Dr. Michelle Bengtson and Rev. Jessica Van Roekel provided alternate ideas for how to set intentions when you don’t have a word of the year on last week’s episode of Your Hope Filled Perspective (Listen here: Word of the Year or Not? How to Reflect, Grow, and Plan Without the Pressure.) The “Word of the Year” is a way to set a strategy to pursue growth for the new year. For some people, this is a beneficial practice which guides their focus and what choices they make. For other people, the “Word of the Year” practice isn’t as helpful, and as such, may even induce shame, but there are other ways to get the most of your planning for the New Year. Learn how to set good intentions when you don’t have a word of the year.
Tips for Setting Intentions for the New Year
We have three tips for you as you consider the upcoming year. Choose one or all three. Then, discover how God is with you and longs to be close to you.
Reflect on past growth by journaling through these prompts:
- What were some of the most significant moments of the past year?
- What did I learn about myself through the trials and triumphs of the past year?
- How did I grow my faith?
- Where did I see God in my circumstances?
- How did God reveal his faithful and compassionate nature?
- How did I respond to God moving in me?
Choose a guiding verse or passage of Scripture to memorize and/or meditate on for each quarter of the year. Here are some suggestions:
- Psalm 23
- John 15
- Matthew 5-7
- Philippians 2
- Psalm 118
- Ephesians 6:10-18
- Colossians 3
Set a quarterly or monthly action or habit. Focusing on a shorter amount of time allows for more flexibility and responsiveness to what God may place on your heart throughout the year. Some ideas include:
- Faith in action
- Serving others
- Choosing joy
- Prioritizing prayer
- Fasting once a week
- Listening to God
- Praise and worship
Anchoring yourself in prayer at the start of a new year allows for clarity, wisdom, and peace. When we start with prayer, we surrender to God’s leading and direction. He may lead you to a word of the year or he may lead you to a different intention. Either way, when we start with prayer, God invites us into what he wants for our lives.
Psalm 139:23-24 states, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” God knows us better than we know ourselves and he sees the whole picture of our lives rather from now to the end of next year. We can depend on him to direct us when we approach the new year with the heart cry of “Search me and know my heart.”
How to set intentions when you don’t have a word of year involve these alternatives:
Reflecting on past growth, choosing a scripture, setting intentions, and prioritizing prayer. Your new year can be custom fit for you. It doesn’t have to fit the mold of a single word or goal. God’s guidance is ongoing, and he continually directs your steps.
Today, take a small step toward setting aside a time for prayer and reflection as you ponder God’s direction for 2025.
We would love to hear in the comments below what other tools, tips, or strategies you use as you to step into the new year!
Not sure how to start the new year? Reflect on your growth, choose meaningful scripture, and set faith-filled intentions to guide 2025. It’s not about perfection—it’s about purpose. Share on X Skip the pressure of a ‘word of the year.’ Start 2025 with prayer, reflection, and habits that align with God’s purpose for your life. Share on X
Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise that Your Pain is Not Wasted
Now Available!
We all endure trials, pain, and hardship in this life. Too often we believe these experiences disqualify us from being useful to God. But the truth is, your past pain and brokenness serve as preparation for what God wants to do in and through you – if you will surrender to and trust him.
Just as Jesus’s scars didn’t disappear after his resurrection, our emotional or physical scars tell our story and lend credence to our testimony of God’s love and power. If you are ready to turn your past pain into present comfort and future hope, let Dr. Bengtson be your compassionate guide.
Find out more and order here: Sacred Scars
