What to Write in a Journal: 50 Prompt Ideas
You open your journal and stare at the blank sheets. You are struggling to come up with ideas for what to write in a journal.
Writing a journal is not easy, and at times, you may feel stuck. But in this post, I want to give you some inspiration on what you can write about and how you can make the most of your journaling experience.
I started journaling 5 years ago. At first, I only used my journal for task planning, but then I progressed to gratitude journaling and morning pages.
I am not perfect, and there are days when I do not journal at all. But I do my best to write a few sentences every single day.
The good thing isthat there is no wrong way to journal. There is nothing you can write about that would be wrong. However, if you are lacking inspiration and need some clues that you can use, this is the post for you.
You may also find additional inspiration on Reddit. I particularly enjoy looking at artsy journals.
Benefits of Journaling
Journaling is a powerful tool to reduce stress and gain clarity and focus. There are many benefits that you will feel if you start journaling consistently.
- It helps you clear your mind
- It helps you make decisions and plan action
- It helps you reflect on your experiences and see your mistakes
- It helps you stay present and grateful
I like journaling because it makes me focus on small moments that would go unnoticed throughout my day. But if I write them down, I remember them and I focus on them.
Journaling also improves your problem-solving and action capabilities. For some reason, problems are more easily solved when you write them down.
Journaling Ideas for Self-Growth
If you want to start journaling because you want to improve your way of thinking, then there are a couple of themes that you should focus on.
Your life story
Open your notebook and write about your life. Who you were as a kid, where you grew up, and what memories you have of your early childhood.
Writing about yourself will enable you to see who you are. What difficulties you faced and how you resolved them. We all go through a series of problems, and we often do not even realize how we overcome them.
By writing your story, you are focusing on your life, on problems you resolved, on people you met or lost, on feelings you had. Your life story can be the beginning of your business. Telling others how to overcome similar problems, how to resolve issues you had can be a good start of a career.
what to write in a journal: Prompts about your life
What was your childhood home like?
What childhood dreams or passions did you have?
What family traditions or moments stand out to you the most?
What struggles did you go through?
What was the climax of your journey?
When did you feel the most fulfilled in your work?
What did you achieve that was desirable to others?
What mistakes or failures turned into valuable lessons?
What topics, skills, and interests helped you get there?
Have you ever experienced a major life change that reshaped your perspective?
How have your values evolved?
Your ideal life (vision)
Sit down at your desk and write about the life you would like to have. Your ideal life story.
Journaling can help you clarify what you want in life. By writing about your ideal life, you gain clarity on what you truly want.
You may find yourself writing more about people, family, feelings, and less about material things. But whatever you write about it is a vision of your future you want to reach.
Seeing it on paper is very important. What would it be like, who would be there, use as many details as possible.
what to write in a journal: prompts about your ideal life
Describe a perfect day in your ideal life from morning to night.
What kind of environment do you live in? Describe the home, city, or nature around you.
Who are the people surrounding you in your ideal life?
What would be your ideal family?
How do you spend time with loved ones?
How does your ideal self-care routine look? What do you do for your physical and mental health?
What habits or mindset shifts do you need to embrace to feel your best?
How do you want to feel about your work every day?
What is your ideal job?
What activities or hobbies bring you the most joy?
What does success truly mean to me?
What boundaries do I need to set to protect my energy?
If I could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would I go and why?
What books, movies, or music have inspired me lately?
What is one thing I want to focus on today?
What habits do I want to cultivate for a happier, healthier life?
The life you don’t want (antivision)
Think about all the things, people, and events you don’t want in your life.
It is sometimes difficult to be specific and honest with yourself. As you start writing, you may find that your ideal life looks different. And if you are honest with yourself, you can pinpoint exactly what you don’t want in your life.
Let’s say you write: I don’t want to live alone. The goal becomes very clear: you need to meet someone. But that will not happen by chance. You need to come up with a plan. A good idea is to join hobby groups, or go out more with friends, where you can meet someone new.
Be very descriptive when you write about the life you do not want. Write about people you do not want in your life, feelings you do not want to have, relationships you do not want to be part of.
When your destination is clear, your path becomes clear too. You no longer live your life aimlessly, hoping the best will happen. You live with purpose and with clear actions you have to take.
what to write in a journal: prompts about the life you don’t want
What does a day in a life you don’t want look like?
What habits or routines would make you feel stuck or unhappy?
How do you not want to feel when you wake up in the morning?
What type of job would drain your energy?
What kind of relationships do you not want to have in your life?
What qualities do you never want in a friend or partner?
What beliefs or fears would keep you from living your best life?
What kind of mindset would hold you back from your dreams?
If your life stayed exactly the same for the next five years, would you be happy?
Where do you not want to live? In what kind of environment?
General journaling prompts
What are your top five personal values?
What kind of partner are you looking for?
What are three small things that bring you joy?
What limiting beliefs are holding you back?
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Describe a recent time you felt truly present. What simple pleasures make you happy?
What’s a past challenge that made you stronger?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Who inspires you the most, and why? What qualities do you value in a friend?
How can you strengthen your relationships this month?
What are three things I’m grateful for right now?
How have I grown as a person in the last year?
What helps me feel the most calm and at peace?
Conclusion
Sometimes we all feel stuck when we write in our journal. We stare at the blank pages and do not know what to write about.
Some topics are more inspiring than others, and we should all try not to focus too much on recording facts about our daily lives. Writing down what happened today, where you went, or who you met is of no value.
But when you start writing about your life, something changes. You start thinking about things you haven’t thought about before. You start specifying what you want and what you don’t want. And your path becomes very clear. Decisions are easier to make. And you know what you need to let go of, and what you need to keep.
In our busy lives, true desires and values get lost, and we end up chasing things we don’t really want or need.
The empty notebook that is on your desk can help you with that.
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