I have a love/hate relationship with my journal, and I’m not alone. I have been keeping a journal on and off since his teenage years to help him clear the clutter in his head and better understand himself and others. In a way, I see my journal as a friend with whom I can nonjudgmentally share my goals, fears, and sometimes seemingly empty thoughts. I look in the mirror inside to reveal what’s really going on in my brain. Additionally, in my diary, a guilty record of my deepest thoughts and feelings, sometimes recorded with a Sharpie (no one needs to know who I fell in love with in 2003 with her. ) That was until I discovered the magic of journal prompts.
I tried, unsuccessfully, for years to maintain a consistent daily writing practice before the journal prompts saved me from thinking that journaling wasn’t for me. I pressured myself to fill the page with something profound, and instead recorded patches here and there during long off-the-record runs. But the times when I wasn’t journaling were also the times when I felt most alienated from myself. I’m not the kind of person who can process my emotions quickly in my head, and I often have to vent my emotions to understand my true feelings.
Featured image of Riley Reid jen rose smith.
[table_of_contents title=”In this article”]
[inline_mailchimp_form list_id=”876c959d2c” title=”Free Vision Workbook” source_id=”2023 Vision Board Lead Magnet” description=”Make it happen. This resource will help you intentionally set (and realize) goals to live out your purpose.” image_url=”https://camillestyles.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Vision-Workbook-Promo.png”]
53 journal prompts to help you discover a better sense of self
These days, instead of seeing journaling as just another duty to self-improvement, I see journaling as a necessary means of understanding myself. Furthermore, I have found that no thought or moment is too small to write down in this act of slowing down and existing.
No matter what words fall on the page, journaling can reveal an ongoing dialogue between your past and present selves, from which comes greater awareness.
Whether you’re interested in journaling or not, the benefits are undeniable. Writing things down every day not only saves memories to look back on, but it also leads to inspiration, self-discovery, and a stronger connection with yourself and others. But journaling is rated as the single most transformative ritual of so many successful people. But building this daily habit starts with letting go of inner critics and expectations. . When you’re getting out of your way, it can be helpful to start with a prompt to get the ball rolling.
So keep reading for 53 inspirational prompts across categories like gratitude, values, goal setting, and more. They are designed to help you get to the heart of what really matters and is real to you.
Gratitude Diary Prompt
- What are three great things that happened yesterday?
- What are 10 things that make you happy?
- what are you looking forward to now? If you can’t think of anything, what can you do to change it?
- What’s completely free that changed your life?
- What do you consider to be the most precious things in your life?
- What are 10 things you actively enjoy in life right now?
- Write down what you enjoyed most recently. What are you doing and who are you with?
- Write about a kind deed that someone did for you that surprised you.
- What’s your favorite way to show you love the people in your life?
- Reflect on a moment of profound beauty you recently experienced. Did it surprise you and draw you in?
- List three things in your life that you are most grateful for at this moment.
- Write down 5 things you feel guilty about that you don’t feel guilty about.
- In what ways have you felt supported by your friends, family, or community recently?
- Name three healthy habits you started in the last year that changed your life for the better.
Reflective journal prompt
- Name the top three emotions you are feeling right now. What emotions do you want to feel today?
- If you could tell your teenage self, what would you say?
- What does your body want now?
- What are 10 questions you would like answered right now?
- What do you know to be true today that you didn’t know a year ago?
- what are you afraid of now?
- What is going wrong in your life right now?
- I write about people I miss. What do you miss about them? How do they make you feel?
- Think of someone who has experienced conflict in the past and enter their point of view. What were they feeling when you collided? If available, how can you express sympathy for their experience?
- What parts of your life cause you stress? What areas of your life bring you joy?
- What would you say is your greatest achievement so far?
- If someone could describe your life, which event would you most like to emphasize?
Goal setting journal prompt
- What is your ideal day like? Where are you, what are you doing and who are you with?
- Describe your perfect home. Where is it, what does it look like, and who do you share it with?
- What did you want to be when you grew up and why?
- If failure is impossible, what are you doing now?
- What would you do if you only had one year left to live?
- In another life, who would you like to be? Write down this personality, what they do for a living, personality traits, etc.
- Reflect on your career and personal goals. Are there similarities or consistency between the two? How do you separate these two areas of your life? How are they the same?
- If you could master one skill, what would it be?
- What’s the new way to measure progress this year?
- What is holding you back from reaching your goals?
- Who are the people you trust most in your life to help you create the life you’ve always dreamed of?
- What habits and behaviors can you incorporate into your daily life to prioritize your time in 2023?
- How does it feel to step out of your comfort zone? How can you step further out of your comfort zone this year?
Value-based journal prompt
- What are your top 3 most important qualities in life?
- How do you act outside of those values?
- In what ways are you acting in harmony with them?
- What more would you like to invite in 2023?
- what do you want to leave
- What do you want others to know about you?
- Who do you look up to? What do you like about them?
- Who do you envy and why?
- What distracts you from what really matters each day?
- If you decided now that you had enough money and always had enough money, what would you do with your life?
- When you imagine yourself 10 years from now, what would you like to achieve or experience?
- How would you like to contribute your talents and passions to the world? Who could you reach out to and how would you influence them?
- What role does love play in your life?
- What is friendship to you?
This post was originally published on September 30, 2020 and has since been updated.
