ACTION: My Personal Motivational Word for 2017 + Why You Need One!

IN THIS POST: How choosing a personal motivational word for your year will help you reach your goals + get a FREE printable worksheet.

Does it seem like EVERYONE is choosing a “word of the year?” Does that actually put you off because you don’t want to be like everyone else?

I sort of felt the same, but I chose a word anyway in 2016. Guess what? I found out there’s a good reason so many people choose a personal motivational word for their year.

It’s actually a little magical.

Choosing a word for 2016 proved to be a great inspiration and motivator. I found myself thinking about “Positivity” in many situations.

Focusing on that word really helped me make it through the tough parts of the year. Honestly, it motivated every part of my life.

Settling on a single word for 2017 was more difficult.

There were several contenders, including “Simplify” and “Accomplish.” But I realized that in order to make any of those things happen, I first need to take action to move in the right direction. Since “Action” also happens to be part of my blog tagline, it turned into the word I HAD to choose.

Choosing a personal #motivational word for 2017 will #inspire every part of your life. Click To Tweet

This page may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through an affiliate link, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can see my disclaimer here.

Why Choose a Personal “Word of the Year?”

Is your mind full to the brim with all the things you need and want to do?

You may find that choosing a personal motivational word will ground you, give you something to refer to every day.

Having one word to describe what you want to DO or BE for the year will give you focus and help you take positive steps to Build Your Best Life.

How to Choose a Word

Grab a piece of paper (or get the worksheet below), your planner, a journal, or open a word doc on your computer. Yes, I know most of my posts say this somewhere… obviously, I’m a HUGE fan of writing things down. It helps define and organize your thoughts. Plus, you’re more likely to actually DO or REMEMBER things after writing them.

Make a list of the things you would like to focus on this year. What do your things have in common? You should notice a theme emerging.

For example, is your list mainly about decluttering, organizing, etc.? Then your word could be Simplify.

Are you mostly wanting to concentrate on improving your finances, paying off debt, building savings? Or maybe learning to be grateful for what you have even while trying to better your situation? Then perhaps Increase or Abundance would work.

Or, what word have you often run across lately that you just LOVE and think would fit several aspects of your life? If a word has been speaking to you, then go with it!

Fill out the form below to receive a FREE printable worksheet to help you choose your personal word. It will be delivered directly to your inbox.

Setting Goals and Using Your Word to Stay Focused

Do you already have one BIG thing to concentrate on in 2017? Not sure where to start? Check out my post “Stop Thinking and Start Doing!”

Sometimes the motivational word itself becomes the goal, or it can be a tool you use to reach other goals.

Some suggestions for using your word to stay focused:

– Make your word a mantra/chant.
– Create printable artwork in Canva or PicMonkey (or draw your own!); frame & display.
– If your artwork is digital, make it your phone lock screen or your computer background.
– Frequently ask yourself if whatever you’re currently doing fits with your focus word.

My Goals for 2017 and How the Word “Action” Will Help Me

I outlined many of my blog and home goals in my Blogiversary Post, and I did choose the word ACTION to fit those goals.

But I also use my word of the year to set me on the right track regarding personal goals.

I have to keep in mind that taking Action means always working in the right direction. I often ask, “Is this Action helping me do something meaningful to reach my goals?”

I don’t like to set too many goals for the year, or I burn out quickly. In fact, right now I’m only looking 3-6 months out for personal goals. With that in mind, here are some personal goals I am taking Action to accomplish:

– Drink more water.
– Turn off tech 30-60 minutes before bed — that also means no phone/tablet in the bedroom.
– Take 10 minutes in the evening to plan out the next day on paper.
– Read at least 20 minutes every day — twice would be nice, first thing in the morning AND right before bed.


Related:
New Year’s Resolution Ideas (for People Who Live on Purpose) – Carly On Purpose


My first (and so far, BEST) Action for 2017 was to finish working through Money Saving Mom Crystal Paine’s Make Over Your Evenings course.

While I love planning and organizing my day, I noticed that I was spending too much time taking care of that in the morning when my brain wasn’t quite functioning yet.

And even though I know myself well enough to only focus on one important daily task, I wasn’t always doing my best at making the proper choice in the early morning. I was starting to feel like I couldn’t quite catch up.

My main goal when beginning the MOYE course was to get to the point where I would give myself the time to do my planning at night and be ready to hit the ground running in the morning.

I was pleasantly surprised that the course was more comprehensive than I had expected and helped me work through some things that I hadn’t even thought about!

Plus, implementing what I have learned in the course is directly helping me reach the personal goals I listed above, which is the best possible result! 


Do you have a personal motivational word for 2017? Why did you choose that word? If you have a blog post about it, please link in the comments!

Choosing a personal motivational word to inspire your actions this year could change your life! Click for tips + a FREE printable worksheet to guide you... | www.fillingthejars.com

Choosing a personal motivational word to inspire your actions this year could change your life! Click for tips + a FREE printable worksheet to guide you... | www.fillingthejars.com
Choosing a personal motivational word to inspire your actions this year could change your life! Click for tips + a FREE printable worksheet to guide you... | www.fillingthejars.com
Choosing a personal motivational word to inspire your actions this year could change your life! Click for tips + a FREE printable worksheet to guide you... | www.fillingthejars.com

6 thoughts on “ACTION: My Personal Motivational Word for 2017 + Why You Need One!”

  1. I didn’t choose a word this year. I’ve chosen words in the past, but this year, or rather January was blah. I guess if I had to pick a word, the word that comes to mind is FOCUS. I could use that along with a hefty sprinkling of organization. 🙂
    Thanks for sharing with us at #MMBH
    XO

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top