Writers, Focus on Your One Significant Word in 2025

Beth Vogt @BethVogt

Has this year been a whirlwind for anyone else?

Last January seemed set to slow motion but after that, someone pushed the fast forward button. And now there are only 17 days left in 2024. 

As the new year approaches, we can be caught in an emotional tug of war as we look back over our shoulder and recall personal and professional ups and downs. At the same time, we wonder what awaits us in 2025.

Some of us start the year with resolutions—a list of goals we want to accomplish. Me? I’m an advocate for choosing One Word for the upcoming year. Making the “I will” and the “I won’t” list seems so positive, but I always lost my list of resolutions by February and could never remember half the things I wrote down.

This will be my 20th year choosing One Word to focus on for 365 days. Wow! Twenty years choosing a single word and never once have I lost track of the word I chose as the days, weeks, and months progressed. Even more important, God has used the process of focusing on a specific word to change me in significant ways that influence all areas of my life—spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical. 

Some of my One Words have been: 

• Gratitude
• Hope
• Kindness
• Trust
• Confidence
• Inheritance
• Simplify—which morphed into Survive
• Pray
• Forgiveness
• Listen

Last year, my One Word was “rest,” and for the third year I ordered a necklace with my word engraved on it. A close friend also sends me a small, framed image of my One Word that I keep in a central location—on my kitchen counter or on my desk. 

This year my One Word is “Abide.” I knew what my One Word for 2025 would be by September. (It happens sometimes.) I’m part of an online Bible reading program, Stop2Read ( http://www.Stop2Read.com). When we read through John, this verse stood out to me: “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NASB95) I’ve come back to the words: “… apart from Me you can do nothing …” again and again and I know abiding with God influences my work as a writer. 

Here are four tips to help writers try One Word in 2025:

• Pray about your One Word. God usually provides me with a scripture verse that anchors me to my One Word.

• Be attentive for a visual. I’ve used a photo or other kind of graphic to remind me of my One Word. I’ve also worn a necklace or bracelet engraved with my One Word.

• Dive into your One Word. Consider reading books related to your One Word. The year I focused on the One Word gratitude, I incorporated a gratitude journal. 

• Read My One Word by authors Mike Ashcraft and Rachel Olsen. This is a helpful resource to learn how to choose One Word. I also recommend checking out their website. It’s motivating to see One Words other people have chosen.

I’d love to know if you focus on One Word each year and if you’ve chosen a word for 2025 or why you prefer to do resolutions.

TWEETABLE

 Writers, Focus on Your One Significant Word in 2025  from @BethVogt on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” She’s authored 15 novels and novellas, both contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Beth is a Christy Award winner, an ACFW Carol Award winner, and a  RITA® finalist. Her newest contemporary romance novel, Dedicated to the One I Love, released June 20, 2023. Her novel Things I Never Told You, book one in her Thatcher Sisters Series by Tyndale House Publishers, won the 2019 AWSA Golden Scroll Award for Contemporary Novel of the Year. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Learn How to Write a Novel and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people. Connect with Beth at BETHVOGT.COM.