Best Personal Journal Prompts in 2023

Personal Journal Prompts

Keeping a personal journal is a great way to help you cope with stress, find clarity and insight, and process negative feelings. It can also be a great creative outlet if you’re someone who struggles to express yourself in other ways. Journaling can give you an outlet for your thoughts and feelings while also forcing you to be specific and intentional with your words. Keeping a journal can boost your self-esteem, give you new perspectives on life, and make you feel happier about who you are as a person. Even something as simple as keeping track of how you’re feeling on any given day can be immensely helpful when it comes to understanding yourself better and working through your issues more effectively than before. Use these personal journal prompts to get started!

173 Personal Journal Prompts

How did I end up on the professional path I am on now?

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Do I hate anyone? If so, why? Could I let that hate go?

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Who do I need to forgive in my life? What feelings am I holding onto from the past?

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What do I need to forgive myself for? How can I start that process?

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What is one way I can push myself out of my comfort zone in the new year?

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What is one thing I did but wish I hadn't on my trip?

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What do I fear most in life?

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Are there any work problems I am trying to sort out now?

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What made me cry today?

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What is one good thing that happened to me today?

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What does having a fresh start mean to me?

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What do I want most from my friendships?

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What is one of the best compliments I have received? How did that make me feel?

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What is one of my favorite ways to spend time with my child(ren)?

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What is a happy moment I remember from my childhood?

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What causes me stress or anxiety during the holidays? What could I do to make it better?

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What is one bad thing that happened to me today?

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If I could change one thing about yesterday, what would it be?

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What is one change I would like to make to my morning routine?

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What is one thing my child(ren) did today that I want to remember?

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What is my favorite holiday tradition? What do I love about it?

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What is a challenge I faced today as a parent? How did I deal with it?

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What does an ideal Valentine's Day look like to me?

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What thoughts did I have today that I wish I didn't have?

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How do I want to take care of myself in the new year?

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Who do I love in my life?

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What is one thing that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic that I want to keep in my life?

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In what ways can I be healthier in the new year?

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What is the best professional compliment I have received?

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What are ways I can wind down and relax before sleep?

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What am I most looking forward to working on next week?

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What do I find the most challenging about being a parent?

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How can I give back more in the new year?

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What reasons cause me to eat besides hunger?

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When do I feel most confident?

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When do I remember feeling appreciated?

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What is my opinion on work-life balance? What does that look like to me?

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In what kind of religious or spiritual environment was I raised? Have I changed my mind in any way?

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What activity or hobby would I miss if I couldn't do it anymore?

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What does the new year mean to me?

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What can I change about my bedtime routine to have a more restful sleep?

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What obstacles do I face in taking better care of myself? How can I overcome one of them?

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What is one step I can take to manage my money better?

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Am I comfortable with my current work-life balance? If not, what can I do to improve it?

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What lessons did I learn in the past year?

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What do I need to do to become a better person?

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What do I wish I knew more about?

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I am most proud of . . .

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How do I deal with feeling unmotivated?

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Am I dwelling on anything right now?

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Is there something I feel guilty about?

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What is my earliest memory?

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If I could spend more time doing one activity in the new year, what would it be?

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What relationships would I like to develop further over the next six months?

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What feelings does spring evoke?

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In what area of my life do I wish I had more autonomy?

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When was the last time I read a book related to my career? Am I applying any of the learnings?

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What is a physical feature of mine that I like?

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What qualities do I bring to a friendship?

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What is one of my favorite hobbies, and why?

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What would I like to subtract from my life in the new year?

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What is one thing I wish I had gotten to do but didn't do on my trip?

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If I had to define myself in terms of principles, what would they be?

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Was there anything in my day that made me angry?

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What does adventure mean to me?

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Who do I trust with my most painful and upsetting feelings?

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What is something I can do for myself today?

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How many months of savings would make me feel comfortable in my financial life?

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How would I spend my time if money didn't matter?

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Was there anything in my day that made me thankful?

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What do I want to add to my life in the new year?

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What can I be thankful for that I take for granted in my day-to-day life?

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Do I think I am in the role or on the career path best for me?

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What made me laugh today?

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What do I consider my greatest professional success?

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What do I want to take from today into tomorrow?

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What qualities do I admire in my parents?

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If I could go back and change one decision, what would it be?

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What is one of my favorite family memories?

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What would I like to spend my time doing when I retire?

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Do I want to be remembered? If so, what for?

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Who is someone I look up to, and why?

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What is one moment that I repeatedly go back to, and why?

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What is one way I think journaling could improve my life?

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What is one change I would like to make to my evening routine?

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What is one habit I currently have that I would like to get rid of in the new year?

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What is something I can thank myself for?

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What personal needs am I sacrificing to meet the needs of others?

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What are ways I can practice self-care daily?

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What is something I love to do on cold winter nights?

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What is the best thing that happened today?

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What do I most enjoy about the holidays?

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What would I like my financial life to look like in five years?

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Is there anyone that deserves a big "thank you"?

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How am I feeling on the way to my destination?

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What activity do I enjoy doing with a friend?

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What can I do to be in a better financial position by the end of the new year?

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How does my significant other make me feel loved?

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What is one habit I would like to build, and why?

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What is something that is limiting me from accomplishing what I want to accomplish?

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Am I happy with my work-from-home environment? Why or why not?

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What relationship do I need to work on, and how can I start that process?

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What made me smile today?

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What do I consider my greatest personal success?

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What is one of my key learnings from the past year?

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Who were the most important people in my life in the past year?

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What was one of the most fun moments of my life?

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What challenges did I face in the past year?

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At what age did I feel grown-up?

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What am I grateful for at work?

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How do I want to grow in the new year?

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If I had to choose a single word or theme to describe the new year, what would it be?

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What activity, behavior, or perspective did I discover on my trip that I would like to adopt back home?

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What is one of my favorite trips or vacations?

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What would I like to learn more about, and why?

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Who is someone I would like to treat better?

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What is one bad spending habit I can try to eliminate?

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What is one thing that I desire for my career?

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What is one book that has influenced me significantly?

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When I need help, is it easy or hard for me to ask for it?

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Is the life that I am living the life I want?

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What is something I am good at? What makes me good at it?

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What do I want to celebrate from the past year?

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What do I want to let go of in the new year?

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On what do I spend too much money?

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What is one of my favorite aspects of being a parent?

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What are my three biggest distractions right now, and how can I reduce them?

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What do I least enjoy about the holidays?

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Did I learn anything about myself while on the trip?

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What is one way that technology enhances my productivity?

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What is one actionable thing I can do to control my debt?

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What quality is important to me in a friend?

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What is something I love now that I could never have imagined I would like in the past?

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Remember a time when I was happy, and write about it.

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If I had one day left to live, what would I do on that day?

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What am I grateful for today?

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What is one way I would like to improve my physical health?

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What am I most excited about in the new year?

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What is something I do not like about my living environment? How could I change it?

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What was it like to buy my first home?

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With whom do I need to set boundaries?

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How did I grow in the past year?

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When was the last time I laughed uncontrollably?

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What is a time I went out of my comfort zone while traveling?

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What is something I worry about that is outside of my control?

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When do my significant other and I have the most fun?

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When am I most at peace?

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What do I need to leave behind from the past year?

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What do I like about traveling by plane?

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How does my car make my life better?

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Where have I been that feels like a home away from home?

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How does my pet make my life better?

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What is something I admire in one of my friends?

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What is the first thought that came into my mind this morning?

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What is something that my significant other and I have in common?

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What is one thing I am most grateful for from the past year?

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What can I learn from a mistake I have made?

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Was there anything in my day that made me excited?

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What would make my younger self proud of me now?

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What qualities do I dislike in my parents?

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What is one way I add value to the world?

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Who did I feel close to today, even for only a moment?

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What is something that can instantly disrupt a good mood and bring me down?

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What is something I am grateful for about myself?

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What music am I thankful to be able to listen to, and why?

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What is one lesson I learned from the last book I read?

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I wish I had someone with whom I could share . . .

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Where is one of my favorite places to be with my significant other?

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What difficult thoughts or emotions come up frequently for me?

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What does romance mean to me?

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What is one thing I admire about my significant other?

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Did I achieve the career goals I set out for myself this past year?

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What is one way I would like to get out of my comfort zone?

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