A word of the year is one word that guides your doula business for twelve months. To choose yours, write where your practice is today, where you want it to be, and the three or four things that would close the gap. Then find one word that holds them, and keep it where you see it every day.
Key Takeaways
- A business word is separate from a personal one. Your home life might need rest while your practice needs more booked consults, and one word rarely covers both.
- Choose the word last. Look back at the year, name where you want to go, list the few things that would close the gap, and the word comes out of that list.
- A word works as a filter. When a new opportunity or request comes in, you can ask whether it fits your word before you say yes.
- The word only helps if you see it. Put it on your screen, in your planner, and in a phone reminder.
Why choose a word for your business and not just your life?
A guiding word keeps you pointed at where you want to be. Plenty of people pick one for personal growth. I want you to pick one for your doula business too.
Your personal goals and your business goals overlap, but they usually need different things. Your personal life might need calm. Your practice might need more consults, a higher fee, or a backup doula you trust. A word chosen for the business alone gives your practice its own direction.
I pick a business word every year. It is the last exercise in Doula Goal Planning, and I do it right alongside everyone else.
How do you choose your word of the year?
Give yourself twenty quiet minutes and a notebook. Then work through these four steps in order.
- Write where your business is today. A few sentences is enough. What is working? What is not?
- Write where you want it to be. What would be different a year from now? More births, more postpartum work, fewer clients at a higher fee, a weekend off each month?
- List the three or four things that would close the gap. These can be actions, attitudes, or skills. Asking past clients for referrals is an action. Saying your fee without apologizing is an attitude. Learning to bill insurance is a skill.
- Find the word that holds that list. Read your list out loud and look for the word underneath it. A thesaurus helps when you are close but not quite there.
If two words keep competing, pick the one that would change what you do this week.
What are some good words of the year for doulas?
These are starting points. The meaning of your word is personal to you.
- Grow: more clients, a wider service area, or a new skill. You decide what growth means this year.
- No: a reminder to protect your boundaries and turn down work and commitments that pull you off course.
- Start: for newer doulas, a nudge to take the first small step instead of waiting until everything feels ready.
- Ask: for the doula who needs referrals, testimonials, or a fee increase and keeps putting off the asking.
- Balance: for the doula juggling family, clients, and taking care of themselves.
How do you use your word once you have picked it?
A word you never see stops working by February. Make it visible:
- Make a simple Canva design with your word and print it for your workspace.
- Use it as your phone or computer background.
- Write it at the top of your planner or goal pages.
- Set a monthly phone reminder to ask how your word is guiding your business.
Then use it as a filter. When someone asks you to take on a new project, teach a class, or add a service, check the request against your word before you answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have one word for my business and a different one for my personal life?
Yes, and for a lot of doulas that works better. Your practice and your home life often need different things in the same year. Keep the business word where you do business work, so the two stay separate.
When should I choose my word of the year?
Late December or the first week of January works well, after you have looked back at the year that is ending. Choosing a word before you look back tends to give you a word about wishes instead of a word about what needs to change.
Is a word of the year a replacement for goals?
No. Your word gives you a direction, and your goals are the specific things you will do. That is why the word comes last in Doula Goal Planning, after three goals and a 90-day plan for one of them.
What if my word stops fitting partway through the year?
Check it against your business every few months. If your practice has shifted, you can choose a new word. The point is focus, not keeping a promise to a word.
Should a new doula choose a word of the year?
Yes. New doulas often have the longest list of things they could do, and one word helps you pick what to do first.
What’s your word for 2027?
Share it with me in my free 100% Doula Facebook group, and read what other doulas chose.
If admin is eating your week, my doula business systems guide covers what to track, what to automate, and when to get help.
If you want the whole planning process around your word, Doula Goal Planning opens Monday, January 4. Over five days you look back at what actually happened this year, set three goals, and build a 90-day plan for one of them. Choosing your word is the last exercise. It costs $27.
