Journaling Prompts to Start All Over Again and Rebuild Your Life

• 1. What would I like most in my life right now if I did not have anything else going on? What is important enough that if I had more time in my life today, then I’d devote all of my energy into this aspect of my personal growth?
• 2. If I were going to write a list of everything that I am grateful for in my life right now, what would I put first? Remember, keep it short, sweet, and simple! Don’t worry too much about the rest of the items on the list; just pick one thing you’re truly grateful for.
• 3. Do I feel confident about where I’m heading? Or, does my head seem to wander around aimlessly at times? If I felt that I could change any one area of my life, which one would it be? What would it take to shift my thinking so that I could move toward that positive direction?
• 4. If you didn’t already have a major commitment looming over your head, how would you deal with it? Would you panic or remain calm? How do you handle big projects? Can you envision yourself working on your project until it’s completed?
• 5. What would happen with me if I said “what” instead of “why”? What would happen if you took out your notebook and asked yourself what you wanted for yourself? If you stopped telling yourself why you should or shouldn’t do certain things, what would you do differently?
• 6. When you wake up in the morning, what steps do you take immediately after getting out of bed? Are you ready to begin your workday as soon as possible or do you want to sit in bed and wait until you’ve rested longer?
• 7. If your life changed overnight due to an unexpected event, what would you want to do? Which of your current habits would you wish to continue, and which ones would you try to eliminate completely?
• 8. What would it mean for you to go forward without regretting the past? Think about your regrets and decide whether you really need to carry them into tomorrow. If it makes sense to let go, then start letting go.
• 9. Where will you find your inspiration and motivation to overcome obstacles? Will you ever lose sight of your purpose? Do you know how to motivate yourself? Are you willing to set aside self-doubt in order to achieve great results?
• 10. Who is responsible for your happiness and success? Is there anyone outside yourself who can actually assist you in making things happen? Do you believe that there exists a person or entity who has the power to bring you good fortune and success?
• 11. What are your greatest strengths? What are your weaknesses? For what reasons do you think you were born with more negative characteristics than others? In what ways can you use these strengths to improve your weaknesses?
• 12. The way we react to stress can determine our fate. What kind of reaction will you have when you’re faced with stress? Will you focus on the problem, blow a gasket, or just run away? Write down several different responses you may have used when under pressure.
• 13. Have you ever had a dream come true? If so, what did you learn from this experience? Did you realize anything new about yourself? If not, what was missing?
• 14. Have you given up too much time or energy trying to control situations or people? Perhaps you might benefit from learning to trust nature instead.
• 15. If you could change anything in your life today for the better, what would it be? Would you rather succeed in a small way, or would you enjoy the challenge of accomplishing a much more significant task?
• 16. Many times when something goes wrong, we’re quick to blame external factors such as “bad luck,” “insufficient preparation,” or “someone else.” In reality, however, most things occur because of internal causes.
• 17. When you look at the world around you, do you typically notice only the bad things that happen, or do you also notice the many wonderful events that take place daily? Why do you think this is so? How does this affect how you deal with the challenges in your life?
• 18. Has either you or someone close to you ever been diagnosed with cancer? Reflecting on this question will lead you to contemplate your experiences in light of cancer research. What can be learned by studying it?
• 19. Are you happy with all aspects of your life? Do you have any goals or dreams you’d like to pursue? Do you want to accomplish something bigger? What steps do you need to take first? Make a list and then prioritize and organize them into the order needed to achieve your goal.
• 20. Have you ever tried to get rid of negative thoughts or feelings? Does that strategy seem successful? What has happened as a result? Can you try another approach? Give it a try and see what happens.
• 21. If you were guaranteed to live forever, would you still make changes in your life each day? Explain why you chose this answer.
• 22. Think about the following words: anger, joy, hope, depression, happiness. See if you can connect them to specific positive qualities. For example, anger might refer to compassion, while joy might mean kindness, hope might represent faith, and depression/despair/depression might indicate humility.
• 23. Is there always one person in your life who seems to cause problems? What should you do next time they act out? Should you confront them, ignore them, or just keep your head down? Which option works best?
• 24. Would you rather be in a relationship that is good but lacking passion, or a relationship where both parties love each other and share their lives fully? Why? Describe briefly two ways to show someone you care for him or her.
• 25. One thing you may never know until later in life is whether you made a difference in the life of someone. To help you understand this concept, think of a teacher, parent, friend, spouse, sibling, coworker or anyone in your personal network.
• 26. There is no limit to how far you can go in accomplishing a task if you set your mind to it. Begin today setting your sights high. Imagine achieving success in everything you attempt.
• 27. List five people whom you admire–in general and as individuals. Ask yourself why these people inspire you. What kinds of traits do you see in them that you could develop more of as well?
• 28. Take some time now to consider your future. What kind of career do you want? What are your short-, medium- and long-term plans for earning money? Who do you intend to marry? Where would you like to live? Describe the people you plan to work with, your ideal living conditions, etc..
• 29. Think about a memory moment when you felt most alive, joyful or connected to others. Describe the feeling. How did you experience that feeling? How does it bring back memories of your childhood, parents or other past experiences?
• 30. When will you have a chance to really appreciate yourself? Think about right now. What do you appreciate about yourself? What are you grateful for?
• 31. Choose three things that are very important to you. Why are they so special? Do those same things matter to you today? Explain.
• 32. Pick an area in which you’d like to improve. What can you do to begin? Write down at least four steps toward improvement. Make sure they’re realistic in terms of time required, but also something that’s possible within your means.
• 33. At times in our lives we need to start again. You’ve probably done that before. It can be an exciting, scary, challenging, exhilarating… whatever kind of experience! Reflect on a time when this was true for you. Was it worth doing? Did you succeed? What lessons learned can help you now?
• 34. If you were going to leave home tomorrow, what would you take? Explain.
• 35. Are you willing to try new things? What types of activities do you enjoy? What kinds of skills and talents do you possess? What can you accomplish by becoming more involved in various areas of interest?
• 36. Does friendship mean anything to you? What makes a genuine connection? Can you trust friends in the truest sense? Can you confide in them about difficult subjects? In what situations can you say “I’m sorry” without any strings attached?
• 37. Think about a person who has touched your heart. Tell him/her how he/she affected you. Reflect on why his/her impact resonated with you. Is there another way to communicate with this person that you would find equally satisfying?
• 38. Look around at all the wonders of nature–the sky, the earth, the plants, animals, weather patterns, seasons. What else do you notice? Which of these elements impresses you the most? Which ones seem less real somehow?
• 39. What do you feel is the greatest challenge you face every day? Share your feelings. Be honest!
• 40. Take a look in the mirror. What kind of person do you see looking back at you? What qualities do you see? What characteristics can you change to make you truly beautiful?
• 41. Do you believe the world is a just place? Give two reasons for believing this.
• 42. Do you ever wonder if life would be better if everyone had a different color skin tone?
• 43. Have you ever been afraid to tell someone exactly how you feel because you know they might not understand? Would it be worthwhile talking openly and honestly about your feelings?
• 44. Ask yourself: Do I give enough credit to myself? Why or why not? Who or what helps me realize my potential as a human being?
• 45. Consider a person you admire. Perhaps somebody close to you. Would you want to be like her? Why or why not?
• 46. How much control over your own mind do you think you have? What factors outside of your conscious awareness influence your thoughts and moods?
• 47. If you could choose one characteristic (such as determination, courage, caring) that people often assume is important to you, would you pick it? Explain.
• 48. Most days there are times when you feel like giving up. Where does that feeling come from? How long can you fight off such defeatism? How can you recognize when you have lost hope?
• 49. Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong anywhere? What did you do to get through such experiences?
• 50. Can you handle the truth? What is the difference between an opinion and a fact? What will happen if we don’t accept facts as true?

Conclusion

I hope that these list of writing prompts have helped you to cultivate the ideal life that you want. Whether you’re in high school, college, or preparing for grad school, there’s always something new to learn about yourself and those around you.

The best thing to keep in mind is to simply take small steps each day toward reaching your goals. You really never know where life may lead you when you start moving forward.

Best of luck!