For the past eight years, I’ve chosen one word to guide my year. It’s become a tradition that feels more personal and meaningful than making resolutions. Resolutions tend to focus on fixing one specific thing, like exercising more, saving money, or cutting back on screen time. But life doesn’t really work like that. It isn’t lived in neat little boxes. Choosing one word feels more encompassing than that. It shapes how I approach everything, from how I make decisions to how I handle challenges. It becomes a kind of theme for the year, one that seeps into all parts of my life.

This year, my word is EXPLORE. I’ve been thinking a lot about how it connects to a word I chose in the past, curiosity. That year, curiosity was all about asking questions, learning, and wondering. It was about unlocking doors and discovering what was behind them. EXPLORE feels like the next step. It’s about taking action, actually stepping through those doors and experiencing what’s on the other side. If curiosity is the spark, EXPLORE is the movement. It’s about diving in, saying yes, and being open to where that takes me.

One of the things I love about choosing a word over a resolution is how much simpler it is to remember and carry with me. A resolution can feel overwhelming, like this big thing hanging over your head that you either succeed or fail at. But a word is simpler. It sticks with you. It’s always there in the back of your mind, guiding you in small ways even when you aren’t thinking about it. EXPLORE can show up anywhere in how I spend my time, the choices I make, or even the way I approach the familiar. It doesn’t have to be big or flashy. It can be as simple as trying a new route to work or reading a book outside my usual genres.

Over the years, this practice of choosing one word has become more than just a yearly tradition. It’s a way of looking at life. Resolutions often feel like they’re about fixing something, while one word feels like it’s about growth. It’s not about ticking off a list of goals. It’s about seeing life through the lens of the chosen word and letting it shape how I move through the world.

This year, I’m excited to see where EXPLORE takes me. What will I learn? What new experiences will I have? What parts of myself might I discover? One little word can seem small, but its power is in how it guides everything you do. So, here’s to a year of exploration.

What’s your word this year?

Don