Ditch Your New Year’s Resolutions and Choose ONE WORD

Ditch the resolutions and choose one word to draw closer to Jesus this year.

Do you make New Year’s resolutions and fail to keep them?

Ditch the Resolutions and Choose One Word

Do you make New Year’s resolutions every year… and quietly abandon them by February?

You start hopeful. Determined. Motivated.

And then real life happens.

The alarm doesn’t go off early enough. The kids get sick. Schedules fill up. Motivation fades. And before you know it, the list you worked so hard to write feels heavy instead of helpful.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

For years, I made New Year’s resolutions faithfully. I wanted to grow. I wanted to change. I wanted to be better—more patient, more disciplined, more organized, more spiritual. But year after year, I experienced very little lasting growth. My intentions were sincere, but my focus was scattered. And within days—or weeks—I had forgotten what I resolved to do in the first place.

That’s why I decided to ditch the resolutions.

Instead, I began choosing One Word.

Ditch the New Year’s Resolutions

There is something about the end of a year that prompts us to pause and reflect on the past.

We reflect on what went well and what didn’t. We remember victories, but we also replay failures. And if we’re honest—especially as women and mothers—there can be a lot of regret tangled up in those reflections.

God placed something within us that feels the weight of falling short. Some of that regret is tied to sin—attitudes we wish we had surrendered sooner, words we wish we had spoken differently. And some of it is simply the result of being human: poor judgment, exhaustion, overwhelm, and those everyday mom-fails that pile up faster than laundry.

Motherhood carries so much pressure.

• Did I do enough?
• Did I say the right thing?
• Did I model faith well?
• Did I love my family the way Jesus loves me?

And then there are the other disappointments we carry into a new year. Maybe you’re discouraged about how you did last year as a wife. Maybe your health slipped, or your weight crept up more than you wanted. Maybe your quiet time with Jesus felt rushed, inconsistent, or almost nonexistent.

There are so many reasons we want to “do better” when January rolls around.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

Resolutions often focus on fixing ourselves. One Word invites us to walk with God.

Choosing One Word

For the past several years, I have intentionally chosen to ditch the resolutions and opt for a single word instead of a long list of promises I can’t keep.

I love choosing One Word, much better than making resolutions that I soon break or goals I never quite reach.

• One Word gives direction without pressure!
• Focus without rigidity!
• Grace without guilt!

Rather than trying to overhaul every area of my life at once, I allow God to highlight one theme—one word—that shapes my prayers, my decisions, and my growth throughout the year.

Choosing One Word stretches me in a way resolutions never did. It lifts my eyes higher and invites me to pay attention to what God is doing in my heart, not just what I’m trying to accomplish.

As this new year approaches, I’ll once again be choosing One Word. I’m praying and listening, asking God to gently reveal what He wants to work into my life in the coming months.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” — Jeremiah 29:11

That promise reminds me that God is already thinking about the year ahead. He isn’t asking me to strive my way forward—He’s inviting me to trust Him.

Will you do this with me?

Get the FREE Reset and Renew Printable Pack helps you ditch your resolutions with verses like Galatians 2:20 below:

How I Choose My One Word

Choosing One Word is not about trends or copying what others are doing. It’s deeply personal and prayer-filled. Here’s how I approach it each year:

I pray.
I ask God for direction—not clarity all at once, but a nudge. A whisper. A sense of where He is leading.

I read my Bible right where I already am.
I don’t jump around searching for a verse that sounds inspiring. I simply continue reading Scripture and allow God’s Word to speak naturally.

I avoid searching online for popular or “trending” words.
I don’t want someone else’s word. I want the word God has for me.

I listen.
I pay attention to repeated thoughts, themes, or gentle convictions. Often, the word God gives doesn’t reflect who I am—it reflects who He is inviting me to become.

When My One Word Changed Everything

The first time I chose One Word was in 2012. And to be honest, that word did not reflect my life at the time.

My word was JOY.

The truth? I had no joy at all.

My circumstances were heavy. My heart was weary. And yet, I kept that word—first for one year, then for two. During that time, my life fell apart in ways I never expected.

You would think joy would come on the mountaintop.
But joy met me in the valley.

God did something miraculous in that season. He wrapped His loving arms around me and taught me that joy is not the absence of pain—it is His presence in the midst of it.

That joy was not shallow or fleeting. It was deep, steady, and anchored in Him. Truly, it was joy unspeakable.

And it all began with one word that helped me reset and renew my heart.

A Gentle Invitation to Ditch the Resolutions

I hope you’ll ditch your New Year’s resolutions and choose One Word with me this year.

• Not as a rule.
• Not as pressure.
• But as an invitation to walk closely with Jesus—one grace-filled step at a time.

Are you in?

I’d truly love to know how God is helping you reset and renew your heart as you step into the year ahead.

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