1-3 questions or prompts for daily journalling?
November 3, 2023 10:52 AM Subscribe
If you write in a journal daily, or regularly, are there any specific questions or prompts you use to stimulate good, short entries? I'd especially like to end up with journal entries that are both somewhat newsy and also somewhat insightful.
Best answer: Things I've been thinking about;
Intentions for the day;
Things for which I'm grateful.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 12:14 PM on November 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Intentions for the day;
Things for which I'm grateful.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 12:14 PM on November 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: - Something I'm grateful for
- A moment I'll want to remember in a year or 5
- How did I feel?
posted by knile at 1:25 PM on November 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
- A moment I'll want to remember in a year or 5
- How did I feel?
posted by knile at 1:25 PM on November 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Here's a small selection of some that I've collected through the years. I hope there's inspiration to be found among them. Feel free to adapt! There are also many books, websites, blog posts, etc. that list questions one can journal on.
What’s going well, working for you? (What do you want to celebrate?)
Where are you getting stuck? What’s challenging/frustrating?
What questions do you have?
What’s my learning edge?
What was most challenging about today for me?
What was most fulfilling/satisfying about today for me?
What am I most nervous about tomorrow?
What am I most excited about tomorrow?
What did I do well?
What could I do differently?
Did I train my perceptions and reactions today?
What did I do badly? Did I allow myself to be ruled by fears or desire of an excessive, irrational, or unhealthy kind?
What did I do well? Did I make progress any closer toward wisdom and the serenity it brings?
What did I neglect? Did I miss any opportunities to exercise virtue or strength of character?
Where did I go wrong in matters conducive to serenity?
What did I do that was unfriendly, or antisocial, or inconsiderate?
What duty was left undone in regard to these matters?
Today, I will let go of…
Today, I have gratitude for…
Today, I will focus on…
What qualities do I need/want to--
…keep
…release
…change
…add
Reflections: In this season . . .
• What am I – Celebrating (past focus)? Experiencing now (present focus)? Preparing for (future focus)? Inviting? Releasing? Grieving?
• Consider life tasks and life phases/stages – note physical, mental, emotional, relational, environmental, and so on.
• What are the current – Initiations (beginnings)? Continuations? Completions (endings)? Transitions?
• Balance recognition, acceptance, gratitude, compassion, intention, action.
What energy do I want to leave behind?
What energy do I want to leave with people I interact with?
How am I feeling in my body?
What do I want and need for myself?
What do others want and need for themselves?
How do I choose to help?
Thinking of the Week That Just Ended:
Who made you feel good this week?
What was the biggest mistake you made this week?
What did you do this week that moved you closer to reaching your goals?
Is there anything you did this week that you wish you’d done differently?
What did you most enjoy doing this week?
How did you procrastinate on important tasks this week?
What did you learn this week?
What’s the funniest thing that happened to you this week?
posted by interbeing at 7:26 PM on November 3, 2023 [6 favorites]
What’s going well, working for you? (What do you want to celebrate?)
Where are you getting stuck? What’s challenging/frustrating?
What questions do you have?
What’s my learning edge?
What was most challenging about today for me?
What was most fulfilling/satisfying about today for me?
What am I most nervous about tomorrow?
What am I most excited about tomorrow?
What did I do well?
What could I do differently?
Did I train my perceptions and reactions today?
What did I do badly? Did I allow myself to be ruled by fears or desire of an excessive, irrational, or unhealthy kind?
What did I do well? Did I make progress any closer toward wisdom and the serenity it brings?
What did I neglect? Did I miss any opportunities to exercise virtue or strength of character?
Where did I go wrong in matters conducive to serenity?
What did I do that was unfriendly, or antisocial, or inconsiderate?
What duty was left undone in regard to these matters?
Today, I will let go of…
Today, I have gratitude for…
Today, I will focus on…
What qualities do I need/want to--
…keep
…release
…change
…add
Reflections: In this season . . .
• What am I – Celebrating (past focus)? Experiencing now (present focus)? Preparing for (future focus)? Inviting? Releasing? Grieving?
• Consider life tasks and life phases/stages – note physical, mental, emotional, relational, environmental, and so on.
• What are the current – Initiations (beginnings)? Continuations? Completions (endings)? Transitions?
• Balance recognition, acceptance, gratitude, compassion, intention, action.
What energy do I want to leave behind?
What energy do I want to leave with people I interact with?
How am I feeling in my body?
What do I want and need for myself?
What do others want and need for themselves?
How do I choose to help?
Thinking of the Week That Just Ended:
Who made you feel good this week?
What was the biggest mistake you made this week?
What did you do this week that moved you closer to reaching your goals?
Is there anything you did this week that you wish you’d done differently?
What did you most enjoy doing this week?
How did you procrastinate on important tasks this week?
What did you learn this week?
What’s the funniest thing that happened to you this week?
posted by interbeing at 7:26 PM on November 3, 2023 [6 favorites]
Best answer: I do an intermittent journal in the notes app of my phone, and the prompt is always the same because of the late night context in which I write it: what's the one thought, or experience, or sensation that's still kicking around your brain at the end of the day? Of all the day's thoughts, which one stands the tallest?
posted by Rinku at 11:50 AM on November 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Rinku at 11:50 AM on November 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Critiquing my journals over the decades:
First, a brief sentence or two about the day's events. Just the facts. Try not to editorialize. This list may be as long as you like. You may find it helpful to assign a number to each event in the list.
After you create this list, you may want to add thoughts about some of these items (e.g., #3. "I washed the car today." And below the list: #3. "I noticed a big scratch on the passenger door. I bet that jerk from accounting did it, and I can't wait to confront him."
If appropriate, you might elaborate on how you loved your car and how your ex-partner never really understood your relationship with your beloved auto.
If you have no more comments about your list of daily doings, you might muse about the dream you had last night or wax poetic about your favorite football team.
I wasted a lot of time in my journals in rambling introspection without providing any useful context. Let the poetic meanderings and explorations be preserved after you create a context for them.
posted by mule98J at 9:16 AM on November 5, 2023 [1 favorite]
First, a brief sentence or two about the day's events. Just the facts. Try not to editorialize. This list may be as long as you like. You may find it helpful to assign a number to each event in the list.
After you create this list, you may want to add thoughts about some of these items (e.g., #3. "I washed the car today." And below the list: #3. "I noticed a big scratch on the passenger door. I bet that jerk from accounting did it, and I can't wait to confront him."
If appropriate, you might elaborate on how you loved your car and how your ex-partner never really understood your relationship with your beloved auto.
If you have no more comments about your list of daily doings, you might muse about the dream you had last night or wax poetic about your favorite football team.
I wasted a lot of time in my journals in rambling introspection without providing any useful context. Let the poetic meanderings and explorations be preserved after you create a context for them.
posted by mule98J at 9:16 AM on November 5, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: - Three things you'd like to remember from today
- One challenge / one triumph from today
- One idea you encountered or thought about today that you'd like to explore further
- Things to look forward to
- Something you heard/tasted/saw/felt/ today
- Something you appreciated/worked on/decided today
These are from Christie Zimmer
posted by spamandkimchi at 3:08 PM on November 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
- One challenge / one triumph from today
- One idea you encountered or thought about today that you'd like to explore further
- Things to look forward to
- Something you heard/tasted/saw/felt/ today
- Something you appreciated/worked on/decided today
These are from Christie Zimmer
posted by spamandkimchi at 3:08 PM on November 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Ooh there are some fun collaborations with other people that are downloadable, e.g. Journaling the Rhythm of the Seasons with Jenn Begin.
posted by spamandkimchi at 3:10 PM on November 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by spamandkimchi at 3:10 PM on November 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: These are all terrific ideas!
I am especially appreciative of the "something I didn't expect" prompt, the multiple suggestions from interbeing, the excellent thoughts about including context from mule98J, and the link to the wonderful prompts from Christie Zimmer from spamandkimchi.
Many thanks to everyone who replied - I really appreciate all the suggestions!
posted by kristi at 2:19 PM on November 22, 2023
I am especially appreciative of the "something I didn't expect" prompt, the multiple suggestions from interbeing, the excellent thoughts about including context from mule98J, and the link to the wonderful prompts from Christie Zimmer from spamandkimchi.
Many thanks to everyone who replied - I really appreciate all the suggestions!
posted by kristi at 2:19 PM on November 22, 2023
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something I didn't expect
something kind I did for someone/thing else
posted by phunniemee at 11:09 AM on November 3, 2023 [6 favorites]