Let’s say you’ve picked a word for 2012. You think you have the word of all words that’s going to transform the new year. It’s taken A LOT of work to decide on that new word and then you think, “Ack! What do I do with the word now that I have it?” Here are some ideas:

• Look for the word everywhere. I find it shows up a lot when I’m on the lookout for it. Kind of like when you buy a new car and then all of a sudden you see lots of people driving the type of car you have. The word will show up in books, movies, music, conversation.
• Treat your word like a research project and find all you can with that word tied to it. Look up definitions, origins of the word, books with that title, art, etc. Google that word and watch out.
• Write your word. A lot. Paint it. Ink it. Color pencil it. Crayon it. Type it. Spell it out with those plastic colorful alphabet magnets. Write it in dust. Write it on a dry erase board or a chalkboard. Write it on your dirty car. Spell it with spaghetti noodles. Cut out the letters from a magazine and collage it. Just keep writing it.
• Make lists of what you want the word to bring out in you. Why is the word is so important to you? What sort of self-love will that word give you? Make lots of lists. Cast vision so you can step into the word fully.
• Bring the word up in conversation. Let friends and family know it’s your word. In doing so, they’ll keep an eye out for the word as well and give you further insight and research into your word. I like to think that they’re passing you #secretmessages.
• Journal or blog about your run-ins with the word. This helps you process how the word is affecting you.
• Create an entire journal based on your word. This doesn’t mean you have to limit what you put in the journal, but just be willing to looks for hidden threads of how that word is naturally showing up in your life. You maybe surprised to see it weaving it’s way into everything.
• Do not, and I repeat, do not, feel guilty if 3 months go by and you haven’t thought of your word a bit. Sometimes the living with the word happens below the surface. Be intentional to think back over the time that has passed and look for ways your word has been growing roots without your even knowing it. (I like to do this around 6 months and then again at the end of the year.)

I’d love it if you’d share with us other creative ideas you have done or you plan to do with you word.