One Word for the Year
Use one visible word to focus a year of choices
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 99%
Choose one word that expresses the meaning, mission, passion, or purpose you want to emphasise for the year. Define what the word should change in actual behaviour, then write it down and keep it visible so it repeatedly frames decisions. The word acts as a lens rather than a conventional resolution: it is easy to remember, flexible enough to apply across situations, and persistent after detailed habit lists are forgotten. The method can be used individually or shared with a family, group of friends, or team, with each person choosing a personally meaningful word. It does not replace measurable plans where they are needed. Instead, it supplies a unifying direction that helps decide which plans and behaviours deserve attention throughout the year.
Origin
Gordon’s first word was purpose. Later words included still, connected, surrender, heart, serve, and love; he says each one changed how he lived during that year.
Core principles
- 01A memorable focus is easier to sustain than a long resolution list
- 02The right word connects daily choices to meaning
- 03Visibility turns intention into a recurring cue
How to run it
- 1
Find the theme
Reflect on the quality or direction that would give the coming year more meaning, mission, passion, or purpose.
Pro tip Notice which word keeps returning rather than forcing a fashionable choice.
Watch out Avoid choosing a word only because it sounds impressive.
- 2
Define the behaviour
Write what the word would look like in your work, relationships, health, and daily choices.
Pro tip Give the word two or three observable expressions.
Watch out A word without behavioural meaning becomes decoration.
- 3
Make it visible
Write the word somewhere you will encounter it regularly and use it as a decision cue.
Pro tip Place it near an existing planning or reflection habit.
- 4
Live and review it
Periodically ask whether recent choices reflect the word and make a small correction when they do not.
Pro tip Share the word with someone who can ask how you are living it.
Watch out Do not abandon the word after an imperfect week.
In the wild
Someone chooses 'serve' and defines it as helping one colleague each week, taking a fair share of household work, and making customer communication clearer. The word stays on the first page of his planner and shapes weekly priorities.
→ A broad intention becomes a recurring decision lens.
Common mistakes
Picking without meaning
The word should connect to a real need or direction, not simply sound positive.
Hiding the cue
If the word is not visible or revisited, it loses the simplicity advantage that makes the method work.
Is it for you?
Best for
Individuals, families, or teams who want a memorable annual intention rather than a complex resolution list.
Not ideal for
Goals that require precise metrics, deadlines, and detailed execution plans on their own.
From the transcript
“pick one word that you can focus on the lens in which you're going to focus on your life that year”
“find a way to to write it down or keep it front and center so you it reminds you to live that word for the…”
From the episode
Jon Gordon: Look On The Bright Side
Jon Gordon