80 Daily Journal Inspirations to Be Your Best Self

I have a love/hate relationship with my journal—and I’m sure I’m not the only one. I’ve kept up with a journal from time to time as a way to declutter my brain and better understand myself and others. In a way, I see my journal as a friend with whom I can share my goals, fears, and sometimes seemingly vain thoughts without judgment. Journaling helps me refocus and reorganize, hold up a mirror to my headspace and reveal what’s really going on in my mind. But what brought my journaling to life was the daily journal prompts, which gave me the structure I needed to go deeper into my thoughts and feelings each day.

Featured image from our interview with Lauren Ireland by Emma Bassill.

Table of Contents

What are journal alerts?

Building this daily habit begins with letting go of your inner critic and expectations. If you get out of your own way, sometimes it helps to initiate the command to get the ball rolling. I know you’ve heard it too: you’re excited to commit to your journaling but don’t know where to start. Daily journal alerts serve as a jumping off point. They help direct your thoughts so you can pour everything onto the page.

Some are written as questions, while others serve as guiding statements—suggestions or ideas of your own that you can build on and expand upon. They can be general or specific, pointing to different topics in your life or larger themes that help you explore your experiences more deeply.

It’s important to note, too, that the information can be used by both beginners and long-time journal enthusiasts alike. As a writer, I know all too well that inspiration isn’t always there, and sometimes, you need a little help to get your thoughts flowing. While beginners can enjoy consistent journaling information to help build, many seasoned writers tap into new areas of thinking or reflection that they may not have done on their own.

Benefits of Journal Information

Before the daily journal instructions saved me from thinking that journaling wasn’t for me, I had tried—and failed—to maintain a daily journaling habit over the years. I would push myself to fill a page with something serious every day, and instead record episodes here and there between long stretches of space that aren’t on the record. But those times I wasn’t writing and they were times when I felt very apart from myself. There were times when I was doing more of what there was than living authentically. I’m not the type of person who can process his feelings right away. Many times, I have to get out of myself to understand how I really feel.

These days, instead of looking at writing as another obligation for self-improvement, I see it as a necessary means of understanding myself. Furthermore, in slowing down and being present, I have found that no thought or moment is too small to write.

Regardless of the words that make it onto the page, journaling can reveal an ongoing dialogue between your past and present self, from which great realizations emerge.

Whether you like to write or not, the benefits are undeniable. Writing things down every day not only preserves memories to look back on, but leads to inspiration, discovery and personal growth. Although being with you can be uncomfortable at times, it is also a catalyst for growth and change.

80 Journals to Help You Find a Greater Sense of Self

Keep reading 80 daily journals to inspire your morning or evening routine. We’ve broken them down into categories like gratitude, values, and goal setting so you can feel supported in whatever you need. The following journal prompts are designed to help you get to the heart of what is important and true to you.

Gratitude Journal Prompts

What are the three biggest things that happened yesterday?
What are 10 things that bring you happiness?
What are you looking forward to right now? If you don’t think about anything, what can you do to change that?
What is the one thing that has absolutely changed your life?
What things in your life would you describe as precious?
What are 10 things you enjoy about life right now?
Write about the fun you had recently. What were you doing and who were you with?
Write about an act of kindness someone did for you that surprised you.
What are some of your favorite ways to show the people in your life that you love them?
Reflect on a moment of profound beauty that you just had. What about it surprised you and drew you in?
At this moment, what are three things in your life that you feel most grateful for?
Write five fun things you feel guilty about.
In what ways have you felt supported by your friends, family, or community lately?
Name three healthy habits you’ve started in the past year that have changed your life for the better.
Describe your location. What do you like about it?
What are your favorite foods?
What three small, seemingly insignificant moments from the past week brought you joy?
Write about someone who inspires you. What qualities do they have that you like?
What are five things your younger self would be surprised or proud of in your life right now?
Describe a recent challenge you have overcome. What has it taught you, and how strong are you because of it?

Check out more details on a gratitude journal.

Reflective Journal Prompts

Name the top three emotions you have right now. What feelings do you want to feel today?
What is one thing you would tell your child if you could?
What is your body saying right now?
What are 10 questions you wish you had the answers to right now?
What do you know to be true today that you didn’t know a year ago?
Who are you afraid of now?
What is not working in your life right now?
Write about someone you miss. What do you remember about them? How do they make you feel?
Imagine someone you have had a conflict with in the past and try to put yourself in their perspective. How did they feel during your argument? If it is available to you, how can you show empathy for their experience?
What aspects of your life cause you stress? What aspects of your life bring you joy?
What would you describe as the biggest achievement of your life so far?
If someone could tell you the story of your life, what three events would you want them to highlight the most?
What has been the most transformative year in your life so far?
What is your earliest childhood memory?
How has your relationship with yourself grown and strengthened over the past five years?
What have you learned to justify yourself?
What does your ideal day look like, from start to finish? What steps can you take today to feel that way?
When was the last time you felt truly at peace with yourself? What made that moment happen?
What other fear have you faced in the past that you are proud of overcoming?
If you could change one thing about how you are seen in the world, what would it be, and why?

Goal Setting Journal Instructions

Describe your perfect home. Where is it, what does it look like, and who are you sharing it with?
When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up and why?
If failure didn’t happen, what would you be doing right now?
If you only had one year left to live, what would you do?
In another life, who would you want to be? Write about this character, what they do for a living, their personality traits, etc.
Reflect on your career and personal goals. Are there similarities and differences between the two? How do you keep these two parts of your life separate? How are they similar?
If you could master one skill, what would it be?
What new ways can you measure progress this year?
What is standing in your way of reaching your goals?
Who are the people you trust the most to help you create the life you’ve always wanted?
What habits and actions can you incorporate into your daily schedule to help you prioritize your time in 2025?
How would it feel to step out of your comfort zone? How can you get out of your comfort zone this year?
What skills or abilities do you want to build and strengthen?
What challenges have you overcome in the past? How has doing so made your life happier and more fulfilling?
What commitment can you make to yourself every day to grow more this year?
What’s one thing you’ve wanted to achieve but haven’t? What steps can you take today to get closer to it?
What does success look like to you right now? How has your definition of success changed over the years?
What three goals would you like to achieve this year, and how can you break them down into manageable steps?
What can you do if you feel fearless at all? How can you embrace that courage in your current life?
What’s the biggest dream you’ve been putting off? What is the first step you can take today to get closer to making it a reality?

Values Based Journal Notices

What are the top three qualities you value most in life?
In what ways do you act without those values?
How do you keep up with them?
What do you want to invite more of in 2025?
What do you want to leave behind?
What is one thing you wish others knew about you?
Who is your favorite person? What qualities do you like about them?
What are you waiting for this week?
Who is the person you pity and why?
What distracts you from what really matters each day?
If you decide right now that you have enough money, and that you will always have enough, what would you do with your life?
If you envision yourself 10 years from now, what do you want to achieve and experience?
How do you want to contribute your talents and passions to the world? Who can you affect and how can you affect them?
What role does love play in your life?
What does friendship mean to you?
How did you prioritize your time today?
What does living authentically look like for you, and how can you bring more of that into your everyday life?
What are the core beliefs that guide your decisions? How do they shape your relationship and goals?
What are some ways you can show kindness, to yourself and others, more intentionally
How do you define balance in your life, and what actions can you take to bring more of it into your routine?

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