In the past week, I’ve hinted around at my word for the year in my top 4 favorite books post and in my goals post. Did you guess what you thought it was?
The word actually came to me in November, but it scared me and I honestly was hoping another word would pop up instead. But nope, that word kept coming back to me again and again.
I mulled it over and I asked Jesse for his input. I told him that it felt like it was the word I was supposed to pick, but also that it felt daunting to me.
Ever have that happen? Where you known in your heart of hearts you’re supposed to say yes to something or try something or step out and move forward with something or commit to something… but that something feels a little (or a lot!) intimidating. Like, you know it’s going to require you to make changes that aren’t easy but will ultimately be really good?
That’s me with my word of the year this year. The more I sat with it, the more I knew it was the right word, even though I know to walk it out is going to require some changes… but these will ultimately be really good changes.
What is the word? It’s… unplugged.
Yes, you can chuckle that someone who makes her livelihood online and words full-time running an internet business is choosing the word “unplugged”. Like I said, it’s going to stretch me to live it out. But, I really believe that it’s going to be impactful in a way that just might completely change my life!
What Will It Mean to Be Unplugged?
First off, the inspiration for this word came from reading both The Unplugged Hours: Cultivating a Life of Presence in a Digitally Connected World and Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks With Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human.
As I was reading each book, it’s like my heart and body took a big exhale. I want to experience the richness of life that is waiting for me when I fully unplug and focus on what’s right in front of me.
Of course, since I have an internet business, I can’t just do away with my phone and my computer — and I have no desire to do so! But I do have a deep longing to spend some time completely unplugged every day.
For me, unplugging will mean that my phone and my computer are turned off and put away for chunks of the day. I want to live more untethered to the internet and the only way to do that for me is to completely shut down and put away screens for sections of the day.
How I Plan to Live This Word
Choosing a word is one thing. But just choosing it isn’t going to change anything. Instead, you need to design a plan to help you live out your word.
So, in addition to setting monthly goals for unplugged time, I have devised a plan to make it happen. The past few months, I’ve done a good job of not getting on my phone for the first hour of the morning (I try to just not even look at it except to turn off my alarm and that is it).
Instead, I go on a walk and watch the sun rise, I read my Bible and a few pages from a devotional and some inspiring books, and I get myself and the kids ready for the day. I try to not look at my phone until all of this is done. It has made such a world of difference in my days when I start my mornings like this!
But I’m still struggling with my evenings. And I know it’s because of being online. I get sucked into “doing just one more thing” for work or “just a few more minutes of scrolling”… and we all know how that usually goes. Which means that I’m not winding down well in the evenings and have been struggling with going to bed early.
So the challenge with choosing this word will mean that I need to be more disciplined and proactive in developing good habits and setting good boundaries for my phone and computer in the evenings.
I talked with my business coach, Alli Worthington, last week about how conflicted I was feeling about my evenings and how I’m struggling to shut things down and go to bed earlier. She gently pushed me to consider if I really needed to be online in the evenings at all.
My Plan For Being Unplugged in the Evenings
After some resistance, I finally realized she was right. So I’m putting this out here publicly that my Word of the Year is Unplugged and that this is how I want to live this out because my hope is that it will motivate me to actually follow through with my goal to be unplugged at least two hours before bed.
My plan is to have a strict policy to not turn my phone or computer on after 8 p.m. I will shut them down and have them in the other room. Then, instead of scrolling or finishing work in the evenings, I’ll spend time with Jesse and/or the older kids and take a bath and read and get into bed by 9:45 p.m. to 10 p.m.
I know that this will make a big positive difference for my days and my life — but it will be a big challenge to follow through with this. So that’s why this word scares me and that’s why I’m putting this out here publicly. Because I need all the accountability I can get!
Do you have a Word of the Year for 2025? If so, let us know what it is in the comments!
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Simple
Patience. I feel I am fairly patient / even tempered with people, but when I want to accomplish something myself or am waiting on a decision to be made by someone else, I begin feeling anxious and worry. I want to let go of the worry when things don’t happen immediately or as expected.
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Crystal~first off, you are such an inspiration to me! I am praying for you and your family continually❣️❣️
My word this “year” is BREATHE, but I am also choosing a monthly word because each month seems to need a word of its own depending on what the month looks like. My word for January is “CALM”, which I feel goes hand in hand with breathe. I’m trying to put more margin in my day and create better boundaries with my time and space so that I can be wholly present where I am (creating a calming space) and not a source of extra stress & frenetic energy to myself and those around me.
Thank you for your encouragement! And I love the idea of monthly words!
I’m praying for your precious family!!!
Thank you so much!
My word of the year is “intentional”. I oftentimes will do things to get them “checked off the list”, but they may not be done in their entirety or the best they can be. I also have a lot of projects I wish I had the time for, but at the end of the day, realize I haven’t gotten them done/started. But scrolling on social media happened of course. So by being intentional… I can put more effort into the things I want to get done, minimize social media, begin working on the projects, spend more time with my children/husband, etc.
(BTW, I really enjoy your content. You are so down to earth, share your struggles while offering hope and value to others. I’m wishing peace for your family and health for your daughter in 2025.) God Bless.
I love this — and thank you for your encouragement!
My word of the year for 2025 is listen
My word this year is Intentional. I want to be intentional with who I spend my time with what I spend my time on where I spend my time when I spend my time and why I spend my time..
I dont have a word but wanted to share what has worked for me. First admitting that Im a smartphone/internet addict. And 2 getting a dumb phone so people can call or message me. I still have my smartphone and use it like a computer. I dont have access to the internet from wake up till 1pm everyday. In this time I get ready for the day, take my kids to school, ride or do something with my horses. I then head home, have a shower and lunch and then I can go online if I want to or need to. I’m very privileged to be a stay at home mum who can actually get by with very little time online.
I tried every trick under the sun to stop using my smartphone and the only thing that has truly stuck is getting the dump phone. I have a little Nokia.
I still struggle with my phone use, particularly in the evenings. I need to come up with a plan for it. I would love to get rid of my smartphone altogether but I don’t have a laptop or computer. My smartphone has no sim in it so I’m thinking maybe I need to disable the wifi on it in the evenings? But I can’t seem to cut the cord so to speak, the pull of the device is incredibly strong.
Another thing that has helped me is to set a day a week to do business on my phone like emails, banking, check kids school apps, do online shopping etc. it’s like a going to town day like in the olden days ☺️
My 2025 word of the year for is is : Pace.
I care from my mom who is elderly and ill and my husband works out of town alot- I have so many things I need to do and want to do but it’s going to be at MY PACE, I rarely go any me time so even cleaning out the junk drawer at my pace is therapeutic me time at my pace, even when my mom wants me to sit with her majority of the day.
You are amazing! What a blessing to your mom!
I love that!
I really admire this!!! I would like to unplug more. In all sincerety, how do you do it with a big family? I feel there are always things to do online with lots of kids… school forms and messages, sports sign ups, college research, shopping for clothes for them, even researching challenges they are having. And then picture organizing! Can you tell I get overwhelmed?!? So if you have honest feedback/ ideas about how to do those things and still get to unplug some, i’m all ears!!!
Well, I don’t organize my pictures so that saves a lot of time 🙂 and Jesse and I task our kids with doing most things related to their schooling and sports — they buy their own clothes, they sign up for what they need to sign up for, they are in charge of researching colleges, etc. We see it as helping them develop life skills and it helps them take a lot more ownership of their lives. It also frees up hours and hours of our time to focus on pouring into them and being present with them. (And of course, if they need help with something, we are happy to help!)
This year I fell like I got a word and a phrase. My word is JOY. Sounds exciting to me. Joy is very real to me but for years I’ve felt like I needed to keep my joy quiet. There was others around me who struggled to have joy and my joy appeared to be a threat to them and exuberant joy hindered relationship. But I feel free from that need now and this is my JOY year!
My phrase came at the exact same time as my word. It was so fun. I had been praying about my word several different times and nothing came. The other day I wasn’t even thinking about it, I was just praising the LORD as I was working around and the word and phrase just jumped into my thoughts. My phrase is: ” overcome, evil with good.” Sometimes we spend too much time trying to live the first part of that verse, “Be not overcome with evil.” When I think we need the second part to be able to do the first part.
I’m excited about the year ahead! There’s plenty of evil to overcome with good and the joy of the LORD is my strength.
Years ago I read that overcoming evil with good was one of the most powerful weapons we have in spiritual warfare.
I love this! I’d love to hear how you are planning to practically walk it out!
My word is the year is Less.
Less of me – more of Him
John 3:30
Less weight – more walks, better diet – eat less!
Less clutter – routines for housekeeping
Less stuff – Dejunk the house
Less scrolling – more in real life people connections and more book reading
Less criticism- more grace (for others and for myself!)
That’s the start of it. Have not had a word for several years – this one woke me up early one morning last month and I could not get it out of my head…..so…less it is!
So inspiring, Kim! I love this. I may borrow it.
God bless!
Thank you so much for sharing!
I absolutely love this and think it’s a great idea. Praying for you and using this post as inspiration!
Thank you so much!
I’ve had a lot of success using Jomo — it goes on your phone and laptop and you can set it to block access to certain apps, web sites, etc at certain times. It basically shuts down nearly everything on my phone/computer at 10pm (you could pick anything you like). I use the free version, though there is a paid one for more features. It’s way better than the built in phone screen time features.
I love to hear that that worked for you. I found that I have to physically put it away or it’s just too easy for me to get sucked in, even with blockers on!
My word of the year is discipline. I am working to be more disciplined in three overall areas: Spiritually, Physically and Financially.
I’d love to hear the practical steps you are taking to work on these areas!
My word is Shalom! I have bad anxiety! I’m going to be actively trying to improve that!
I’d love to hear what steps you are taking to improve it!
Mine is stewardship. Challenge
To better steward my time, my children, my marriage relationship and our finances.
How are you practically planning to walk that out? I’d love to hear!
Another great book is, Stolen Focus. It goes into a lot of the science behind the overuse of devices and how it impacts us. It was one if my favorite non-fiction books last year.
Thank you for that recommendation!
My word is “small” and will always be written in all lowercase letters. I have big ideas and big plans, but my follow through is weak and challenging because I try to do too much too quickly. So this year, my focus is going to be on doing the smallest thing while noting that even something tiny has a big impact. We’ll see.
I love that approach!
Connection. I feel lonely despite living with my husband and teenage children – I’m often left out, and when I invite them to do something with me, they almost always decline. No matter whether that’s taking a 1-mile walk or what. They make plans for things I physically can’t do. I have few friends, and those I have are either far away or dealing with their own overflowing plates and have little time for socializing, it seems. My friend around the corner never responds when I ask to let me know when she’s walking her dog, I’d love to come along sometimes. I feel alone, and it hurts.
My best encouragement is to work on becoming healthier as a person and to know you are so loved by God and to stand confident in that love so that you can focus on inviting in instead of feeling left out. This approach has transformed my relationships. In addition, I started reaching out a lot more and being the friend to others that I wanted to have myself. Have you read Jennie Allen’s book, Find Your People? If not, I’d highly recommend it!
So good! Thank you for sharing. I have been feeling convicted for the last 1-2 months about needing to unplug and I think this is the confirmation
I needed! I’m with you’
You are so welcome!
My word of the year is savor .
Love it!
Interesting choice. My word is worship. God literally sent it to me on a tshirt with an accompanying letter as to why. Check out Elly & Grace December Grace Club.
We are created to worship.
I love that!
I followed you with My Word of the Year since 2019. 2024 was Change and boy did I have a lot of it. So, 2025 is Calm. Like you a word comes to me before the end of the year and I sit on it to see if it is what God has chosen for me and Calm was it.
I love that word!
Two questions:
1) You get up pretty early, right? Do you just not need a lot of sleep?
2) What ‘wakes’ you up? I feel like I can only get out of bed if I scroll for a half-hour first. I don’t love this, but scrolling is what wakes me up enough to get out of bed.
I thrive if I get close to 7 hours most nights and a little bit more a few nights a week. I get up and go outside and look at the sun rising and/or take a brisk walk. It wakes me up!
My phrase for 2025 is “Be Present”…I am feeling called to this!
I love that!
My word for 2025 is actually a name. Immanuel. 2024 has ended really rough for my family with multiple losses both from death and from broken relationships. One day when I was driving, I cried out and asked God where He was in all of it, and then the next 3 songs that came on the radio were all songs with the lyrics “Immanuel, God with us” in some form. I realized that going into 2025, I need to focus on this attribute of God and name of the Savior!
Oh friend! I feel this deeply! Did you see this post of mine? https://www.instagram.com/p/DDJA4ROxc3w/?img_index=1
I did. It really encouraged me 🙂
How do you do this with having young adult kids?! Every time I purposely walk away from my phone, I miss a kid trying to reach me!! (2 flown and grown)
You can set up various ways that they can reach you if they need to! For instance, you can have it that certain numbers override Do Not Disturb or that they make your phone alert sound (for Find My iPhone) if they really need to get ahold of you. Just let them know that after a certain timeframe, you won’t be checking your phone so if there’s an emergency or they really need something, here’s how to get in touch.