Are you in the mood to do some journaling but you feel stuck and unsure of what to write about? You’re not alone. Sometimes your journaling inspiration seems to dry up and you just can’t decide on what to write about. Here are 20 different things to put in your journal when you know that writing in a notebook will make you feel good but you just can’t figure out how to get started. 

Daily Gratitude: Write about three things you are grateful for today and why they matter to you. If you aren’t sure how to identify what you are grateful for, start with three things that you would miss if they suddenly disappeared tomorrow. 

Personal Achievements: Reflect on a recent accomplishment and describe how it made you feel and what you learned from the experience.

Future Goals: Outline your short-term and long-term goals. What steps will you take to achieve them? Write as if everything on your step-by-step list is realistic and well within your capabilities.

Positive Affirmations: List five positive affirmations about yourself and explain why each one is meaningful to you. If thinking about a positive affirmation for yourself is hard, imagine what you would want your dearest friend to hear. They say that same thing to yourself. Treat yourself as though you are your own best friend!

Dreams and Aspirations: Write about your biggest dreams. What do they look like, and how would achieving them change your life? Add as much vivid detail as you can to your dream life description. The more detail you can include, the easier it will be to manifest those things in your life. 

Favourite Quotes: Choose a quote that inspires you and explain why it resonates with you. How can you apply its message to your life?

Lessons Learned: Reflect on a recent challenge you faced and what you learned from it. How has it shaped you?

Self-Care Routine: Describe your ideal self-care routine. How do these activities make you feel?  What is one new thing you can add to your self-care routine to reduce stress?

Mindfulness Reflection: Write about a time when you felt completely present and mindful. What were you doing, and what did you notice? What would it take to bring about those feelings of presence more often in your life?

Travel Memories: Reflect on a memorable trip you’ve taken. What made it special, and what did you learn from the experience?

Relationship Insights: Write about an important relationship in your life. What makes it valuable, and how do you nurture it?

Favourite Hobbies: Describe your favourite hobby and why you enjoy it. How does it contribute to your well-being? What can you do to make more space in your life for this hobby?

Daily Highlights: Record the best part of your day. Why was it significant to you?

Nature Observations: Write about your favourite place in nature. How does spending time there make you feel? Add as much sensory detail to your journal entry as you can.

Creative Ideas: Brainstorm ideas for a creative project you’ve been thinking about. What excites you about it? What would be the next three steps you would need to take to launch this new creative idea?

Health and Fitness Goals: Outline your health and fitness goals. What motivates you to stay healthy and active?

Gratitude for Challenges: Reflect on a difficult time in your life and write about what you are grateful for because of it. How did it help you grow?

Random Thoughts: Free-write about anything that comes to mind for 10 minutes. Don’t censor yourself—just let your thoughts flow.

Books and Movies: Write a review of a book or movie you recently enjoyed. What did you like about it, and what did you take away from it?

Mind Maps: Create a mind map of your current thoughts and ideas. How do they connect, and what new insights can you gain from them?

Journaling Prompt: Where do you turn to for inspiration on what to write in your journal? If you were to teach someone your favourite journaling technique, how would you do that?