120 Pivotal Journal Prompts For Goals To Start, Continue, And Achieve

We all have goals. Whether you realize it or not, each and every day you achieve things. Embrace your aspirations and bring them to life with the help of journal prompts for goals.

It might be something small like getting out of bed by a certain time each day for a month, or it could be something bigger like getting out of bed by a certain time and exercising each morning for a month.

Goals can be personal or professional, and there are many categories of things within each of these, but the basic fact is that goals work to help us achieve things, and they can be a major part of making improvements in our lives.

Some people seem to be naturally wired to set goals while others of us need to learn how to do that.

Goals can be created in a certain way so that they are more achievable.

For example, by applying the acronym, SMART, to developing goals you will create goals that are truly effective.

The letters in the acronym stand for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

By applying these words, you look at your goal thoroughly and that is a big part of staying committed.

Join me now as I look at journal prompts all about goals, and take a step toward making positive change in your life!

Brainstorming Journal Prompts For Setting Goals

To create goals that are effective, you will benefit from doing some thinking about the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the goal.

In this way you can be sure that your goal is truly something that reflects what is important to you.

This, in turn, will make it easier to be dedicated to achieving your goal.

Brainstorming is the act of writing down any and all ideas that come to mind about a particular topic, in this case, the subject for your goal setting.

The brainstorming activity is unedited. Do not take the time to think about each thing you write down, but rather just let the ideas flow and get them down.

Once you have your brainstorming done, then you can look at each of the ideas and think about them individually.

This is the step where you edit your list.

In this list of prompts you will find great ideas to spark your thinking like, What areas of life do you feel need the most attention/work? Why?

Another prompt to brainstorm ideas about is, What does success mean to you? Get descriptive!

Read all twenty-five of the prompts in the list that follows, and you are sure to get inspired!

25 Brainstorming Journal Prompts For Setting Goals

1. "What areas of life do you feel need the most attention/work? Why?"

2. "Which people, environments, things, etc. are currently impacting your daily happiness or health – negatively or positively?"

3. "What do you consider your strongest qualities as a person?"

4. "Reflect on the past year, what do you wish was different? Why?"

5. "Write out a day-in-the-life 5 years from now. What do you want it to look like?"

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6. "What does success mean to you? Get descriptive!"

7. "What are your top priorities in your life right now? Why do these matter to you?"

8. "In 5 years from now, what do you want to be different in your life?"

9. "What makes you feel confident? Make a list or describe it in detail."

10. "What goals have you previously set and forgotten about or let go of? Do these goals still resonate with you?"

11. "What is something you’d like to learn more about?"

12. "What is something that is bothering you in your day-to-day life? How can that change?"

13. "What areas of your health do you feel need the most attention? (Mental, physical, rest, exercise, nutrition, hydration, etc.)"

14. "When do you feel the happiest? How can you recreate this emotion more in your daily life?"

15. "What qualities do you admire in other people? Describe who embodies this and why you admire it."

16. "What does happiness look like to you? Get descriptive!"

17. "What do you value the most in life? Why?"

18. "What are you proud of/happy with from the past year? How can you continue this?"

19. "Describe an ideal/dream day in your life. What elements of that can you try to incorporate into everyday life?"

20. "What parts of your life make you excited? Which parts do you dread?"

21. "Create a “life pie” for your current life balance. Then, create an “ideal life pie” for how you want your life to be balanced. What is different between the two?"

22. "Write about someone who inspires you or motivates you. What about them do you find appealing?"

23. "Create a vision board (physical or digital). Get creative!"

24. "Write a letter of encouragement to yourself. Cheer yourself on as you start to take steps toward achieving your goals!"

25. "When did you last feel deeply proud of yourself? Why?"

Journal Prompts For Personal Growth Goals

Many things fit into the category of personal growth. In order to create effective personal growth goals, you need to focus on one aspect in particular.

If you take on too much or make your focus too large then your goal and the plan to attain the goal become overwhelming.

Possible focuses for personal growth goal setting include self-awareness, self-esteem, mental toughness, social skills, emotional intelligence, values, and spirituality.

Physical health may be handled as a separate category altogether, or you may wish to lump it in with personal growth.

I personally see health and wellness as a natural fit within personal growth with an emphasis on healthy eating and exercise as the cornerstones of health and wellness.

Part of wellness is mental health, and to me this fits nicely with self-awareness and self-esteem.

However you decide to structure personal growth goals, take some time to think about what your needs are, and if there is an area of your personal self that you feel is lacking or could be strengthened.

Are you always tense in social situations? If this is the case you may wish to focus on social skills.

Do you feel your life is lacking something? Perhaps you want to build greater spirituality into your life.

Take a look at the following journal prompts and they will help inspire you to find your focus.

40 Journal Prompts For Personal Growth

26. "What kind of habits do you think successful people have?"

27. "If you could only pick two dreams that will come true, which ones would you pick?"

28. "If you could go back in time, what would you do differently?"

29. "What always puts you in a motivated, energetic mood?"

30. "Why is it hard to change your habits?"

31. "What is your biggest dream?"

32. "Do you think you already know what will happen in the future?"

33. "What accomplishments are you most proud of?"

34. "What should you prioritize to reach your goals faster?"

35. "Where do you think you will live 20 years from now?"

36. "Who is your biggest motivation and why?"

37. "What does success mean to you?"

38. "Do you think it’s important to be motivated?"

39. "What kind of mornings do you love?"

40. "How much are you willing to do to make your dreams come true?"

41. "What productive habits do you want to build?"

42. "Are you excited to see what will happen?"

43. "How can you build new habits and stick to them?"

44. "What would be your ideal night routine?"

45. "Do you think your past dictates your future?"

46. "What do you wish you could bring from the past to the present day?"

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47. "What more could you do every day for your dreams?"

48. "Have you let go of some dreams? Why?"

49. "What are your most important long-term goals?"

50. "What do you do when you don’t feel like doing anything?"

51. "Why do you have the dreams you have? Why not something else?"

52. "How has life surprised you in the past?"

53. "If money wasn’t an issue, what would you do?"

54. "What kind of a morning routine would help you start your day right?"

55. "What motivates you the most?"

56. "What do you think your future will be like?"

57. "Do you think you become a different person as time passes?"

58. "What big changes do you think you have to do to make your dreams come true?"

59. "Are you afraid of failure?"

60. "Will you be a different person when your dream comes true?"

61. "Are there any bad habits you want to get rid of?"

62. "What kind of situations make you feel unmotivated?"

63. "When do you think your dreams will come true?"

64. "Why do you keep procrastinating?"

65. "How have you changed in the past ten years?"

Reflexive Journal Prompts

Reflexive journal prompts are those that require some thought to respond to. This is a very necessary step to determining the focus you want to take for your personal growth goals.

These prompts also require reflection for the actual journal writing. Find a quiet spot, and give yourself plenty of time so you are not rushed.

Many people like to light candles when they journal, or put on some quiet, gentle music in the background.

This can help you to clear your mind of other thoughts, let the day thus far go, and just focus on the prompt.

The very first prompt in this list is, What is one totally-free thing that’s transformed your life?

This question asks you to identify one transformative thing, however, as a reflexive journaling prompt, you want to go deeper.

Think about what your life was like before this happened, and how specifically it transformed your life.

Answer the prompts as fully as you can. This is important for revealing aspects of yourself that you might not have been aware of.

One really cool result of reflexive journaling is that one thing often leads to another.

When you have that ‘ah ha’ moment it will make you think of something else that you may want to explore.

26 Reflexive Journal Prompts

66. "What is one totally-free thing that’s transformed your life?"

67. "What’s not working in your life right now?"

68. "What is your body craving at the moment?"

69. "Reflect on a moment of profound beauty that you recently experienced. What about it surprised you and drew you in?"

70. "In what ways have you felt supported by friends, family, or you community recently?"

71. "What are three great things that happened yesterday?"

72. "Write about an act of kindness that someone did for you that took you by surprise."

73. "What areas of your life are causing you stress? What areas of your life are bringing you joy?"

74. "What are 10 things that bring you joy?"

75. "What are some of your favorite ways to show the people in your life that you love them?"

76. "What is the one thing you would tell your teenage self if you could?"

77. "What are you scared of right now?"

78. "Name three healthy habits you started within the last year that have changed your life for the better."

79. "Write five guilty pleasures you don’t feel guilty about."

80. "In this moment, what are three things in your life that you feel the most grateful for?"

81. "Write about someone you miss, what do you miss about them? How do they make you feel?"

82. "What are 10 things you’re actively enjoying about life right now?"

83. "What things in your life would you describe as priceless?"

84. "Name the top three emotions you are feeling at the moment. What are the emotions you want to feel today?"

85. "If someone was to describe your life story back to you, which three events would you want them to highlight the most?"

86. "What are 10 questions you wish you had the answers to right now?"

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87. "Picture someone who you’ve experienced a conflict with in the past and try to drop into their perspective. What were they feeling at the time of your conflict? If it’s available to you, how can you express sympathy for their experience?"

88. "What are you looking forward to right now? If you can’t think of anything, what can you do to change that?"

89. "What would you describe as being the greatest accomplishment of your life so far?"

90. "What do you know to be true today that you didn’t know a year ago?"

91. "Write about the most fun you had recently. What were you doing and who were you with?"

Goal Setting Journal Prompts

Goals can be incredibly motivating. They are the beginning of change.

If you want to affect positive change in your life, choosing a goal can set you up to achieve that change.

Start by searching the journal prompts that are in the list below.

Which prompts do you connect with? Which ones make you feel excited?

Let those prompts direct your focus for your goal.

Remember the acronym SMART.

Specific - don't make your goal too big. Make it specific.

Measurable - you will need to be able to track your progress, so the goal must be measurable in some way.

Achievable - make your goal realistic. If it's 'pie in the sky' you won't achieve it and that'll be discouraging.

Relevant - choose a focus for your goal that relates to your life, not someone else's, and for the present.

Time-Bound - be sure to set time parameters so that you have a specific deadline for reaching the goal. If you haven't achieved it by that date, then rejig.

29 Goal Setting Journal Prompts

92. "What’s something you wish others knew about you?"

93. "What would it feel like to step out of your comfort zone? How can you step out of your comfort zone more this year?"

94. "Who are the people in your life you trust the most to help you create the life you’ve always dreamed of?"

95. "When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up and why?"

96. "If failure wasn’t possible, what would you be doing right now?"

97. "If you only had one year left of life, what would you do?"

98. "In another life, who would you want to be? Write out this character, what they do for a living, their personality traits, etc."

99. "If you could master one skill, what would it be?"

100. "What distracts you from what’s truly important each day?"

101. "Who is someone you admire? What qualities do you love about them?"

102. "What role does love play in your life?"

103. "Reflect on your career and personal goals. Are there parallels and consistencies between the two? How do you keep these two areas of your life separate? How are they the same?"

104. "What are new ways you can measure progress this year?"

105. "What habits and actions can you incorporate into your daily routine to help you prioritize your time in 2023?"

106. "What is standing in your way of reaching your goals?"

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107. "When you picture yourself 10 years from now, what do you want to have achieved and experienced?"

108. "What do you want to invite more of into 2023?"

109. "What top three qualities do you value most in life?"

110. "What would your ideal day look like? Where would you be, what would you be doing, and who with?"

111. "In what ways are you acting outside of those values?"

112. "What does friendship mean to you?"

113. "Describe your perfect home. Where is it, what does it look like, and who do you share it with?"

114. "Who is someone you envy and why?"

115. What do you want to leave behind?""

116. "How do you want to contribute your talents and passions to the world? Who could be touched by you and how would it affect them?"

117. "If you decided right now that you had enough money, and that you would always have enough, what would you do with your life?"

118. "In what ways are you acting in alignment with them?"

119. "What is the best compliment you have ever gotten?"

120. "What do you think is the key to confidence?"

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Journal Prompts For Goals?

Journal prompts for goals are prompts or questions designed to guide your journaling practice towards clarifying, setting, and achieving personal or professional goals. They provide a structured approach to goal exploration and planning.

How Can Journal Prompts Help With Goal Setting?

Journal prompts for goals encourage you to define your aspirations, break them down into actionable steps, and explore your motivations and obstacles. They serve as a roadmap for effective goal setting and achievement.

Can These Prompts Be Used For Different Types Of Goals?

Yes, journal prompts for goals are adaptable to various types of goals, including personal, career, health, and creative goals. Customize the prompts to align with your specific goals and aspirations.

How Frequently Should I Use These Prompts For Goal Planning?

The frequency of using goal-focused prompts depends on your objectives and pace. You can use them whenever you're setting new goals, reevaluating existing ones, or need inspiration to move forward.

Can These Prompts Help Me Overcome Challenges In Reaching My Goals?

Absolutely. Journal prompts for goals prompt you to identify potential challenges, devise strategies, and foster a positive mindset. They guide you in navigating obstacles and staying motivated on your journey.

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