Using Power Words To Guide My Daily Life
Looking at mottos and power words of the past years, and how they work for me
For the past few years, I’ve chosen a power word for the year. Three weeks before the end of 2024, a word popped into my mind. It stayed there, and deep down I already knew it would become my word of the year.
What surprised me was that I remembered previous words I’d chosen, but for the love of me, I couldn’t remember my word for 2024. I had to check.
I wanted to be more aware of my chosen word in 2025.
Previous power words
It was the first day of 2020 that I shared this on my blog (which is no more).
What will 2020 bring us? Maybe it’s a good thing we don’t know. I have decided that my motto for this year will be ‘carpe diem’. I want to live in the present, even when I plan for the future. I want to look back at my past, only to see how it can benefit me to make today better. Today is what is important, today is when we live, when we have to live, as we never know whether we will be granted a tomorrow.
Yes, ‘seize the day’, that will be my motto for 2020.
Carpe diem.
It’s a good thing none of us knew what 2020 — the corona year — would bring. Reflecting on that year, I sure lived by my motto, despite the months of panic attacks after being crushed by a Twitter mob.
My motto for 2021 — no, I still didn’t call it a power word then — was ‘self care’. That flew out the window when my husband had a stroke in March of that year, had his cancerous thyroid removed in July and then received a treatment of radioactive iodine in September.
Then again, maybe I engaged in self care after all, as that year I started seeing a life coach, as to not lose myself between caring for my husband, all the hospital visits, worrying about losing him and coming to terms with our changed life.
In 2022, I chose one word — a power word!
I wanted to be heard, wanted to be seen. All attention went out to my husband, but I was suffering too, feeling snowed under.
My word was ‘shout’, and shout I did, even if it was only in my head. The coach was a lifebuoy that year!
Through coaching, I knew I had to get in touch with my feelings. So many things of the past came into play in those coaching sessions, and I needed to allow the emotions — good and bad.
I chose the word ‘feel’ for 2023.
Sadly, coaching ended in 2023, but not before I’d learned that my feelings were as valid as anyone else’s.
Grounded. That was my word for 2024. Where previous words were in my mind throughout the year, this one wasn’t.
Still, reading back last year’s article, I’m surprised to see I actually practiced what I preached.
I made sure I got out, especially after getting my new bike at the end of February 2024. I indulged in solo coffee-and-cake moments, enjoyed wonderful afternoons with my daughter, and stayed calm despite what life threw my way.
Power word for 2025
Of course, the image above was a dead giveaway of my power word for 2025:
RESET
With my word already chosen, I still looked for tips on selecting a power word, and came across the website See Jane Write. In an article she shared journal prompts to help you choose a power word. Those questions drew me in. Here are some of them (and my answers):
What important lessons did you learn in 2024?
I need to push myself less than I do, and allow myself some breathing space.How do you want 2025 to feel?
Calm. Relaxed.What do you want more of in 2025?
Rest. Peace. Quiet.What do you want less of in 2025?
Feeling rushed, pressured, or out of control.
As I answered those questions, they all supported the power word I chose for 2025. Whether I answered them the way I did because of the chosen word, or whether my answers would’ve been the same had I not yet selected a word, remains unknown — to me and to you!
When I think about why the word ‘reset’ feels so right for 2025, I think it comes from pressuring myself far too hard. When I decide on something, I do it, but I can imagine to others it looks like an obsession. And honestly, some things started feeling like an obsession.
Take Medium — I have to read every day, have to respond to comments daily, have to post four times a week, have to write new stuff.
Have to, have to, have to…
I need to let myself off the hook. Need to allow myself downtime without feeling guilty. It feels like the only way I can do that is to reset my mind.
Reset my way of thinking; of doing.
What to do differently in 2025
Not being able to remember my word for 2024 without checking what it was, I realized I wanted to do it differently in 2025. I want to check in with myself regularly, and I know just how I will do it.
Of course, my bullet journal comes into play here, as that will be my vessel for reflection. I have found some perfect ways to do that.
I can already see myself making beautiful pages about my power word, but if I don’t, that’s okay. Keeping that word in mind, I want to reflect on every month, but if I skip a month, that’s okay. The same way, it will be perfectly okay if I just sit on the couch in the evening, watching a movie with my husband instead of typing, typing, typing away on my laptop.
Like Jelisha Jones mentioned in her article What Is Your Word for 2025?, before I commit to something, I want to check in whether my actions are in line with my chosen word.
I’ve already set some steps into action to achieve my reset. I’m on the right path, and intend to stay on it.
So, how about you?
What’s your power word for 2025?
This article was first posted on Medium, and updated to be shared here.
If you’ve enjoyed reading my story, you might also enjoy Knowing Yourself Is A Marathon, Not A Sprint by
The part about feeling pressured to constantly produce content on Medium really resonated with me. Kinda relieved I don't have to do it to the same extent anymore. My word of the year is "surrender" :)
I haven't thought about a power word, Marie. But seeing as I'm listening to Mel Robbins right now, it's probably Let Them - not taking on other people's drama, in a nutshell, and being mindful of my reactions to external shit. Sounds good in theory ;) xx