Your word of the year can be an anchor. Something you return to when you’re reframing, adjusting, adapting, and finding your next step forward.

If you’re choosing a word for the year, here’s a simple ritual you can try. It’s calm, practical, and designed to support steady change, not overnight pressure.

A simple word of the year ritual

If you’d like to watch the ritual in action, you can see it on Instagram here.

Step 1: Choose your word

Pick one word that captures how you want your year to feel, or how you want to meet the year.

If you already have a word, you can keep it super simple. If you’re still deciding, skip down to the prompts below.

Step 2: Write a word + a clear intention

On a small piece of paper, write:

• Your word for the year
• One simple intention for how you want it to show up

Example format:

• Word: Steady 
• Intention: I choose steady progress in my work and steady care in my routines.

Step 3: Create a little “anchor” moment

Place your paper under a green candle and surround it with clear quartz.

You can keep it on your altar, a shelf, your desk, or anywhere you’ll see it and remember what you’re returning to.

Why a green candle?

Green is for growth, renewal, and steady expansion.

It’s a reminder this isn’t about overnight change. It’s about nurturing what you’re calling in, all year long.

If you don’t have a green candle, you can still do the ritual. Choose any candle you have, or even skip the candle completely and keep the paper somewhere visible.

Why clear quartz?

Clear quartz is often used for clarity and amplification.

For me, it’s like saying: “let this intention be clear, supported, and strengthened.”

Again, if you don’t have clear quartz, you can adapt. The heart of the ritual is the word and the intention. Everything else is optional.

If you’re stuck on your word, try these prompts

Take a few minutes with a journal (or your notes app) and see if these help you find your word…

1. When do I feel most like myself, and what word describes that feeling?
2. If this year could feel like one emotion most days, what would I choose, and why?
3. What do I want more of this year (in my body, my home, my work, my relationships)?
4. What do I want less of, and what boundary or habit would support that?
5. When I feel stuck, what do I usually need most: rest, clarity, courage, support, fun, or structure? What word captures that need?
6. Imagine it’s December at the end of the year and I’m proud of how I lived. What did I prioritise, and what single word ties it all together?

How to use your word throughout the year

A word becomes powerful when you return to it.

Try these simple ways to keep it close:

• Add it to your planner or phone wallpaper
• Write it on a sticky note near your desk
• Use it as a monthly check-in question: “What would my word look like this month?”
• When you’re overwhelmed, ask: “What’s one small action that matches my word today?”

A small New Year wish for you

Happy New Year 🤍

Wishing you a year that feels aligned, steady, and yours.