One Great Journaling Prompt

I am a life-long journal keeper. I have kept most of my journals, with the earliest one dating way back to elementary school. I rarely go back and read through my past journals, but it’s also hard for me to simply get rid of them; they contain such intimate and often very true versions of my past self. I have an idea that one day, I’ll have a kind of “Journal Burning Ceremony,” and burn the ones that hold versions of myself I don’t necessarily want to remember (even though I learned things from those seasons—but the lessons that mattered stuck, and are on the inside now, not just on the pages).

All this is to say: Lately, while I’ve really wanted to keep up my regular journaling habits, I find that I don’t often have a lot to say. When this happens, I try to remember to return to one prompt that usually helps inspire some writing. This “One Great Journaling Prompt” is:

What’s on your list right now?

Here’s why I love this prompt: Your list can be about ANYTHING you want. A few suggestions:

1. What are your top worries right now?

2. What are three things you’re learning in this season of life?

3. What is bringing you joy right now? Comfort? Hope?

4. What would you tell your past/future self?

In isolation, these more specific prompts can sometimes stump me. But if someone says: Write a list, there is something in me that unlocks. I’m an organized person by nature, so maybe it’s just the organized nature of a written list that appeals to me. The other thing about lists is that they can be long and detailed, or short and sweet.

Journaling is really just about getting stuff out of your mind and onto the page. In your mind, thoughts can run on loops, seeking your attention or love. On the page, those thoughts have been noticed, validated. Loved. This is why we feel better after journaling, I believe. We’re simply slowing down long enough to acknowledge our thoughts—ourselves.

A few related resources:

Julia Cameron’s “Morning Pages” technique for journaling.

Laura Tremaine’s advice on “Journaling for Grown Ups.”

A favorite: Johnny Cash’s now famous to-do list.

What’s bringing me joy right now:

1. Re-reading Twilight. I read the Twilight series when my husband and I were going through infertility treatments several years ago, and now that we’re considering options for growing our family again, I’ve found myself gravitating back to this comfort re-read. It’s fun and harmless escapism.

2. Re-watching videos of our son, Peter! It’s both amazing and poignant to watch videos of him learning to lift his head up, learning to crawl, taking his first chubby-legged steps. Peter also loves watching these videos of himself! Definite JOY right there.

Thanks for reading.

-Beth