By Preston Roach
Writing is great for self improvement and personal development. I wrote about the benefits of writing in my post (the 8 reasons you should write every day). Have you ever got the itch to start writing, but when you sit down to do it, you can’t think of anything to write about? I know it happens to me. I have developed 30 days of journal prompts to help with those days! You can use these in order, or just check it out when you need a little extra inspiration.
Write down 10 things about yourself that you like and a couple sentences on why. This will boost your confidence and mood!
List 5 things that you are thankful for. This could be anything from physical traits to people who have helped you out. The more you do this, the deeper you will be able to go to find out what has the biggest effect on your life.
Put the 3 biggest problems you are currently facing and how you are going to overcome them. Make sure to include the things that are currently holding you back from solving them and why you know you can solve them.
Write a letter to someone who has been on your mind lately. Tell them what you’re currently up to and say a few things about them that you admire.
Take the time to find out what you are deeply passionate about. This starts by writing some of your favorite things to do and then narrowing it down to what you’re truly passionate about.
Figure out the top 5 things you’d like to change about yourself. Then build a plan for how you are going to change them.
Come up with 3 things that you want to eliminate from your life. This could be debt, unwanted body fat, or accumulated “stuff” that’s filling your closet. Take that and use it as motivation to develop the plan for how you are going to eliminate those things.
Take your biggest talent and write down how you can use it to make a change in the world.
Write down 4 things you need to do to make today great.
Write out what you’d be doing with your time if money wasn’t an obstacle. This can also help you when working on many of the other suggestions in this list.
Develop one powerful sentence that describes who you are and what you want your legacy to be.
This one may seem silly but decide what you’re going to have for dinner for the next week. I can’t tell you how much stress having a meal plan can relieve!
Describe yourself as if you were someone that you had just met. Try to figure out what type of first impression you are giving people.
Recall the fondest time in your life and then write about it in as vivid of detail that you can remember.
List out your top 3 travel destinations and why you want to go there! This can be very fun. You can take a mini vacation in your mind while you dream about being there.
Ask yourself “what do I need to do in order to be successful today?” and then answer that question.
Our own projections of ourselves can be our biggest obstacle. Write about how you are holding yourself back with self-limiting beliefs.
Make your plan for the next 60 days. Take your top goals and determine how you are going to work on achieving them in 60 days.
Develop your definition of success. It is something different to us all.
Make a pie chart that is filled with how you typically spend the 24 hours that are in a day. Then make a 2nd pie chart that is filled with how you think you should be spending your day.
Just start describing what is happening in your life right now. There are probably a few things that stick about above others.
Write down the biggest concerns you currently have. This is a great way for dealing with anxiety and stress.
Write a letter to your future self. It’s amazing how many details we forget as we age. You can save it and put a reminder on it to read it at a future date.
How did your week go? Write about what went well and what didn’t. Then figure out what you could do better next week.
Write about something that you’re really angry about. I’m sure there’s something in all of our lives that really get under our skin. Pour it all out on paper. It’s very soothing.
Take notes over a book you’re currently reading. I keep notes over every book that I read in the same journal that I write in daily. It helps to go back and see these notes when I’m looking for wisdom.
Start “brain dumping” for 5-10 minutes. Just let the words flow out of you. It doesn’t matter if it’s a coherent thought or just a bunch of gibberish.
Talk about your general outlook on the world right now. It could be positive, negative, or a mixture of both. Be completely honest.
Write about an old friend that you lost touch with. Talk about why you lost touch with them and what you miss about their friendship. Maybe this will inspire you to reach out to them.
Remember the best day of your life and write a story about it. Embellish the truth a little bit. Be vivid in your details. Have fun with it.
Journaling has become a huge part of my life. It is part of my daily action plan. I try to never miss a day. Here’s another post I wrote about personal development and how I like to lay out my own roadmap “How to Solve Your Problems with Personal Development”
Having your own journal is a wonderful thing. One of the key points to remember about your journal is that you need to be radically honest with yourself when writing. We all tell little fibs to ourselves to make ourselves feel better. Your journal is the perfect time to start being totally honest with yourself!
Preston is a personal finance, self improvement, and mental health blogger. His passion is to help others make choices that will help them be more fulfilled, happier, healthier, and educated about money. He strives to write with honesty and integrity. His hobbies include reading, writing, traveling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and spending time with his wife and dogs.
Contact Preston at FIMillennials.com
