UPDATED 03/09/2025
Journaling has always been a challenge for me. I love the idea and want to do it more, but I always find something else to do. But then I found this one key piece of information-a prompt. This can be something that gives you an idea, a starting point. Think of it like a base to pull your thoughts from. You can journal with or without a prompt but I’ve found it so much easier to start with one.
For YEARS I tried write without a prompt and I found I would write for a few days, and then stop. I wouldn’t pick up my journal again for weeks, months, and sometimes years. Sometimes I even found myself feeling bad for jot journalling. I told myself I wasn’t good enough and something was wrong with me. Clearly that idea is totally false, but that’s really how it felt.
All the big players in the personal development space praise journaling. They say it’s something you should do because it will help you process thoughts and learn from them. But they just said to do it without really saying how. Then one day I heard about the term “writing prompt”. I don’t remember who said it but something clicked. It’s like a light bulb went off. I finally realized that writing with a prompt is journaling. Although I’m getting help to start, it’s still accomplishing the goal. It’s getting the thoughts and feelings out of my head and on paper and it’s bringing about a sense of clarity. Journaling is good for the mind, heart, body and soul.
So ask yourself if journaling is right for you? Only you’ll be able to decide, but I suggest you try it. Try writing with and without a prompt to see which is right for you. You’ll figure it out after a very short period of time. Once you do, stick with it and you’ll continue to grow, learn, and evolve.
