2024 Word of the Year: Habits

Do you have a word of the year?

I used to think it was silly, but now I love it when God gives me a theme to shape my year. I use the word to guide my learning, my goals, and my daily interactions.

My 2024 word of the year is habits. I’ve been praying about my 2024 word of the year since November 2023, asking God to reveal what He wants me to focus on. I threw around a few ideas and tried to give God suggestions of my own, but they were all grand words with grand expectations that just didn’t seem to fit.

When God whispered “habits” into my heart, my first thought was “God, that’s not big enough.” But once He placed the idea there, the word kept popping up everywhere and reminding me that small habits often have the biggest impact.

My goals and desires for 2024 may not be as grand as they have been in the past (like writing/publishing a book, organizing a Subscriber Freebie Library, or creating 1 new resource a day). But they are each consistent habits that will lead to healthy change and growth over time.

So in 2024, I’ll be exploring habits. Good ones, bad ones, spiritual ones. Habits that make me a better mom, wife, and leader. Habits that draw me closer to God through intentional daily practice. Habits that will shape my life, my heart, and my family.

Habits I want to start in 2024:

• Reading 20 minutes a day
• Running twice a week + walking 4 times a week
• Get up 15 minutes earlier to give more dedicated time to time with God/in the Word
• Writing 3 thank-you notes each week
• Closing the rings on my Apple Watch each day

Habits I want to break in 2024:

• Spending too much time on social media (got my downtime limits set up already!)
• Always reaching for a dessert after a meal
• Procrastinating

Books I’m reading about habits (Here’s a full list with even more books on Amazon):

1. Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster (A favorite I return to often)
2. Habits of the Household by Justin Earley (I just finished this one and it is EXCELLENT!)
3. Sunday Celebrations by Brittany Nelson (That’s me! I published this journal over the holiday break!)
4. Little Habits, Big Faith by Christie Thomas (This book doesn’t release until July, but I’ve got my hands on an advanced copy, and y’all, it is SO GOOD!)
5. You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit by James Smith
6. Emotional Intelligence Habits by Travis Bradberry
7. Elastic Habits by Stephen Guise
8. All It Takes is a Goal by Jon Acuff
9. Atomic Habits by James Clear
10. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
11. Find even more books on my list here!

So what about you?

• What habits do you want to form this year?
• What habits do you want to break this year?
• What habits do you want to see formed in the families you serve?
• What habits do you want to develop or encourage in your volunteers?
• What spiritual disciplines (holy habits) do you want to emphasize this year?
• Use this free Habit Tracker Guide and page to help!

And if you’re curious, here are my Words of the Year from the past:

• 2020 – Change (lol) – I thought the biggest change in my life would be the birth of my first daughter. As we all know, life threw lots of other changes our way that year!
• 2021 – Rest – I don’t rest well, so learning to rest and be OK with stillness was a huge lesson and a major blessing.
• 2022 – Celebrating/Celebration – I’m not great at celebrating either. I tend to move on to the next goal before recognizing and enjoying God’s blessings and faithfulness.
• 2023 – Intimacy – Drawing closer to God often requires slowing down and looking for the moments of sweet and simple connection.