100 Journal Prompts for Intention Setting to Help You Set Goals in Life

How often do you write down your intentions? If you don’t have a journal or notebook handy, then you should start using one now.

Journal prompts are great tools to help you stay focused on your goals.

Journal prompts are simple writing exercises that prompt you to reflect on your life.

They can be done at home or anywhere else, and they can be written in a variety of ways.

If you’re thinking about starting a daily journal practice, the following journal prompts could get you started.

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Intention-Setting Journals to Help You Do Goal Setting

1. What are my top 3 priorities today? Write them out in an order of priority and describe how each is important to you. This will help you focus on what really matters most to you and make sure that you spend your time doing what’s important.
2. List all the habits, behaviors, patterns, beliefs, etc. that I want to change. Be specific with how you think each habit, belief, pattern, behavior, or whatever works against you and your highest good.
3. How can I improve my relationship with money right now? For example, maybe you’re having trouble getting rid of things from your home or figuring out what to keep and what to let go of.
4. Do I need any healing work done? Take some time to ask yourself if there are any areas of your body or mind that may not be working optimally. Is it something physical (like an illness) or emotional?
5. Make a wish list – imagine what you’d love to experience in a year, five years, 10 years from now.
6. What would make the biggest difference in my life right now? Focus on what would really set your heart ablaze – if your goal was to lose weight and you had already lost 20 lbs., then think about where else you might want to go in terms of eating well and living healthily.
7. Who do I want to become over the next 12 months? What kind of person am I trying to develop or evolve into?
8. What thoughts, feelings, attitudes, or beliefs do I hold that get in the way of creating what I truly desire and deserve?
9. Am I ready to quit believing everything other people say? In what way(s) do others influence my perspective? Can I hear myself clearly without taking other peoples’ thoughts or opinions into account?
10. What do I really believe about myself? Do I see myself as worthy, powerful, deserving, lovable, competent, healthy, capable, intelligent, successful, happy, loved, joyful, creative, generous, courageous, loving, humble, peaceful, powerful, or valuable?
11. What would I like to have changed about my life up until now? What changes would I like to see in my life going forward?
12. What does success look like to me? What is my definition of success? Is there a part of me that thinks I’m not doing enough?
13. Who do I most need to forgive and heal from in regard to my self-image? Whose criticism hurts me the most? Why does it hurt? Could I possibly let it go by forgiving myself?
14. If I could learn one new skill or gain one piece of knowledge today, what would it be?
15. Where is my greatest abundance currently? Maybe it’s relationships or possessions or skills or energy or confidence or ideas or time or experiences. Ask yourself: How much am I allowing myself to enjoy right now? What prevents me from enjoying more fully right now?
16. Write about all of the things that you’re grateful for. You can feel happier by being positive rather than focusing on negative aspects of your situation.
17. Write about all of your dreams. Dreaming is important. We were all born with the capacity to dream.
18. Think about who you’ve been blaming for why you aren’t where you want to be…and own it. Blaming others will never get you to where you ultimately want to be. Own it!
19. Ask yourself whether or not you’ve ever suffered through prolonged stress or pain before. If so, how did you survive? What helped keep you alive?
20. List out the names of 3 friends (or acquaintances) whom you’d like to spend more quality time with this week.
21. Choose one of your strengths that you rarely utilize; practice using that strength at least once a day for a few days straight. Be proud of it! Remind yourself of this each morning as soon as you wake up.
22. What has changed since yesterday that will help take me closer to my goals? Write three steps in a simple sentence towards accomplishing your goals.
23. What are some ways I might be able to make my current situation better? What situations do I dread coming out of the shower? When was the last time I made an effort to improve these aspects of my life?
24. What are five things I want to accomplish next month?
25. How should I respond when someone criticizes my efforts? Should I accept their criticisms, become defensive, or ignore them entirely?
26. What would happen if I just stopped trying to please everyone around me?
27. Have I ever held back with a friend because I didn’t think they liked me? Did that person ever hold anything against me? If so, am I willing to allow forgiveness to occur between us?
28. Am I guilty of judging myself harshly based on other people’s comments?
29. How often do I try to control my feelings instead of having them show up in my body first? Where might I be more patient with myself?
30. What would it mean to me to give in to the idea that perfection doesn’t exist? To stop holding myself to impossible standards? What is one way I can start thinking less negatively about myself?
31. Do I always strive to be honest, even though sometimes, my truth may cause unwanted consequences?
32. What qualities do you admire most in yourself? What makes you most proud of yourself? What are your best characteristics?
33. What traits do you dislike most in yourself? What gives you pause? What holds you back from becoming and living your best possible life?
34. Why is it so hard to let go and release something that I don’t need in my life anymore? The relationships that no longer serve me? The jobs that no longer inspire me? The tasks that no longer motivate me? The expectations that no longer guide me?
35. Has anyone ever told me that I’m too sensitive when it comes to certain issues? Is there any part of me that’s over-reacting? How can I learn to be more comfortable with my emotions without being controlled by them?
36. What values have I allowed to govern my decisions?
37. What have I learned from past mistakes? What lessons have I come away from experiencing in the past? How does this lesson teach me to approach making new choices moving forward?
38. Who can I trust to support me along the path of self improvement? Who would I love to have sitting right beside me every step of the way?
39. Which areas of my life do I need to work on improving? What would be at the top of my list? The most important thing I could put into motion today?
40. What action will I take to improve my present circumstances?
41. In what ways am I failing to live up to who I know deep down inside that I am capable of being? What have I been doing wrong all this time? What have I been unwilling to change about myself?
42. What are some changes I could make to enhance my daily routine? What are two steps I could begin taking tomorrow?
43. How would I feel if someone gave me only positive feedback about my progress towards my goals?
44. Is there anyone I could turn to for advice? What has worked well for others in similar situations? What kinds of things has this person done to help him/her stay motivated?
45. Can I imagine feeling more confident in myself, knowing that I’ve taken good care of myself physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and financially?
46. What actions do I plan to take in order to achieve my personal goals?
47. When was the last time I took a break from worrying and got a little sunshine? What did I notice about how I felt afterwards?
48. What kind of impact does anxiety and worry have on my physical and mental health? What are some small ways I can begin working toward getting rid of these negative influences in my life?
49. What are the things I really want out of life? What is my purpose? Where in my life do I currently lack fulfillment or joy?
50. Am I willing to look inwardly and sincerely ask myself these questions daily? If not, why not? Or, perhaps I should just ask someone else?
51. Does the idea of setting intentions scare me? What would happen if I didn’t set up an intention? Would I get discouraged and give up?
52. Could I be missing out on opportunities because I’m holding back and not pursuing them with full force? Are there any hidden fears or concerns that inhibit me from going after what I really want in life?
53. How could I better handle disappointments, especially those dealing with my relationships?
54. Have any fears been keeping me from achieving my dreams? Why haven’t they gone away yet?
55. Do I fear failure? If so, what are the consequences of this fear? What would success look like? Will I be successful no matter what happens? If I fail, will I learn something valuable about myself and move on?
56. Can I allow myself to dream big dreams? Even if I don’t think they’re realistic, aren’t they worthwhile to try anyway?
57. Do I believe in myself? If not, why? What kind of evidence would convince me then?
58. Can I envision the future with confidence and enthusiasm? If not, how can I motivate myself to change my thoughts and feelings?
59. Am I prepared to let go of unrealistic expectations? Is it necessary for me to hold on to past experiences as proof that I’ll always succeed?
60. Am I ready to pursue my own happiness? If not, how might I best prepare? Who might inspire me to follow my heart’s desire?
61. What do I feel when I think about giving up completely? Could I possibly keep trying even though it seems impossible?
62. What are the rewards worth considering if I decided to make a change? To whom are these rewards directed?
63. Is there anything I can do immediately to improve my situation? If so, which one(s) can I implement first?
64. When am I most happy? What activities do I enjoy the most when I’m around people who bring out my “happy” side?
65. What would cause me to fall into depression and hopelessness? What would motivate me to work harder?
66. Do I need to make changes in my lifestyle? For example, what food choices should I focus on making?
67. Can I stop beating myself up over mistakes I’ve made in the past and accept the fact that everyone makes mistakes?
68. What parts of self-image do I value? How much time should I spend on each area at different times? Which areas do I particularly need to work on?
69. What kinds of people surround us? Which environments create more stress than others? Why do we prefer certain types of settings?
70. What emotions arise when we are near someone who is angry? Who can help me identify my triggers? How can I choose to avoid such relationships?
71. How can I protect myself against anger? How can I recognize it early enough before it gets out of control?
72. What kinds of people inspire me to act responsibly? How can I show my appreciation for good people and demonstrate respect for their views and opinions?
73. With whom do I have strong personal connections? How can I develop deeper friendships?
74. What sorts of friends encourage me to make healthy decisions? Whose company does not make me feel bad?
75. Can I take risks without setting myself up for humiliation? What kinds of risk will benefit me in the long run?
76. What can I realistically expect from other human beings? What are some practical ways to reach out to others?
77. Do I know and trust myself? Or do I need to find someone else to tell me? And if so, who?
78. What are my values? How can others influence my behavior? Do I want anyone else to make big decisions for me?
79. Do I like myself? How much effort can I devote to improving my self-image? How can I change my attitude toward my physical appearance?
80. Can I be forgiving toward myself? Who has helped me forgive or apologize to myself? How can I extend my forgiveness to those close to me?
81. Am I sensitive to my environment? How can I learn to understand and appreciate nature?
82. Where can I use meditation effectively? How often should I practice? Are there any special techniques that may be helpful?
83. How well can I control my tongue? What will happen if I don’t develop better skills?
84. What are my responsibilities? How effective can I handle them? What sort of support do I need to meet these needs?
85. What can I easily forget but must remember when important deadlines approach? How can I ensure that this is done every day?
86. Have I learned all that I can about the subject matter of my classes? Can I continue learning and growing in my field of interest?
87. In what ways might my personality affect my moods? How can I manage my own expectations?
88. How can I deal with negative feelings? How can I find positive ones? What can I put off until tomorrow?
89. What am I afraid will happen if I fail? Does failure mean anything to me? Is it really a problem?
90. What would I say I’m working on today? How much is really possible? How am I going to measure success?
91. What can I do now to prepare for next week? For the rest of my life? For just one portion of my life?
92. If I were having trouble with an adult, could I ask my child to give me permission to correct him/her? Would he/she respond? To what extent would I be able to get away with something?
93. What would I gain by allowing myself to fully experience unpleasant thoughts and emotions? How would I react differently if I was willing to face difficult situations more directly than I usually do?
94. How can I create a safe place for emotional growth to occur? What helps me stay balanced, centered, and free of panic?
95. When I’m stressed, how can I calm down instead of trying to escape by distracting myself? What are some simple ways of relaxing? How many times during the day should I “tune in” to relaxation?
96. How can I let go of things I can’t afford to lose? What are some reasons why letting go isn’t always easy?
97. How do you cope with loss? Why does it sometimes seem easier to avoid pain than to confront it?
98. What do I fear will happen if I don’t work out regularly? What do I have to risk not doing if I don’ t exercise consistently? How much time do I have to set aside for exercising?
99. How can I keep myself healthy? What are some specific steps I can take? How much time do they require? What are some other options available to me?
100. What attitudes can I change right away? What attitudes do I need to work on for the long term? What role do attitudes play in relationships?