Journaling doesn’t have to be poetic or perfect, it just has to be honest.

These 21 prompts are designed to help you do the real work: self-inquiry, reflection, and sharpening your inner compass.

Personally, I like to keep it simple, I follow them in order and do one each day. You can journal at whatever time of day feels most natural. I tend to do it in the afternoon when things slow down and the mind opens up a bit.

Don’t pressure yourself to write a masterpiece. What matters is that you answer truthfully. Some days you might write 2,000 words. Other days, two sentences is all it takes.

Anyway, I won’t say too much. Just start.

The page is waiting.

Self-Interrogation

  1. What am I clinging to that is already changing, or already gone?

    → What would letting go free me to do?

  2. If today were my last day, what would I regret not doing, saying, or becoming?

  3. Where am I allowing emotion to distort reason?

    → What would this look like if I saw it clearly?

  4. Am I acting out of virtue or vanity?

    → Would I make the same choice if no one was watching?

  5. What discomfort have I been avoiding that would actually make me stronger?

  6. Am I living according to nature or according to fear?

  7. What do I know is right, but still resist doing?

    → What would it take to just do it today?

  8. What is within my control right now, and what isn’t?

    → Can I focus my energy only on the first?

  9. What role have I been assigned in this season of life?

    → Am I playing it with honor?

  10. What am I postponing because I assume there will be more time?

Beliefs, Values, Morality

  1. What do I believe “a good life” actually means?

    → Where did that definition come from?

  2. What does morality mean to me, and when have I violated my own code?