Choose a “word of the year” to stay motivated and keep you on the road to success in 2024 with this printable list of positive, motivational, and inspirational words. (First published January 1, 2019; this post is updated and republished to improve the content.)
First, use this alphabetized printable list of positive, motivational, and inspirational words to help you choose your “word of the year” for 2024. Then, use the positive uplifting word you choose as a mantra or focus point to help you stay motivated to achieve your goals and live the life of your dreams! At the bottom of this post, there is a list of fun ideas you can use to energize your word for the year.
Everyone can use a word of encouragement at times. Inspirational words play a vital role in navigating life’s challenges and pursuing personal aspirations. A simple yet powerful word can offer encouragement or become a beacon of light in moments of doubt. Uplifting motivational words can also help guide us toward achieving our highest aspirations and realizing our fullest potential.
Motivational Words: Small Things that Make a Big Difference
Positive motivational words can have a profound psychological impact on the individual. Choosing one word for the year on January 1, or in the days that follow, can boost self-esteem, improve mental resilience, and foster a sense of hope and optimism. These inspiring words can also act as mental fuel that energizes and drives us toward our passions and aspirations.
When facing obstacles, an encouraging word can rekindle motivation, reminding us of our strengths and capabilities. This positive reinforcement can help us shift focus from our limitations to our potential. Thus enabling us to approach tasks with confidence and determination.
Uplifting motivational words and short inspirational phrases can ultimately help transform our mindset into a growth-oriented perspective. Acting as the catalyst for growth and transformation that is essential for achieving goals and personal development.
Best of all, the benefits of using these positive words are not just internal; they often ripple outward to the people and communities we interact with. Which can improve interpersonal relationships and create a more supportive environment for everyone in our surroundings.
List of Uplifting Motivational and Inspirational Words
The alphabetical list of positive encouraging motivational words below (and on our inspirational words printable) is extensive but not exhaustive. So please don’t look at this list as if it were the only list of words to choose from.
You might be able to come up with a few other inspirational and motivational words not on the list that would make a perfect choice for your “word of the year.” It can even be a short motivational phrase, a #hashtag, or a group of inspirational or positive words. So choose the word you like best even if you don’t see it on our printable list of words. You may also be interested in learning how to plan your day.
Word of the Year Ideas 2024: Uplifting Words of Motivation and Inspiration
Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution that you could keep? I find it challenging and not a lot of fun even when I can keep my New Year’s resolutions. So, I found a better New Year’s tradition that provides a lot more satisfaction and fulfillment to complete.
First, I like to turn my resolutions into SMART Goals and create an action plan to achieve my goals with actionable steps. Next, I chose an inspirational word for the year to help me stay focused, motivated, and on track to accomplish my goals.
Related Post: How to Use the Power of Habit to Change Your Life
What is the “Word of the Year” and the “One Little Word” Project?
A word of the year is a powerful word or encouraging phrase you choose to help you stay focused, motivated, and on track to reach your goals throughout the year. It is usually an uplifting, positive, inspirational word that helps motivate you to take action, but it can be any word that holds meaning for you. It can also be a word that helps you maintain your perseverance through times of hardship, provides persistent reminders to help you achieve goals, inspires you toward excellence, or brings a sense of passion to any project or relationship.
“In 2006 I began a tradition of choosing one word for myself each January—a word to focus on, to live with, to investigate, to write about, to craft with, and to reflect upon as I go about my daily life. These words have each become a part of my life in one way or another—a process I document via simple creative monthly prompts from January to December.”
Ali Edwards ( The One Little Word Project)
Related: I Am Grateful (Gratitude Journal Printable Worksheet)
How to Chose a Word of the Year:
Choose a word for the year to help energize your goals and stay motivated. Follow the simple steps below to choose a word for the year.
1. Download and Print the Inspirational List of Words.
Download and print the list of inspirational words and use it to choose your word of the year for 2024. Or, look at the printable list of positive motivational words in the photograph below.
2. Take a Moment to Consider Your Dreams and Goals
When thinking about the word that you would like to use and picking your word for 2024, take a moment to consider your goals. Reflect on your achievements, aspirations, dreams, and any challenges that you may be facing in your life. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What’s going well in my life and what can I improve?
- Is there anything I worked on in the past that still feels present?
- What kind of support do I need to get to where I want to be?
- Is there anything I am ready to change or let go of?
- What kind of support do you need to back off or move forward?
Write down anything that comes to mind in your journal (or onto a separate piece of paper) as you continue to reflect on the last year, and dream of a better tomorrow. It’s also a good idea to do a goal review, even if you never wrote them down on paper.
If you still need to set goals for the New Year, head over to look at our tips in How to Set SMART Goals. We even have a free goal-setting worksheet you can download and use as a stepping stone toward your success. Click the blue hyperlink to visit the post.
As you continue to contemplate your dreams, consider any uplifting motivational words that resonate with your deepest desires and goals, such as “growth,” “resilience,” ”wisdom,” “genius,” “joy,” “balance,” or any of the other inspiring and powerful words on the printable list of words.
What are some inspiring and powerful words?
There are several more uplifting and positive inspirational words in addition to those mentioned above. Our printable list of words has several great ideas with slight differences in nuance and meaning that you can choose from to help bring your dreams to life.
Use the printable list of positive, inspiring, uplifting, powerful, motivational, and inspirational words to help you pick a word for the year 2024. Choose a word from the list of words, or any other that comes to mind, to bring a sense of optimism and encouragement to your daily life.
We have updated the printable list of inspirational words shown in the photos. The words are now in alphabetical order and there are even more positive and motivational words on the list. However, this printable list of “word of the year” ideas is not exhaustive. I’m sure you can think of a few other motivational words you can choose that would also make an excellent choice.
For example, you are welcome to change the plural form or tense of any positive words on this list of ideas. If, for example, you prefer your word be spelled “courageous” instead of “courage,” then, by all means, use the plural form or tense that you like.
Your “one little word” can even be a short phrase, #hashtag, or group of words if you wish it to be. It is, after all, your word. Choose something meaningful for you, and prepare to be amazed!
3. Pick an Inspirational or Motivational Word for 2024
After taking a moment to think about your goals and where you want to go in life, once again look at the printable list of positive, uplifting, motivational, and inspirational words. Choose a positive, inspirational word that will help you balance everything and make it happen. The good news is that your choices are unlimited!
Please don’t worry if none cry out to be your word of the year right away. Meditate, reflect, and allow your word for the year to come to you. It can sometimes take a week or two for inspiration to strike and an uplifting motivation word to feel like it’s a good fit for the year. Take as much time as you need.
Claim any word that holds heart and meaning to give you laser-like focus as your word of the year. Use this word to inspire you to take action, and remind you of your path if you ever face an obstacle or need extra encouragement. Display it where you can see it daily, like on a vision board, as a phone wallpaper, or in a journal.
As 2024 unfolds, let this word guide your decisions, shape your experiences, and uplift your spirit, serving as a beacon that lights your way through the year’s journey. Remember, the power of this practice lies in its simplicity and personal significance, making it a unique and personal beacon for your 2024 journey.
5 Fun Ways to Use Your 2024 Motivational Word of the Year
Many believe writing down your goals is the quickest way to reach them. Choosing an encouraging uplifting word for 2024 is a simple thing you can do to get focused and stay motivated to reach them. Bring the word you desire into your life with the fun “word of the year” ideas below. You might also enjoy this list of New Year Traditions and Celebration ideas.
1. Doodle your uplifting “Word of the Year.”
Spend some time writing and doodling the motivational word you choose for your word of the year for 2024. Doodling your word or short phrase can help you embody the positive word or words and make it yours for the year. Make sticky notes and put them all around the house.
Once finished, frame your inspirational word art and put it somewhere you will see it daily. If you keep a bullet journal, place your inspirational word for 2024 on the cover or front page.
2. Paint a rock with your inspirational words for the year.
First, paint a rock, or several rocks, with your inspirational word for 2024. Next, place the rocks or rocks where you will see them daily. Inspirational word rocks make an excellent paperweight for a desk and look lovely in the yard or garden. Pop over to look at these fun rock painting tips and ideas to get started on your inspirational word rock.
3. Make (or buy) a bracelet or necklace with your Inspirational or Motivational word.
- DIY or buy word-of-the-year jewelry. Here are a few inspirational or motivational word jewelry ideas:
- Make a beaded bracelet or necklace with your “word of the year.” To do this, first, use our jewelry-making tutorial that shares how to make a name necklace. Next, spell out your positive “word of the year” instead of a “name,” and you’re good to go!
- Click on the link to learn how to make a beaded necklace and add an inspirational word charm to it.
- If you are not interested in beading a necklace, purchase a lovely sterling silver ball chain or this gorgeous moon-cut chain, and put a word charm on it that has your favorite inspirational word!
4. Paint a candle holder with an uplifting motivational word.
- Use this DIY personalized candle holder tutorial to paint a heart with your favorite motivational word of the year.
- The best byproduct of these hand-painted candle holders is that they cast beautiful heart shapes upon the wall when lit. (Just look at how gorgeous they look with a beeswax tealight candle burning in the photo below.)
- You can see the candle holder I painted with the word “focus” written inside the heart in the photograph below.
5. Buy positive, inspirational word swag.
Make your inspirational word of the year work for you with fun swag you can buy. One example is a Word Cloud Art Print with your motivational word to help you stay focused on your goals all year. A few more items you can buy with your motivational or inspirational “word of the year” are on the list below.
- T-shirts
- Coloring book
- Word signs
- Word Pillows
- Bags
- Jewelry
- Word rings
- Pendants
Related: Get Organized for Good: 10 Reasons to Make Rhythm a Habit
Uplifting Inspirational, and Motivational Word of the Year Ideas for 2024
Once you have decided on your word for 2024, use it to create any of the ideas listed above to help revitalize it and bring your dreams and goals to fruition.
Next, learn how to plan your day and turn your goals into positive affirmations and why!
Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!
Carol Miller says
This is very helpful. As a refugee from the Paradise fire (I prefer not to call myself a victim) I am confronted with a New Year unlike any in my experience. Most everything has been lost from my life, so it’s a perfect opportunity to focus on the parts that I want to restore, and let the rest go. So, “Simplify” might be a good word for the coming year. And yet, my life has already been simplified for me because of losing my home, so maybe that’s not quite the word. Still, it does help me remember that I want to consciously choose to stay focused on the most important things in life, now that I have had so many distractions swept away.
Cheers!
Nell Regan M.A. says
Hi Mom, I think simplify is a great word. Choosing to stay focused on the most important things in life amidst distraction is one of the primary reasons it’s a good idea to choose a word for the year. Thanks for commenting!
stephanie hilton says
How to print word list
Nell Regan M.A. says
Hi Stephanie! Thank you for alerting me to the fact that the link to the printable list of inspirational words was not working. It’s all fixed now, and ready to download and print!