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The first word you see is your word of the year. Word grid hiding 16 words: ALIGN, BECOME, BEGIN, BLOOM, CREATE, DARE, EMBRACE, EXPAND, GROWTH, NOURISH, RENEW, RISE, SAVOR, SIMPLIFY, THRIVE, TRANSFORM.
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Drag across the first word you see, or tap its first and last letter.

Future & manifestation · 16 words

The first word you see is your word of the year

Picking a single word to guide the year has become a popular alternative to long lists of resolutions. If you are stuck choosing, this puzzle can do it for you. Sixteen verbs are hidden in the grid, each one a small instruction such as begin, simplify, or savor. Take the first word you see and try it on for a week. You can always come back and look again.

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Drag across the first word you see in the grid, or tap its first and last letter, to reveal what it means. Shown in the New Year Gold template.

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Skip the resolutions. The first word you see is your word of the year. Write it somewhere you will see it every day. #firstwordyousee #wordoftheyear #newyear #intentions #wordsearch

All 16 words and what they mean

Spoilers ahead. Find your word in the grid first, then look it up here.

  • ALIGNYour calendar starts to match your values, one declined invitation at a time.
  • BECOMEYou are closer to the person you pictured than you think, so keep going.
  • BEGINThe first messy draft, the first class, the first step is your whole assignment.
  • BLOOMWhat you planted quietly is ready to show, so stop hiding your best work.
  • CREATEMake the thing, even badly, because your hands have been waiting all year for this.
  • DAREAsk for the raise, sign up for the race, and say the thing out loud.
  • EMBRACEStop fighting the change that is already here and see what it brings you.
  • EXPANDA bigger room, a wider circle, or a larger goal is asking for you this year.
  • GROWTHThis year stretches you in ways that feel awkward now and obvious in hindsight.
  • NOURISHFeed yourself well this year, with real meals, kind people, and books you finish.
  • RENEWYou get a fresh start on something you thought was finished, and it is better this time.
  • RISEYou get up earlier, aim a little higher, and meet the version of you who shows up.
  • SAVORSlow down at dinner, on walks, and in good conversations, and let them last.
  • SIMPLIFYFewer tabs, fewer commitments, fewer drawers of stuff, and a lot more room to think.
  • THRIVEYou move past getting by and into a year where things actually feel good.
  • TRANSFORMBy December you will barely recognize your routines, and you will like the new ones.

How to use this puzzle

Teachers can use this on the first day back in January: each student finds a word, writes it on an index card, and adds one sentence about what it could mean for them. Collect the cards and hand them back in June to see how the word held up.

Want different words, colours or a story-sized version? Open it in the maker, where you can edit every word and meaning, switch between dozens of templates and export sizes for Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok or print. The puzzle is for fun: the word you notice first depends on where your eyes land, not on a personality test.

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