60 Journal Prompts for Self Discovery

I know how easy it is to lose ourselves amid the chaos and the one million things we must do daily. In the process, sometimes, we lose track of who we are and what we truly desire. Our stress-induced thoughts can take over to the point where we feel like we no longer have control of our lives; if this sounds like you, know that you are not alone. We’ve all been there at some point or the other. 

One way to re-align with who you are and to take control of your emotions is through journaling. Journaling allows you to reflect on your daily life by taking note of your thoughts and feelings and discovering behavior patterns over time. Through journaling, you will get insight into who you are, your interests, dreams, desires, and any negative ways of thinking you need to overcome.

30-Day journal exercise challenge

Take some time each day for self-reflection and write down your thoughts in a journal. You will be able to discover so much about yourself. I challenge you to try it for at least 30 days and see how it goes. The list of journal prompts below will give you some inspiration to get you started.

60 Journal prompts for self discovery

1. What did I want to be when I was younger?
2. How would I describe a perfect day?
3. How would I describe my ideal life?
4. If I could be anything in the world, what would I be?
5. What inspires me, and why? 
6. When am I the happiest version of me?
7. What do I love doing?
8. What excites me?
9. How do I like to relax?
10. What habits would I like to break? 
11. What habits would I like to develop?
12. Who inspires me the most and why?
13. When was the last time I did something I was afraid of?
14. What am I most proud of?
15. What am I most afraid of?
16. Am I doing all that I can to reach my goals? What can I do today to move me closer to my goals?
17. What areas of my life can I improve in?
18. What are 5 things I love about myself?
19. What are 3 negative mindsets I need to let go of?
20. What will I accomplish next year?
21. How can I improve my daily routines?
22. If life stopped today, what would I regret not doing?
23. What qualities do I admire in others?
24. What practical skills do I wish I had?
25. Imagine you’re in your 90s. What memories would I like to have? What stories do I want to tell?
26. If I could make one change in the world, what would it be?
27. What do I wish I did more of?
28. Pretend money is no object. What would I do?
29. What area of my life right now makes me feel the best? Which area makes me feel the worst? Why?
30. Let’s jump forward a year. What would I like to have achieved in the past year?
31. What piece of advice would I give to my five-year-old self? Sixteen-year-old self? Twenty-one-year-old self? Right now?
32. How do I want to be remembered in life?
33. How can I love myself more daily?
34. What can I do to practice more self-care throughout the week?
35. What steps can I take to be the most confident version of myself?
36. How can I show others more love and compassion each day?
37. If I could time travel, where would I go?
38. If I could travel anywhere in the world, where would I go?
39. What is most important to me? What do I value most in life?
40. If I would describe myself, what would I say?
41. If my friends were to describe me, what would they say?
42. How can I create more positive habits?
43. What are 3 things I need to stop doing?
44. What are 3 positive things I should start doing?
45. What’s on my mind right now?
46. What are the top 25 things on my bucket list?
47. When was the last time I laughed until I cried?
48. What am I grateful for?
49. What do I need more of in my life?
50. What’s something I’ve always wanted to do but was too scared of?
51. What limiting beliefs do I have that might be holding me back from living my best life?
52. What activities set my soul on fire? 
53. How did my darkest moments shape me into who I am today?
54. What do I need to forgive myself for?
55. What do I need to leave in the past?
56. What do I want to take with me into the future?
57. What’s one toxic thing (or person) in my life I need to let go of?
58. What makes me the angriest, the most frustrated, the most annoyed, and why?
59. When do I feel the most at peace?
60. What does happiness mean to me? How can I feel more fulfilled in my life?

Grab your free list of journal prompts for self discovery

I’ve created a PDF version of the journal prompts that you can download to start your 30-day challenge.

Final thoughts

Once you finish the challenge, go back and review what you wrote. You may be surprised by some of your answers, or maybe deep down, these are things you’ve always known to be true but have never expressed. When looking over your answers, there are a few things you might notice:

• Your thought patterns and behavior 
• What you truly want out of life 
• Where your life is currently going 
• What brings you true happiness 
• What you can do today to get you closer to the life you’ve always wanted

Now is the perfect time to embrace change, try something new, and re-align with who you truly are, so you can go after all you desire.

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