31 Days of Journaling
Day 1
If you were going on a journey and could only take what would fit in a backpack, what would you take? Why?
Day 2
Cesare Pavese is known for saying that "we do not remember days, we remember moments." Describe your moment.
Day 3
Oscar Wilde has said that "I never travel without my diary. One must always have something sensational to read on the train." What one thing do you always carry with you?
Day 4
Write about one thing you are most proud of in your life.
Day 5
Do you agree with Albert Einstein in that "imagination is more important than knowledge?" Why or why not?
Day 6
In Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke wrote to young Franz Kappus "...if you wake up every morning thinking about being a writer, then you were meant to be a writer." What do you wake up every morning thinking about being?
Day 7
Select the one thing that you hate most about yourself and write about it as if it were the one thing you love most about yourself.
Day 8
If you were a caution sign, what would it say? Why?
Day 9
Sheryl Crow sings that "...it's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got." Do you derive happiness from shiny new things, or do you cherish the items you already own? Explain.
Day 10
I write for the sheer joy of writing because behind everything there is a story to be told. What do you do for the sheer joy of it? Why?
Day 11
Inspired by People Magazine's Interview of Chris Hemsworth, this prompt asks you to write about the lasts in your life:
- What was the last thing you lost?
- When was the last time you were awestruck?
- What was your last spontaneous moment?
- What is your last vice?
- When was the last time you sang or danced just because?
Day 12
Look up your elemental symbol or zodiac sign. How many of the traits are accurate for you? Do you think there are inaccuracies? Why?
Day 13
Write from one of the following sentences:
- The difference is, I lie for a reason. Expand on why you may lie to someone.
- You & I are love. Do you have someone particular in mind that this would refer to? Would you share your thoughts on this with them?
Day 14
Write seven sentences dealing with the seven deadly sins as they relate to your life (Pride, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Lust, Sloth, Greed). You can't use their names. (Adapted from The Writer's Circle Facebook page)
Day 15
What drives you? Freewrite for five minutes. (Inspired by the question written on the side of a Paper Transport, Inc. semi)
Day 16
You wake up stranded on an island with the first person that comes to mind when you read this. How does that work out for you? (Adapted from a Facebook post)
Day 17
Write five or six different emotions on little slips of paper and put them in a bowl. Draw one at random and write what you felt last night based on that emotion.
Day 18
Name one person in your life that you truly appreciate. Why do you appreciate them? Have you told them?
Day 19
You walked into a coffee shop and 'that song' is playing; the one that evokes specific memories. What song is it? What event or person do you associate with it? Do you have the song in your playlist, or do you only come across it by coincidence?
Day 20
Using the first letters of the colors of the rainbow (R-O-Y-G-B-I-V), write down the first words that come to mind as they relate to how last month went for you. Now use those words in a piece that begins: "I was told life with me was..."
Day 21
Write about a place you call home. What is the view from that window right now?
Day 22
List things that make you laugh or smile for no reason at all.
Day 23
What is your ritual when you wake up in the morning? What is your favorite way to relax at the end of the day?
Day 24
The world is ending. Who would you want to spend your last day on earth with? Why? What would you do?
Day 25
If you could reinvent yourself, who would you become?
Day 26
Have you ever changed who you were to try to make someone else happy? Who? Why? Did it work? When did you realize it is better to be yourself than try to please everyone else?
Day 27
What is the quote or mantra you draw on to get you through tough times?
Day 28
Would you consider your significant other to be the Sun, Moon, or Northern Star in your life? Why?
Day 29
You are being sent away in exile and can take one companion, one book, and one random object. What/who would you choose?
Day 30
Write about a movie or book that inspired you. What aspects of the story made an impact on your life?
Day 31
According to Matthew McConaughey, there are 3 things he needs each day:
- Something to look up to
- Something to look forward to
- Someone to chase
Thinking about your life, how would you define these 3 needs? (Inspired by his 'Best Actor' acceptance speech, 2014)