is often true for people who are visual learners.

4. Narrow It Down

Once you have a list of words to choose from, you will need to narrow it down.

If you are starting with a big list, look through it, and see if there are any you can knock out right away.

Ideally, you will have between 4-5 words that make the cut for possibilities.

With this amount, you will have time to settle in with each word and try it out before selecting it for the whole year.

To really embrace your word, try sitting down in a relaxed environment and writing down affirmations that relate to the word you are focusing on. If you need ideas on how to use affirmations, check out this post.

This process can help you narrow down your word of the year because writing down affirmations puts you in the present with your word. It can take away some of the anxiety of picking a word because you convince yourself that you are already living by your word.

Let’s say your word is ‘fearless’. Your affirmations might look like:

• I embrace new experiences and situations with a positive outlook.
• I am fearless in the pursuit of happiness.
• I am confident when I walk into my new job position.

Try this with each of your words. This may help you narrow down your list as some affirmations will ring truer than others.

5. Selecting Your 2022 Word for the Year

After you have chosen your word of the year 2022, it’s time to put it into practice. There are tons of ways to go about this, so I will share a few of my favorites.

• If you keep a bullet journal or planner, the first thing I like to do is dedicate one page to my word. Write your word in large type smack dab in the middle of a clean page at the front of your journal or planner. (Or use the Word of the Year Printables further down in this post!)
• Decorate it with stickers, doodles, quotes, etc. Make your page embody your goals and your word of the year.
• If you enjoy lettering, recreate a few quotes on sticky notes or blank pieces of paper. If you aren’t confident in your lettering, you can print out the quotes. Then, stick them around your home or your office.
• I like to hang quotes in my bathroom and on my makeup vanity. These are places I often visit throughout the day, and it’s encouraging to see quotes that radiate my vision for myself.

Word of the Year Ideas

Don’t limit yourself to the words on this list.  These are just some words to get the ideas flowing! If one fits you, that’s great but these aren’t the only options!

• Fearless. This word is strong and powerful. For those who want to change in the coming year and want to face new experiences with confidence. A great option if you are applying for a new job, headed off to college, traveling, quitting an addiction or a bad relationship, or moving.
• Enough. This word is so strong on its own. Many people suffer from thinking they aren’t enough in today’s world of nearly impossible expectations. This word embodies self-love, confidence, and self-worth. If you’re working on yourself this year, remember that you are enough.
• Celebrate. Whether you are just getting by or are thriving right now, remind yourself to celebrate life. This word is a reminder to find the small joys every single day. This word is powerful for those who have had a rough past few months and want to change their mindset to a more positive way of thinking.
• Forgiveness. The word itself can relate to a number of different situations. This could be forgiving yourself or someone else. It could be forgiveness in general; a reminder to be understanding and find peace within your own heart.
• Gratitude. Living with an attitude of gratitude can change your entire perspective. This word is a reminder to appreciate everything and never take what you have for granted. If you’ve been feeling down, I encourage you to put this word to practice, even if you don’t select it as your word of the year. It’s a mantra everyone should live by.
• Shine. Whether it’s your time or shine at your career, in your community, online, or elsewhere. Shine will encourage you to put your best face forward. Smile wherever you go; bring a twinkle of happiness to the lives of others with a compliment or a smile. In turn, you will feel a lightness and glimmer from inside as well.
• Create. Create can represent so many goals. It could mean creating art, creating a life you’ve always envisioned, or creating a healthy lifestyle. This word is open-ended but also strong and powerful.

2022 Word of the Year Printables

For those of you who are fans of using printable pages in your journals, I created a few 2022 word for the year options featuring coloring page backgrounds and five different words. The words include:

• Aware
• Become
• Hope
• Reset
• Whole

These all seemed to fit the upcoming year. You can print them and use them as the first page of your bullet journal for the new year!

How and Why to Choose a Focus Word of the Year

Choosing a word of the year is a December tradition that I look forward to each year. There’s something magical and empowering about claiming a mantra and honing in on personal development.

And now that we are getting closer to that magical time of year, I thought it would be a nice idea to share some tips for picking a word of the year and a few ideas for words to get you started.

Last year, I put together a post with 60+ word of the year ideas.

This year, I want to focus on how to choose your word. With so many possibilities, it can seem like a huge task. But, with a little time and reflection, you’ll have your 2021 mantra in no time at all.

Steps for Choosing Your Word of the Year

1. Focus on Your Goals

Think about what you want to accomplish in 2021 and write down all of the goals that come to mind. Include both long term and short term goals.

After you have a decent list put together, start looking for trends.

You might have a number of goals surrounding your business or your health. If so, you may want to consider words that relate to the overall theme of your goals.

2. Look for Inspiration

Coming up with a word that is fitting and can encompass what you want to focus on is a lot harder than it sounds. I have sat and stared at a blank page in my journal for an hour, only to get up and leave it blank.

One of my favorite ways to find inspiration for my word of the year is to head to Pinterest.

Look up motivational or inspirational quotes.

Read through them and pick out words that stand out to you. Scribble those words down on a piece of paper.

Don’t worry about finding the perfect word right now. This is going to act as your word bank and you can narrow it down later on.

3. Create a Vision Board

This is an optional step. Although, I think it’s a great way to visualize what you want in the next year.

It can be a ton of fun too!

Grab some old magazines, a few glue sticks, scissors, and a piece of poster board. Think back to your goals for the upcoming year, flip through the magazines, and cut out images and text that inspires you. Glue them onto your poster board.

You might find your word in a magazine, or you might put your vision board together and then your word will come to you like an epiphany.

This is often true for people who are visual learners.

4. Narrow It Down

Once you have a list of words to choose from, you will need to narrow it down.

If you are starting with a big list, look through it, and see if there are any you can knock out right away.

Ideally, you will have between 4-5 words that make the cut for possibilities.

With this amount, you will have time to settle in with each word and try it out before selecting it for the whole year.

To really embrace your word, try sitting down in a relaxed environment and writing down affirmations that relate to the word you are focusing on. If you need ideas on how to use affirmations, check out this post.

This process can help you narrow down your word of the year because writing down affirmations puts you in the present with your word. It can take away some of the anxiety of picking a word because you convince yourself that you are already living by your word.

Let’s say your word is ‘fearless’. Your affirmations might look like:

• I embrace new experiences and situations with a positive outlook.
• I am fearless in the pursuit of happiness.
• I am confident when I walk into my new job position.

Try this with each of your words. This may help you narrow down your list as some affirmations will ring truer than others.

5. Selecting Your 2022 Word for the Year

After you have chosen your word of the year 2022, it’s time to put it into practice. There are tons of ways to go about this, so I will share a few of my favorites.

• If you keep a bullet journal or planner, the first thing I like to do is dedicate one page to my word. Write your word in large type smack dab in the middle of a clean page at the front of your journal or planner. (Or use the Word of the Year Printables further down in this post!)
• Decorate it with stickers, doodles, quotes, etc. Make your page embody your goals and your word of the year.
• If you enjoy lettering, recreate a few quotes on sticky notes or blank pieces of paper. If you aren’t confident in your lettering, you can print out the quotes. Then, stick them around your home or your office.
• I like to hang quotes in my bathroom and on my makeup vanity. These are places I often visit throughout the day, and it’s encouraging to see quotes that radiate my vision for myself.

Word of the Year Ideas

Don’t limit yourself to the words on this list.  These are just some words to get the ideas flowing! If one fits you, that’s great but these aren’t the only options!

• Fearless. This word is strong and powerful. For those who want to change in the coming year and want to face new experiences with confidence. A great option if you are applying for a new job, headed off to college, traveling, quitting an addiction or a bad relationship, or moving.
• Enough. This word is so strong on its own. Many people suffer from thinking they aren’t enough in today’s world of nearly impossible expectations. This word embodies self-love, confidence, and self-worth. If you’re working on yourself this year, remember that you are enough.
• Celebrate. Whether you are just getting by or are thriving right now, remind yourself to celebrate life. This word is a reminder to find the small joys every single day. This word is powerful for those who have had a rough past few months and want to change their mindset to a more positive way of thinking.
• Forgiveness. The word itself can relate to a number of different situations. This could be forgiving yourself or someone else. It could be forgiveness in general; a reminder to be understanding and find peace within your own heart.
• Gratitude. Living with an attitude of gratitude can change your entire perspective. This word is a reminder to appreciate everything and never take what you have for granted. If you’ve been feeling down, I encourage you to put this word to practice, even if you don’t select it as your word of the year. It’s a mantra everyone should live by.
• Shine. Whether it’s your time or shine at your career, in your community, online, or elsewhere. Shine will encourage you to put your best face forward. Smile wherever you go; bring a twinkle of happiness to the lives of others with a compliment or a smile. In turn, you will feel a lightness and glimmer from inside as well.
• Create. Create can represent so many goals. It could mean creating art, creating a life you’ve always envisioned, or creating a healthy lifestyle. This word is open-ended but also strong and powerful.

2022 Word of the Year Printables

For those of you who are fans of using printable pages in your journals, I created a few 2022 word for the year options featuring coloring page backgrounds and five different words. The words include:

• Aware
• Become
• Hope
• Reset
• Whole

These all seemed to fit the upcoming year. You can print them and use them as the first page of your bullet journal for the new year!