Episode 27. What's My Word of the Year? A Reflection on the Past and Intentions for 2025
An intimate conversation about intention setting, reflection, and David's powerful word for 2025: determined.
It's a new year, and David is back with a solo episode to set the tone for 2025. Today's focus: the annual tradition that transformed his approach to goal-setting ā choosing a word of the year.
After a demanding end to 2024, David returns to share how he designs his year through intention-setting. He explores the evolution of his approach to New Year's resolutions and the powerful practice of selecting a single word to guide the coming year.
In this episode, David walks through his journey over the past several years, examining the words that have shaped his path: abundance (2020), expansion (2021), possibility (2022), consistency (2023), and effortless (2024). Each word represents a chapter in his personal and business growth ā revealing how constraints become opportunities and how reflection transforms challenges into wisdom.
For 2025, David's chosen word is determined. Discover why this word captures his vision for the year ahead, what he's learned from past intentions, and how you can apply this practice to design your own intentional year. He shares practical advice on selecting your word, making it visible, and using it as a touchstone for every decision you make.
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āI am determined to have the life that I desire. I know what I want. I know what I set out to accomplish. And even though Iām not there yet, I am determined to get there.ā
Transcript
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David Peck
It was just really tricky. And I was like, I don't know that I want to make money like this. And it was funny because I was talking to my friend, Kelsa, who was on the podcast this last year. And she experienced something very similar where they went through a big period of growth and they had their best year ever by a long shot. And then the following year, it was just like, oh my goodness, I don't want to repeat the way I did that. And that's exactly how I felt. So my word going into 2024 was effortless.
Hey there, design enthusiast. Welcome to Inside the Design Studio, the podcast where we unravel threads of life and design. I'm your host, David Peck, your guide through the cosmic wonders, the tangible touches, and the delightful twists of creating a life you absolutely love. Today's episode is a special peek into my eclectic toolbox, the secret weapons I use to design a life that's as vibrant as my creations.
So grab your metaphorical sketch pad and let's dive into the art of intentional living. -
Welcome back to Inside the Design Studio. It has been a minute since I have released a podcast and that's because the end of this year was just a lot. I want to say it was crazy busy. It was because we were understaffed. We had a lot of things to accomplish and it was just a kind of a hard end to the year. So I am excited to be starting 2025 fresh and new and I wanted to do a couple of solo episodes to just kind of set the tone for the year. We're gonna have some amazing guests this year. I'm so excited. But today I wanted to talk all about what I do to start the year. And this is a tradition that I started, I wanna say like seven or eight years ago. I always had sort of a love hate relationship with setting New Year's resolutions.
New Year's resolutions for me always seemed like something that was destined to fail and I didn't like to fail. I'm a Capricorn. I don't like failing. So I at first would do things like, well, what am going to add to my year and what am I going to start doing rather than what I to stop doing. And that worked pretty well for a while. I think I was successful. But then I hit upon this idea, not that I didn't come up with, but having a word of the year and setting an intention for the year. -
the big year and I feel like for so many people in the world, 2020 was a tricky year. Obviously we dealt with COVID, so many different things. Well, I had set my word for the year in 2020 as abundance, which kind of seems ironic and maybe an oxymoron to think of abundance in a year when so much was going wrong.
But what was crazy about setting that intention for the year is that it really helped me to find ways to look for abundance during a time when I think a lot of people were struggling. And we strangely, and I say we, when I say we, I'm talking about the business that I own. As well as personally, I think in so many ways, but so much of what I'm talking about, I think is filtered through the lens of business. So just keeping that in mind as we go through these words, was abundance and really looking at how can I make my life more abundant? It actually kind of started before that because I wanted to my 40th birthday in 2020 big and
A friend of mine and I were both celebrating at the same time and she had this idea of going to Punta Mita, Mexico. It's a big trip. It was an expensive hotel and resort and I was like, how am going to pay for it? Well, I started doing like credit card hacks and figuring out how could I get the points that I needed to stay at this amazing resort and I figured out how to do it and that really kind of set me up for the year that that mindset in 2020 of being able to figure out how to afford the things that I wanted. So it was all in for abundance in 2020 despite the world imploding and we actually had one of our best years in the business ever that year which was insane considering that.
life was just so crazy. -
Well, that also started the idea for 2021 and the kind of wheels were put in place for expansion. And 2021 was when I signed the lease on our current space right here and really thought about how could we expand. Because before that we were really only focused on doing custom work. We had some ready to wear into in the store. wasn't really even a store. It was a very small space, but we didn't have the store that we have now with all of the custom options, with all of the ready to wear options, with all the jewelry and accessories and being able to actually host events that are just bigger and better. And so being able to find this space, which was really tricky and being able to sign the lease and start the build out all in 2021 was all about expansion and expand. did my body may have expanded as well during that year too, because of the stress, but I mean, the goal was expansion. So I guess I did it.
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And that led to 2022, when my word of the year for that year was possibility. And that was what is possible, given this idea of abundance, given this idea of expansion, like what are the possibilities? And I began to explore a lot of different ideas of. How could I grow not only the business, but myself? Are there different ways that I could look at life differently? Part of that was joining a mastermind that in the end didn't work out, but it did work out because I met an incredible group of six people. Well, there are six of us total. And we have continued to meet regularly. We meet on Zoom every two weeks, and then we meet in person twice a year for three or four days.
having that group of people has really opened my mind to the idea of creating possibility and helping each other create possibility. -
And that is just been one of the most transformative things that I've done in the past couple of years is to be a part of that group and invest time, effort, energy, money into being a part of that group. So in 2023, the word was consistency because it was like, okay, we've got all these things going, but.
in order for it to be successful and for in order for it to grow and to be stable, things needed to be consistent. And we were still, you know, just in the infant stages of being in this new space in terms of the business. And so it was really figuring out what is the true business model? What does the space allow us to do? What do our customers and clients want from us? And what resources do we need, whether it's money, time,
people to allow this to happen. And so I really focused on how do we make this year consistent, the year of 2023. And I look back at the numbers and strangely, like every month was pretty consistent. were some months when we did like really, really well. And then, but if you look at it across the board, we did very consistent numbers. And so we had consistent issues on top of that. Like it wasn't just that
everything went great, but having that consistency really showed the places that need to be reviewed and needed to be adjusted so that growth could happen. So in 2023, we had our best year ever by a long shot. It was a huge year. We hit a big number milestone that I was very excited to reach. It felt really good in terms of being able to achieved those numbers, but it was hard. It was really, really hard. Every single day just felt like it was just a battle. Like we were always trying to fix these problems that weren't quite getting solved, even though we're being very consistent with our sales and that consistency, I think, really helped to expose a lot of those issues that needed to be resolved. -
It was just really tricky. And I was like, I don't know that I want to make money like this. And it was funny because I was talking to my friend, Kelsa, who was on the podcast this last year. And she experienced something very similar where they went through a big period of growth and they had their best year ever by a long shot. And then the following year, it was just like, oh my goodness, I don't want to repeat the way I did that. And that's exactly how I felt. So my word going into 2024 was effortless. now that I'm looking back at the year, can see in so many ways how that came to haunt me and also came to guide me in so many different ways. Because on the surface, if I told you all of the things that we've had to deal with this year, the inconsistencies, the ups and downs, the economy, the election, the blah, blah, blah, all of the stuff, it did not feel effortless on that level. On a surface level, effortless was not it at all. Yeah, it was hard. It was a really, really hard year.
However, when I look at how I was transformed as a person, but then also I think as a business, effortless really was the thing that guided us. We had worked on systems and we had worked on trying to identify the areas where we could grow, the areas where we could simplify, but this year really forced us in so many ways to confront them and really streamline everything that we were doing. There was nothing that was easy. Every time I thought it couldn't get harder, it did.
it actually forced me to be really in some ways realistic, but then also sort of inspired by what could be done with less. And we had accomplished so much in the previous year with the consistency and having our best revenue year ever, but it was not easy in terms of profitability. This year, I don't know where we are in terms of profit, to be honest, but
We have really streamlined almost everything we've done. We're doing more with less people. We are having systems that are steadily improving those systems that are like making us see the way forward. It doesn't mean that it's easy. Like it's not at all easy. My team will tell you that it is incredibly hard and probably sometimes they feel a little bit still overworked. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel because
Everything we focused on is how do we make this part of the business feel effortless? It may not feel effortless today, but we're making decisions about how can what we do feel effortless going forward. We've learned our lesson. We've learned how about this. what are we going to do to make this feel effortless going forward? And if we can't, then maybe it's not something that we need to keep. And we can let go, we can edit. We've done a lot of editing this year. We've done a lot of cleaning. I feel like this year has been all about.
cleaning up messes, cleaning up inconsistencies, cleaning up systems that weren't serving us anymore. And it wasn't because the systems were bad, but we had grown out of them in so many ways. Or we had a different perspective, or we have changed our business model in a way that made us feel like, okay, this isn't serving us in the best way. So this year, not effortless, but effortless. That's what it was. -
So as I was thinking about this coming year, 2025, I really was somewhat at a loss of what did my work need to be or what was the word that was speaking to me. And I'll tell you a little bit about the process of how I choose these words. It usually starts about a month or two before the end of the year and I start reflecting on what I have learned. I start reflecting on what are the things that have felt good, what are the things that felt hard, what is a word that would help me to define those feelings. And Sometimes it comes quickly and easily and sometimes it is a little bit harder to come by. And this year because I felt so drained in so many ways of just my energy in trying to make the un-effortless effortless, I just felt like, my goodness, is this something I really want to continue? Is this worth it? You know, honestly, is this worth it? And A very long story short is I have decided, yes, this is worth it. is, no, I say that it's worth it. Does that mean that I know exactly the point from where we are now to the point where I want to be and how to get there? I some good ideas, but I'm open to the possibility of it being different. But the word that kept coming up is that I am determined.
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to have the life that I desire. And so I have, you a big plan that really hasn't changed much. Like my desire has not really changed much since I moved to Paris in 2023. So 21 years ago, 22 this year, which seems like a lifetime ago, almost half. what I want out of my life hasn't changed that much. Now, my ideas of how to get there and what accomplishing what I desire, that maybe the things, my perspective on it, I should say, has changed a little bit. But what I want hasn't really changed that much in which That could maybe be seen as lack of growth, but I actually think that it means that I'm very true to myself. I know what I want. I know what I set out to accomplish. even though I'm not there yet, and it's taken, you know, 22 years to get to this part of the process, I am determined to get there.
And I know that whatever I set out to do in 2025, I am going to accomplish it. There's gonna be a lot of changes still to come in 2025. I think that I have staff changes that I know are happening. right-hand person here at the store is actually moving to Paris in July. She's still gonna be a part of the team and working virtually, but that is gonna be a big change. That's gonna be an adjustment. And so 2025 is going to be, how do we get ready for that? How do we prepare? I actually think it's really exciting, not only for her because she is getting to move to somewhere that's one of my favorite places on the planet, but she is getting to, you know, fulfill a dream of hers. And I think that it's possible to do it while also be still being a part of this company. And had we thought about that maybe a year ago, that wouldn't have been a possibility. And I am determined that we are going to figure all these things out. And so the word, if you haven't guessed by now, for 2025 is determined. I am determined. I know that everything that I desire is right there. that there is a way to accomplish it. And sometimes the way to accomplish it is by letting go of everything that I've been doing, because what I've been doing hasn't been serving me. But that doesn't have to be a negative thing. It can be something that is just a part of the growth process. It can mean that right now, because of what I've gone through, I have a different perspective. I have a different way of looking at things that gives me insight into a better way to do it. -
And I know that I am constantly surrounding myself with people who are helping me get there. So what I would encourage you to do if you are so inclined today as this new year begins is to think about what word encapsulates what you desire out of your life for 2025.
Now it could be just personal, it could be personal in career, just career. Sometimes maybe there's different words for different parts of your life, you may have determined for one part of your life, but effortless for another part of your life. Think of what that word can do and think of it as your intention for the year. So as you're evaluating the choices you're making throughout the year, think about how do they align with that word and that intention. For me, I kept going back every year to, is this a mindset of abundance? Is this a mindset of possibility? Is this a mindset that is consistent? Is this a mindset that is effortless? And sometimes you're going to look at those things and feel like this does not feel like it at all. and I've got a change or you can say this does not feel like it at all and I can see how going through this process is actually going to get me closer to my goal. So that is what I would recommend for you as we head into 2025 is to think about your word of the year. It sometimes just takes a little bit of quiet and kind of ruminating on what has gone on in the past year, what are those things that you desire, give yourself a little bit of time to let the word come to you because I think it will find you. Write it down, tell people about it. I actually have for the three years leading up to moving into the space, I actually had them made into a neon sign and put in my office. So I have abundance and I have expansion and possibility lit up in my office every single day. And that really helps to remind me of what I've gone through to get to this part. you know, sometimes there's a word you're going to need to come back to. So, you know, maybe at some point I'm going to need to come back to that abundance idea. But I hope that these words that I've sort of been my intention for the year, they kind of stack on each other and they kind of grow with each other and the lessons that I've learned by making those intentions very clear kind of grow with me from year to year. So, set your word for the year, let me know what yours is and I wanna know if you've done it before, like how did it change your life? How did it change your year? How did it change your perspective? So until next time, happy new year. -
David Peck (19:00)
And there you have it, another episode of Inside the Design Studio and the Books. If you enjoyed this exploration of life's design, hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. And hey, if you're feeling extra generous, leave us a review. Your thoughts fuel our creative journey.
I'm David Peck, your design companion on this adventure. Until next time, keep crafting a life that's as captivating as your favorite masterpiece.
Just released: Episode 27 of Inside the Design Studio ā exploring the power of choosing a word of the year as your intention for 2025.
David shares his journey through abundance, expansion, possibility, consistency, and effortless, leading to his powerful new word: determined.
Key takeaways
Choosing a word of the year creates a powerful intention framework for decision-making throughout the year.
David's annual word progression (Abundance ā Expansion ā Possibility ā Consistency ā Effortless ā Determined) shows how each intention builds on the lessons of the previous year.
The word-of-the-year practice transforms New Year's resolutions from something destined to fail into a meaningful mindset guide.
Your word of the year should encapsulate your deepest desires and values, guiding you when decisions feel misaligned.
Making your intention visibleāthrough writing, sharing, or even creating neon signsāreinforces your commitment throughout the year.
Difficult years (like 2024's 'effortless' during a challenging time) can reveal hidden wisdom about streamlining, simplifying, and letting go.
A foundational read on how small, intentional changes compound into significant results. James Clear's framework for habit-building complements the intention-setting approach David shares, offering practical strategies for living your chosen word throughout the year.
A classic exploration of intention-setting as a transformative practice. Dyer's philosophy aligns perfectly with David's approach to choosing an annual word and using it as a guiding light for creating the life you desire.
Directly relevant to David's 2024 word of 'effortless' and the theme of streamlining and letting go. McKeown teaches the power of editing your life to focus only on what truly matters, making space for what you genuinely desire.
Gilbert's exploration of creativity, courage, and intentional living complements David's design studio philosophy. Her approach to pursuing a meaningful life resonates with the practice of choosing words like 'possibility' and 'determined.'
A perfect companion to the word-of-the-year practice. LaPorte helps you define what you really want out of life and identify the feelings you want to experience, directly supporting David's intention-setting methodology.
Resources
David Peck on Instagram ā https://www.instagram.com/itsdavidpeck/
David Peck on TikTok ā https://www.tiktok.com/@itsdavidpeck
Inside the Design Studio Podcast ā https://www.itsadavidpeck.com/podcast
David's design studio ā https://www.itsadavidpeck.com/
David's mastermind group philosophy ā Referenced in the episode for ongoing accountability & growth partnerships
