Birthday Journaling Prompts to Reflect and Better Your Life

• 1. What does “fun” mean to you? Describe situations where you enjoyed fun activities.
• 2. What’s the greatest thing you’ve ever done in your lifetime? Why did it make you happy?
• 3. Write down three things you’re thankful for this day.
• 4. How has your life changed since you graduated from high school? How will it continue to change?
• 5. What was your favorite subject at school? Explain how it made you feel.
• 6. Write down one word that best describes yourself.
• 7. Think back over your childhood. What advice could you give your younger self?
• 8. Write down three words that describe you today.
• 9. Take a moment to think through every friendship you’ve had in your life. How many of those relationships have lasted your entire life? Explain why.
• 10. What are some of your goals right now? Would you like to achieve these goals by next month? Next year? Explain.
• 11. What does happiness look like to you? Put together a list of all the people who bring you joy.
• 12. What’s something about you that makes others smile? Do you know what causes you to smile?
• 13. Think back over your life. Imagine being twenty years old again. What job would you choose if given the opportunity?
• 14. When you were growing up, what did you want to be when you grew up?
• 15. What three adjectives can you use to describe yourself?
• 16. What type of person do you want to be? Describe someone who exhibits characteristics that define you.
• 17. Create a list of five traits that you’d like to develop in yourself. Give reasons as to why you should work toward developing these skills.
• 18. Write down three goals you want to accomplish in the upcoming months. Include deadlines and dates.
• 19. Did anyone come along who taught you anything new about yourself? Explain their influence in your life.
• 20. What qualities do you admire in other people? Are there certain people whom you like more than others? Why?
• 21. How much of your time do you spend thinking about your past mistakes? Write down three regrets that you still have.
• 22. What was the worst decision you’ve ever made? Which decisions in your life led you to take that path?
• 23. Name four ways you show affection – physically, emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually. Explain each method.
• 24. In what ways do you show kindness to others? Who inspires and encourages you? Explain.
• 25. Are there times when you wish you could go back and do things differently? Explain what the specific circumstances might be.
• 26. How do you react when someone hurts you? Do you take away from these experiences? Is it better to let them pass, or do you dwell on them?
• 27. What is the most important lesson you learned from your parents?
• 28. For someone who meant a lot to you as a child, explain how they influenced your early development.
• 29. Where do your dreams lie? How close do you think you’ll get to achieving them?
• 30. What keeps you awake at night? How do you relax? What helps you fall asleep?
• 31. What has been the highest point of your life so far? The lowest? Explain why.
• 32. What do you want out of life? How do you plan to reach this goal? How do you find inspiration?
• 33. If you knew nothing else about your future, what would you say are your chances of success? Have you changed your mind in light of recent events?
• 34. Are there any personal weaknesses that you’re not yet willing to own up to? Why?
• 35. How do you react to failure? Do you learn from it, or do you see it as an end in itself? Explain.
• 36. List three friends that make you feel happy. Explain why.
• 37. What one quality do you possess that no one knows about?
• 38. What kind of mood am I usually in? Define your current state of mind.
• 39. List three questions that have kept you off balance since the last time you read them. Can you answer them now?
• 40. What is your greatest fear? Explain its source and nature.
• 41. Would you change places with another person? Explain why. There are many people in the world today who don’t have enough to eat; others have everything but lack the desire to use their abilities for good. It’s easy to judge some people without knowing all the facts. But wouldn’t it be wiser to try to understand instead?
• 42. Describe a situation where you were put in a position where you had to choose between two equally difficult options. Explain which option you chose, and why you felt compelled to go with that choice.
• 43. When did you last laugh heartily? Share some reasons for doing so.
• 44. Choose one area in your life from which you need to build stronger boundaries. Write down the steps necessary to achieve this goal.
• 45. What is the first thing you remember doing after turning a year older?
• 46. What advice would you give yourself if you could travel back to your childhood?
• 47. Have you done anything embarrassing during your birthday? Were you able to recover gracefully? 
• 48. Write down five things about yourself you’d like other people to know.
• 49. What makes you feel alive? What takes you outside of yourself into a realm filled with mystery and awe?
• 50. Do you believe in miracles? Explain how they play a role in your life.
• 51. Do you ever worry about making mistakes? Why do you think we tend to overanalyze our decisions?
• 52. In retrospect, was there something you wished you could’ve said or done differently on your previous birthdays? Why?
• 53. What’s the best present you’ve received in your entire life?
• 54. What does love mean to you? What qualities do you look for when choosing people to love? Is someone always right?
• 55. As you sit and write here, are you feeling more optimistic than usual? Define optimism. Explain.
• 56. Imagine that you could begin again tomorrow, from scratch. What plans would you set sail for? What new adventures would you embark upon?
• 57. What do you most value in life? Explain how you arrive at this decision.
• 58. Think back to the beginning of your childhood. Did you already have a sense of self-worth then? Why/why not?
• 59. If you had only one wish for your future, what would your wishes be? Do you truly believe in them?
• 60. Who is the coolest person you know? Why do you admire him/her so much?
• 61. The following words represent different emotions: anger, happiness, sadness, joy, etc. Which word describes your feelings in this moment?
• 62. How do you deal with stress? Are certain situations easier for you to handle, or harder? Explain.
• 63. Do you often find yourself asking questions such as “Why me?” or “How come?” Why do you ask these types of questions?
• 64. What has been the highest point of your life thus far? What has been the lowest? Can you explain why?
• 65. If you knew you couldn’t fail, would you still work hard to succeed? Why or why not?
• 66. Where do you see yourself living within ten years? Why?
• 67. What are you looking for in life? Why?
• 68. Have you made any major changes in your life lately? If yes, describe this shift. How do you feel about the direction your life has taken? Why?
• 69. Describe what it means to live each day as a gift.
• 70. What do you plan to accomplish today? To whom will you dedicate your time? What kind of energy do you intend to bring forth?
• 71. How did your birthday go? Was it special? If no, were you happy to get away from everyone else for a few hours?
• 72. What was your favorite part of your birthday party? Why?

Conclusion

I hope that these journal prompts for your birthday have helped you to improve your life, and I hope that on this birthday party, you don’t just blow out the candles but blow out some candles of wisdom.

Happy birthday and enjoy that birthday cake!