The Ultimate Collection of Journal Prompts

13 min readApr 3, 2020

A whole year’s worth of questions to help you get your inner-most thoughts and feelings down on paper

This collection of journal prompts is organised in a way that will help you answer a really wide variety of questions about yourself, your relationships, your strengths, weaknesses, hopes and dreams.

Some of them are very specific and some are intentionally open-ended and open to interpretation. Answer them any way you please.

Answer them one a day, in the order listed below, or just jump in and answer them in any order you like.

January

Things to do today, this week, this month
List three things you would like to have accomplished by this time next year.
Three celebrity crushes
Write a letter to someone you need to forgive
What are your financial goals for the year?
Keep a food journal for one-day (continue if you enjoy it)
What do you like about your job?
Write about a teacher or mentor who you’re grateful for
Write about a movie character you identify with
Your ten favourite quotes
What was the worst movie you ever saw?
You are an extrovert/introvert because…
Things I always did with my dad when I was small…
Describe your first boyfriend/girlfriend in detail
Would you rather lose the ability to read or lose the ability to speak?
What’s a possession that makes your life easier?
A few words of advice to someone younger
Your life story in five sentences
One thing you say you think, but really don’t
How do you spend a rainy day?
What is truly worth focusing on today? What is NOT?
A goal you reached
A story that captures your imagination
What are your thoughts on a current news story
Write about your first job
Who was your favourite teacher?
If you could have dinner with anyone currently alive, who would it be?
How do you deal with anger?
What made you feel good this week?
Write the first page of your biography
Write about three things you’re grateful for this month

February

Things to do today, this week, this month
If you could change one thing about your present life, what would it be?
Three things you’d do if you weren’t so afraid
Look through your photographs and choose a few to write about
Write a letter to someone who believed in you even when you didn’t believe in yourself
What would you do if you could live a day without consequences?
How do you indulge yourself? Do you need to indulge yourself more often?
Do you prefer to think, or do?
Do you have any famous or high profile family members? If so, write about them.
Ten songs you love (explain why, or tell a story about what it means to you)
How do you define art?
Describe your ideal 80-year-old self
What habits do you want to form, to make yourself a better person
Draw something!
Would you rather be covered in fur or covered in scales?
What book did you read over and over again as a child?
The best dessert to share with friends
The best gift you could receive
What keeps you up at night worrying
What are your views on drugs and alcohol
From waking to sleeping, how would you spend your last day
The most fun I’ve ever had…
What’s your secret desire?
What is the dominant emotion in your life right now?
What was your favourite cartoon?
Which country’s government seems to be helping its citizens the most?
What places would you plan a road trip to
Write about three things you’re grateful for this month

March

Things to do today, this week, this month
What was the best day of your life so far
Three favourite things to wear
What personality traits would you trade with your partner?
What did you accomplish today?
Who was the last new friend you made?
Describe kindness
Your company would be so much better if…
What things does fear hold you back from doing
Ten pieces of art you love
If you could choose a mentor, it would be…
Who are you proud of
What’s the biggest problem you’re facing right now
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Would you rather be in jail for a year or lose a year off your life?
My saddest memory is . . .
What did you do this week that moved you closer to reaching your goals?
Write a fan letter to your favourite actor/actress
Write about the first apartment you ever rented
Is it more important to be loyal or honest?
What makes you unique?
What are the top ten qualities a friend should have?
When did you last read a book, why did you read it, and what it was about
Do you believe in soul mates?
Are you superstitious about anything
What would you do if money were no object?
Write down everything happening around you at this moment
Something you buy often
One thing you wish you could do
How important is fame?
Write about three things you’re grateful for this month

April

Things to do today, this week, this month
Your last important decision
Three things you can’t go without
The biggest lie I’ve ever told is . . .
What was your favourite subject at school?
How do you respond in a crisis
Who are the people you have in your life who support you
A favourite song lyric
What’s the best thing in your life right now?
Ten activities you love
What would you ask for if a genie granted you three wishes?
What’s a secret habit/thing you enjoy
Do you believe in ghosts? Why/why not? What happens when we die?
What political party do you consider yourself a part of
Would you rather have one real get out of jail free card or a key that opens any door?
What’s the most upsetting thing that’s ever happened to you
One thing you need to start doing
Is the world a fair place?
What you’d really like to do tomorrow
What specifically do you need to forgive yourself for?
What’s something you often take too personally even though, logically, you know better?
How will you embody ‘love’ today?
What scares you?
Write a letter to be read by each of your loved ones after you’ve passed away
How would your best friend describe you?
What’s the angriest you’ve ever been
The thing you always forget to pack
Something you love about spring
A quote that inspires you
Write about three things you’re grateful for this month

May

Things to do today, this week, this month
Describe a moment you remember with your mother
Three favourite book characters
What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve ever done?
What was your favourite childhood toy?
An app on your phone you use too much
What’s the most afraid you’ve ever been
A typical grocery list
What’s something you’ve let go that once meant the world to you?
Ten restaurants you love
Close your eyes and imagine the kind of world you would like to see. What is it like?
The things in your life that are most important to you, in order
Is morality relative?
Are you heavily influenced by music
Would you rather have all traffic lights you approach be green or never have to stand in line again?
What’s something about your body or health that you’re grateful for?
A place you have never visited
The time of day you prefer
A good idea
What have your error(s) in judgment taught you?
What’s one good, recent example of someone with a bad attitude completely misjudging you?
What kind of drama do you sometimes get caught up in?
Things you’ve done that you previously thought you could never do
Write about your first dance
How do you think others see you when they meet you for the first time?
Write a letter to someone you love, but can’t express
A fictional character you’d like to switch places with
Advice to ignore
Three words that describe your style
How did the universe come into being
Write about three things you’re grateful for this month

June

Things to do today, this week, this month
A recent compliment you gave
Three favourite things to eat
Nobody knows that I . . .
As a child, did you ever get lost?
Your top 5 short-term goals
What are the flaws and strengths of your physical appearance
An idea that seems great, but actually isn’t
What’s the next step you’ve been thinking about taking, for far too long?
Ten favourite lines from books/movies
How would you describe yourself?
Write a food/movie review
Are you an optimist or pessimist
Your personal motto
Would you rather be able to see 10 minutes into your own future or 10 minutes into the future of anyone but yourself?
What’s an accomplishment you’re proud of?
The word that you overuse
Your summer playlist
What’s one thought that has been getting the best of you lately?
What’s something true about you that you need to embrace more openly and lovingly?
What’s the hardest thing you’re trying to accomplish or cope with right now?
Your top five long term goals
Write about your first week in college or school
How can you best share your gifts with the world?
You’re going to/never going to move away because…
People watch, and make up a story for people you see
Something to let go of
How do you spend time resting?
Thoughts about today’s (or yesterday’s) events
Write about three things you’re grateful for this month

July

Things to do today, this week, this month
A song from your childhood
Three things you want in a relationship
Is there anything you feel ashamed of?
Did you ever run away from home?
The man/woman you want to marry is…
Write about a happy memory
What are you good at?
What is one privilege you have that you often take for granted?
Ten movies you love
What are some of your idiosyncrasies?
Plan out, in detail, how to build something
Would you ever consider minimalism
Your personal values
Would you rather have an easy job working for someone else or work for yourself but work incredibly hard?
What have you been given that you’re grateful for?
Organized or messy?
A reason to celebrate
What do you appreciate most about your life right now? Why?
Something a heartbreak prompted you to change
The most disappointed I’ve ever been…
What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
What would make you feel spiritually fulfilled?
Is time-travel possible?
Document an ‘experiment’
What do you want more of?
A recent compliment you received
The best part of summer
One thing you will always do
What’s something or someone that makes you feel safe?
Write about three things you’re grateful for this month

August

Things to do today, this week, this month
A tiny step towards your dreams
If you had to evacuate your home because of a natural disaster, what three things would you take with you?
Is there anything you need to be forgiven for?
What’s your first memory?
What are your awesome, inventive ideas
What artist, author, or musician are you grateful for?
A way to relax
Describe a time you decided not to buy something you thought you couldn’t live without
Ten books you love
What qualities do you want in a romantic partner?
Things you’d tell yourself as a teenager if you could go back in time
If someone wrote your biography, what would the ‘blurb’ be
What person has been the strongest influence on you
Would you rather be the first person to explore a planet or be the inventor of a drug that cures a deadly disease?
Write about a family member who you’re grateful for.
Your preferred method of communication
Is where you are right now, where you want to be?
What are you offering the world?
What is one reality you need to come to peace with? Why?
What’s something from your past that you are thankful you gave up on?
The Holiday traditions I most look forward to…
What was the last thing you drew?
Are you religious? Why or why not?
If someone told you to mentally go to your ‘happy place’, where would you go
Rewrite an old journal entry now
What does it take to make a friend?
Something that worries you
Who is your “cheerleader?”
What are you waiting for?
Write about three things you’re grateful for this month

September

Things to do today, this week, this month
What really matters
Three pet peeves
The most surprised I’ve ever been . . .
What is your most vivid memory of the kitchen in your childhood?
Your eulogy
Write about a friend who you’re grateful for
Is your life what you imagined?
How has your past heartbreak made you stronger, wiser, and more loving?
Ten websites you visit regularly
What famous world festivals would you like to attend?
What you love about where you live
What habits do you want to give up, to make yourself a better person
What assumptions would a stranger make about you from your appearance
Would you rather go back to age 5 with everything you know now or know now everything your future self will learn?
A fact you don’t usually tell people
A movie that makes you happy
An evening ritual
What’s something you love today that you never even knew you needed in your life?
What has your inner voice been trying to tell you lately?
If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be?
What’s your wildest dream?
When do you feel the most like ‘you’
Open your phone or photo album and find a photo that you like. Why are you grateful for this photo?
Everyone needs…
Something that is always easy for you
The goal you are working towards now
A time of transition
The best restaurant in your town
Write about three things you’re grateful for this month

October

Things to do today, this week, this month
Where you want to be
Three bad habits
My favourite weekend ritual . . .
As a child, who was your favourite relative?
What circumstance has altered your path the most
What’s the personality trait that you’re grateful for?
The best idea you’ve had this week
What’s something that you are thankful you didn’t give up on?
Ten favourite foods
Was there anything noteworthy about your mother’s upbringing?
When have you been courageous
What things make you angry the fastest
What was your biggest mistake this week
Would you rather be an average person in the present or a king of a large country 2500 years ago?
Five books everyone should read
A movie that makes you cry
The best parts of fall (autumn)
Over the past month, what have your actions been silently saying about your priorities?
What do you wish you could change about your job?
Is there anything you feel guilty about?
What’s one old pattern of behaviour that sometimes still sneaks up on you?
As a child, what did you think the future would be like?
What grand adventure do you wish you could go on?
What are the pros and cons of having children
How are you able to help others?
What is the most important thing in life?
Pick a movie character you identify with
An important song from your childhood
What don’t you share?
Write about three things you’re grateful for this month

November

Things to do today, this week, this month
A thing your life has in excess
Three friends you’ve lost touch with
If you could live anywhere you wanted, where would you live?
When did you feel truly independent for the first time?
How many jobs have you held, and what you did you learn from each
What skill(s) do you have that you’re grateful for?
The best type of surprise
What’s something that’s worth working on today, regardless of what other people think?
Ten musical artists you love
Write down three of your father’s favourites
Do humans decide to be good?
If 10-year-old you saw yourself now, what would he think
How can you manage time better
Would you rather move to a new city or town every week or never be able to leave the city or town you were born in?
Three things you learned today
What year has been your best so far?
Memories beside a fireplace
Who have you spent the most time with over the past month, and how have these people affected your life?
What’s something that used to drive you crazy, but no longer bothers you?
Who made you feel good this week?
What would your perfect day be like?
Your 5-year plan
List some favourite jokes
What book(s) have taught you a powerful lesson?
What place do you consider your home?
Three things you and your best friend have in common
What you wore today
The people who make your life better
Write about three things you’re grateful for this month

December

Things to do today, this week, this month
How easy is it for you to forgive those who have caused you pain?
Three places you want to travel to
What’s your favourite memory of your father
If you went into a bar and pretended to be someone else, you’d be…
Things in the next year you’re looking forward to
Open the door or window and look outside. What’s something you’re grateful for outside?
The person you’re always happy to see
Thoughts about today’s events
Ten favourite memories of the past year
What’s a hobby you want to pursue
What’s your favourite memory of your mother
What really inspires you to write, create, or succeed
What was your biggest mistake this year
Would you rather travel the world for a year on a shoestring budget or stay in only one country for a year but live in luxury?
How are you creative?
An event that turned out differently than planned
What was the best gift you ever gave?
What kinds of physical clutter have been complicating your life and diverting you from meaningful life experiences?
What can you easily do to be a little kinder than usual today?
What does a new beginning mean to you right now?
What did you do this year that moved you closer to achieving your dream?
What’s the biggest challenge you have with members of the opposite sex?
Your go-to karaoke song
What are you thankful for?
Something you know a lot about
How you procrastinate
Favourite winter traditions
A book you want to read
A word to describe the past year
Write about three things you’re grateful for this month