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I Pick a Word of the Year and These Help Me Actually Live It
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items Every January I write one word on a card and prop it on my desk. The problem? By February it's buried under junk mail and I've forgotten it exists. If you're someone who sets intentions but struggles to keep them visible and alive past week three, th...
Sections
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Cards and Paper Worth Writing Your Word On
Pens and Markers That Make Your Word Pop
Desk Holders and Stands to Keep Your Word Visible
Journals to Track How You Live Your Word
Desk Decor That Reinforces Your Intention
Books That Help You Pick the Right Word
Cards and Paper Worth Writing Your Word On
I used to scribble my word on a sticky note that curled up and fell behind my monitor. Switching to real cardstock changed how seriously I took the whole practice.
Grab a few sheets in a color that makes you stop and look. I cut mine to 4x6 and it pops against my white desk. Way cheaper than fancy cardstock and the bold colors keep your word from blending into the background.
Crayola, Construction Paper, 240 Pages, 12 Colors
Use this if your word keeps getting lost in a sea of beige office supplies. The neon green sheet I picked practically screams at me every morning. Sturdy enough to stand up in a holder without flopping over.
Astrobrights, Color Cardstock, 8.5" x 11"
For the person who wants their word card to feel like a piece of art, not a homework assignment. I watercolored mine last year and it's the first card I actually kept on display past March.
Strathmore Mixed Media Paper Pad, 400 Series, 11" X 14"
Tore out one sheet, cut it down, and painted my word in big blocky letters. The texture makes it feel intentional, like you meant to do this. Friends kept asking if I bought it somewhere.
Canson XL Series Watercolor Paper Pad
Keep a stack of these ready so you can redo your word card whenever the mood shifts. I rewrote mine in April with a different color and it felt like a reset button for the whole year.
Value Pack Cards & Envelopes by Recollections - 5" x 6.5"
Try this thicker paper if you want something clean and minimal. I printed my word in a huge serif font, trimmed it, and slid it into a frame. Took five minutes and looked like I spent an hour on it.
HP Premium 32 lb Printer Paper | 8.5 x 11 | 1 Ream
Pens and Markers That Make Your Word Pop
A ballpoint pen on a sticky note does not spark anything. The right marker made me actually want to look at my desk every morning.
Pair the brush tip with thick cardstock and your word looks hand-lettered even if your handwriting is terrible. I wrote ‘steady’ in forest green last year and it honestly looked professional.
Tombow Dual Brush Pen Set
Use the classic black for a bold, no-nonsense look. I outlined my word first in pencil, then traced over it. Simple, clean, and it hasn't faded after sitting in direct sunlight for eight months.
Sharpie Permanent Markers, Fine Point, Black, 12 Count
For anyone who wants to add tiny details or doodles around their word. I drew little vines around ‘grow’ and it turned a plain card into something I was proud to display during video calls.
Sakura, Fine Liner Pens, Assorted Point Sizes, Black Ink
Smear your word onto dark cardstock with these and it looks like a moody art piece. My coworker thought I bought it at a craft fair. Warning: seal it with hairspray or it'll smudge on everything.
Customer reviews for Pentel Oil Pastel 25-Color Set
Swap in these if you want bright, thick letters a five-year-old could read from across the room. That's the point. Your word should hit you the second you sit down, not require squinting.
Crayola Ultra-Clean Washable Broad Line Markers, 10 Count
Try the muted tones if neon isn't your thing. I used the dusty pink to write ‘gentle’ on cream cardstock and it set the whole tone of my workspace without screaming at me.
Zebra Pen Mildliner Double-Ended Creative Highlighter Set
Desk Holders and Stands to Keep Your Word Visible
My first word card spent six months face-down under a coffee mug. A proper stand solved the problem I didn't realize I had.
Snag this little metal stand and lean your card against it. It's technically for jewelry but the tiered bars hold a card at the perfect angle. Doubles as a spot for your rings when you wash your hands.
Umbra Trigem Jewelry Stand
Toss one of these tiny wooden holders on your desk and slide your card right in. They grip the paper snugly and cost almost nothing. I put extras on my nightstand and bathroom mirror.
Darice Victoria Lynn Silver Bell Place Card Holders, 12 Pack
Slip your word card into this frame and suddenly it looks like decor, not a reminder. The gold edge dresses it up. I set mine next to my monitor and it catches my eye about twenty times a day.
Mainstays Metal Picture Frames in Picture Frames | Gold
Use this if you want your card to float in midair. The clear acrylic disappears and your word just hangs there like a little billboard. Swap cards whenever you want without fumbling with frames.
Plymor Clear Acrylic Sign Display / Literature Holder
Lean your card on this mini easel and it looks like a gallery piece. My partner saw it and asked why I had art on my desk. That's when I knew the setup was working.
Better Homes & Gardens Digital Indoor Tabletop Clock 9
Keep it simple with a plain black frame. I printed my word in white ink on black paper, framed it, and it looked like something from a design studio. The contrast makes it impossible to ignore.
Mainstays 5x7 Front Loading Picture Frame, Black, Set of 12
Journals to Track How You Live Your Word
Writing the word is step one. Checking in with it weekly is what actually rewired my habits. Without a journal, my word was decoration. With one, it became a practice.
Dedicate the first page to your word, then jot a weekly note about how it showed up. I wrote three sentences every Sunday night. By December I had a whole story I didn't expect.
Moleskine Classic Ruled Large Writing Notebook
Grab this for bullet journaling your word tracker. I made a simple grid with 52 boxes, one per week, and colored them in when I felt aligned. Seeing the boxes fill up kept me honest.
Exceed A5 Journal, Dot Grid, 120 Pages, 5.8" x 8.3"
For the person who doesn't need anything fancy, just a place to scribble. I kept mine in my desk drawer and wrote quick check-ins during lunch. No pressure, no templates, just raw thoughts.
Five Star Spiral Notebook, 2 Subject, College Ruled
The numbered pages and index made it ridiculously easy to find my word entries months later. Flipped back to March and realized how much had shifted. Worth every penny for that alone.
Medium A5 Squared Hardcover Notebook (Lemon)
Use this as a dedicated word-of-the-year journal if you don't want to mix it with work notes. I labeled the spine with a sticker and it sits on my shelf like a little time capsule now.
1 X Piccadilly Essential Notebook - Black
Toss one of these in your bag for on-the-go check-ins. I wrote my word inside the front cover so it stared at me every time I opened it. Cost less than a coffee and lasted all year.
Pen+Gear, Composition Notebooks, Wide Ruled
Desk Decor That Reinforces Your Intention
Surrounding my word with the right objects made the whole desk feel like a reminder. Not in an over-the-top way, just enough that the vibe matched the intention.
Set a small candle next to your word card and light it during your morning planning. Sounds cheesy but the ritual of lighting it made me pause and actually read my word instead of rushing past it.
Mainstays Clear Glass Rectangular Votive Candle Holder
Stick one of these in a small vase next to your card. The green keeps the space feeling alive and calm. My word last year was ‘patience’ and the plant energy honestly matched.
Better Homes & Gardens Spiral Eucalyptus Artificial Floral
Keep something living near your word. I moved mine right next to the card and watering it became part of my word ritual. Two birds, one tiny cactus.
Mainstays Tabletop Artificial Succulent, White Ceramic Pot
Pair a specific scent with your word and your brain starts connecting them. Every time I smelled this candle I thought about my word without trying. Pavlov was onto something.
Yankee Candle Lemon Lavender Large Tumbler Scented
Use something with texture you can pick up and hold when you need a reset. I grab this orb when I'm stressed and it brings me back to my word faster than rereading it does.
Mainstays Gold Orb Iron Decorative Figurine, 7.95" x 3.86"
Cleared the clutter around my word card with this organizer and suddenly the card was the focal point. Pens, clips, and chaos used to steal focus. Now my word owns that corner of the desk.
Customer reviews for Better Homes & Gardens Juliet Desk
Books That Help You Pick the Right Word
Choosing the wrong word ruined my 2021. I picked ‘hustle’ and burned out by April. These books helped me find words that actually fit my life instead of sounding impressive on paper.
Read this before you pick your word. It walks you through finding something personal instead of aspirational. I switched from ‘success’ to ‘present’ after chapter three and it changed my entire year.
My One Word - by Mike Ashcraft & Rachel Olsen (Paperback)
Grab this if you keep picking words that sound good but don't stick. The framework is simple and it took me one afternoon to finish. Came away with a word that actually felt like mine.
Pre-Owned One Word That Will Change Your Life
Pair your word with tiny daily habits and it stops being abstract. I connected my word ‘consistent’ to three small actions from this book and saw results by week six.
James Clear, Atomic Habits Hardcover Book on Building
For the person who wants to build a whole year around a theme, not just a word. I borrowed her month-by-month approach and applied it to my word. Gave it structure without making it rigid.
A Five-Year Record by Gretchen Rubin (Paperback)
Use this to dig into the reason behind your word choice. I picked ‘courage’ one year and this book helped me understand what I was actually afraid of. The word hit different after that.
Simon Sinek, Start with Why, Inspirational Bestseller
Toss this on your reading list if your word is creative or growth-related. Gilbert writes about fear and creativity in a way that made me stop overthinking my word and just start living it.
Pre-Owned BIG MAGIC (PB) [Paperback] Elizabeth Gilbert