Have you ever chosen a word for the year… and then halfway through thought,
Wait… why does this not feel like my word anymore?
If that’s happened to you, you’re not alone. It actually happened to me once, too.
And at first I thought something had gone terribly wrong in my Word of the Year selection process.
(Which, as it turns out, isn’t actually a formal process… but in that moment my brain definitely treated it like one.)😂
Because when I chose that word at the beginning of the year, I was so sure it was the right one.
You know that feeling where you pick a word and you’re like,
Yes. This is it. This is my year. ✨
I felt inspired.
Aligned.
Very spiritually organized.
I might have even written the word in my journal, on a sticky note, maybe on my bathroom mirror… you know, just casually committing to it in several visible locations.
Fast forward about halfway through the year and I remember having this moment where I thought…
Wait a second.
Why does this word suddenly feel… off?
Not terrible.
Just kind of like when you buy a shirt you absolutely loved at the store… and then a few months later you’re like,
Hmm. Why does this feel slightly less exciting now?
And I remember thinking,
“Did I pick the wrong word?”
Maybe you’ve experienced something similar.
You start the year feeling excited about your word… and then somewhere along the way life shifts, you shift, and suddenly the word doesn’t land the same way it did before.
Here’s what I eventually realized.
Sometimes the word didn’t stop working. Sometimes the word did its job.
Words evolve just like we do. Sometimes a word teaches us what we needed to learn faster than expected. Other times it opens the door to something deeper we didn’t even know we were ready for yet.
For example, one year I chose a word that felt strong and empowering… something like Courage.
And in my mind that meant bold decisions, brave leaps, and big confident action. You know… very heroic.
But halfway through the year I realized the real lesson showing up in my life was actually Trust.
Trusting myself.
Trusting the timing of life.
Trusting that I didn’t have to push quite so hard.
Which, if I’m being honest, was a slightly more humbling lesson than the heroic storyline I had imagined.
But it was exactly the one I needed.
So if you ever find yourself halfway through the year (or even halfway through the month) thinking,
Hmm… this word doesn’t feel quite the same anymore.
Instead of assuming you did something wrong, try asking a different question:
What has this word been teaching me?
Sometimes the answer arrives immediately. Other times it unfolds slowly, in little everyday moments.
A quiet realization.
A different response to something that used to trigger you.
A subtle shift in how you move through your day.
Because the truth is…
The word itself isn’t really the goal.
The awareness it creates is.
And sometimes the most powerful part of the whole process is realizing the word didn’t stop working…
it was simply guiding your growth in ways you couldn’t see yet.
This realization is actually the heart behind the Word Shift Membership.
Some women love receiving a fresh word each month; something new to reflect on, journal with, and notice in those tiny everyday moments where life quietly nudges us toward growth.
Others prefer choosing one word for the whole year, letting it slowly unfold and deepen as the months go by.
And some people like to do both; a yearly word as their compass, with monthly words adding little sparks of reflection along the way.
There’s no right way to do it.
Just the way that supports your journey.
One word.
One gentle compass for the entire year.
With a few seasonal check-ins to pause, reflect, and notice how life has been quietly shaping you along the way.
Think of it less like a program…
…and more like a compass for your inner life.
One word.
A little curiosity.
And a whole lot of permission to grow at your own pace.
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