Nine Prompts For Journaling
Nine Prompts For Journaling
Journaling.
This is the topic that invokes fear in the greatest of humans.
This is the homework therapists love to assign and clients love to pretend they’ve done.
People like the idea of journaling. They know the benefits of journaling. They hate the practice of journaling.
Therefore, I’m not going to tell you to journal. You already know that. I’m not even going to tell you the benefits of journaling. You know that too. I’m just going to give you 9 journal prompts. You can decide where to take this. And fine, I’ll give you one-gigantic reason to start journaling.
I began journaling 8 years ago. I’ve written over 1,000 entries. At first, it was awkward. It took me 10 hours to write my first entry. But then it became therapeutic. This was before I even know what therapy was about. And here’s the funny thing that you might have also noticed if you’ve ever journaled. I’d start by writing a topic that was frustrating and by the end of writing, I had come to a different conclusion. A fresh thought. A new takeaway.
In fact, when I look back on entries from months and years ago, it feels like a completely different person was writing. That’s a superpower of journaling. Because each and every day we hear thousands of messages from the external world—advertising, culture, religion, family, friends, pop culture, social media, dating sites—that tell us who we should be and how we are not enough. Journaling might be the one moment of your week in which you take time to tune those out and listen to your internal world of who you are. Yes, true identity.
So without any further adieu, here are some journal prompts you may have never considered:
What’s another time that I was in a similar stressful situation? How did I handle it? How do I wish I would have handled it?
Who is someone whom I admire or respect? What qualities do I want to embody from them? If they were in my shoes, how would they handle this situation?
If you’re having trouble thinking of someone whom you admire/respect, think of a character from a novel, TV show, or movie. Literally write out either advice they’d give you on how to handle something.
What advice would I tell my five-year-old self, my ten-year-old self, or my fifteen-year-old self? And more often than not, it’s not advice. Sometimes we just needed to hear some compassion or have an arm around our shoulder.
What current energy do I emit and what type of energy frequency do I want to emit? What were the circumstances in your life in which I felt like I went to a higher frequency? Was it exploring a new city? Meeting a new person? Tasting a new food? Hone in. How can I replicate that experience? Where in my current life do I feel a higher frequency? Is it with a particular friend group? In a different part of town? Involved in a particular hobby?
Think of three people. It could be a crush, enemy, hero, movie character, family member, friend, whatever. How would they describe me? How would they approach ________ topic in my life? It’s not a matter of right and wrong; it’s a matter of seeing different perspectives.
What’s an issue I have? What would it feel like if it were solved? What are the necessary steps that were put in place to have it solved?
What’s an issue I have? If that issue took a turn for the worse, what were steps that I either took or didn’t take that contributed to that?
This next one is called rule of twenty. What’s an issue of life I’d like drastic change (i.e. finances, employment, relocation, marriage, dating, etc.). What are ways I can solve this issue? List twenty of them.
Generally the first five-to-seven are conscious. They’re easy; they are dead-ends that swirl in your brain all the time. The next eight-to-fifteen are subconscious. These are more difficult; these are either ridiculous or perhaps you previously tried a version of it without any luck. The last five are unconscious. These are the worst. Sit on this. Be creative. THIS IS WHERE THE GOLD IS DUG. These are dangerously good. They don’t follow the mold. These are the ideas that are you life changers.
I hope these are helpful.
Journaling doesn’t have to be arduous or perfect. It’s whatever medium you choose. Here, you’ll come to the edge of your own consciousness, so you can prime your brain to break into new layers of consciousness. It’ll help critical thinking, creativity, and relationships, especially your relationship to yourself.
Also, make sure to have fun with it. Maybe you have. more fun posting things in public. Maybe it’s private. My preference is semi-public, known to some trusted friends, family, and digital acquaintances. Maybe you need to draw. Maybe you like to vlog. Whatever it is, make it yours!