Pages of Resilience: 24 Journal Prompts to Kick off The New Year

By Guest Blogger Juan Santos M.S., CRC, LCMHC, of Santos Counseling

I recently read in the New York Times magazine that more than five million journals are sold yearly. Now, that’s a significant number. As a mental health counselor, it’s a number that makes me smile. I think of diaries and journals as tools. No different than a carpenter sees the hammer or saw as tools that can build a home or remodel a room. A journal is a tool that you can use to develop a positive mindset, practice mindfulness, heal wounds, create and reach goals, and foster personal growth.

I’ve always found writing to be an intimate and timeless practice that provides introspection. As you embark on the New Year, commit to journal writing. You’ll find that each stroke of the pen or tap on the keyboard will nurture a form of expression, growth, and release. Below, you have 24 journal prompts aimed to help your journey into the new year with a deeper connection to yourself.

1. What are five accomplishments from the past year that you are proud of?
2. Name three people you helped in some way the previous year.
3. Reflect on the most important lesson you learned in the previous year.
4. List two habits you want to foster in the new year.
5. Name two behaviors you want to reduce in the new year.
6. Reflect on your favorite memory from the previous year.
7. List five words that capture the essence of the previous year.
8. Identify how you plan to create balance in life in the new year.
9. Describe a project you would like to take on in the new year.
10. Reflect on how you can practice slowing down in the new year.
11. Name two books, podcasts, or educational resources you want to take on in the new year.
12. Reflect on a trip from the previous year that you are thankful for.
13. What is one out-of-your-comfort-zone activity you would like to explore in the new year?
14. List two strengths you want to utilize in the new year.
15. Identify how you can use positive self-talk to help you achieve your goals in the new year.
16. Name one quote that best represents the previous year.
17. Identify three new things you want to learn in the new year.
18. Write a letter of gratitude to your past self for all you did in the previous year.
19. List three financial goals you would like to meet in the new year.
20. Reflect on the growth in your character during the previous year.
21. Name one hobby you would like to take on in the new year.
22. Reflect on the boundaries you want to acquire in the new year.
23. What is one new skill you would like to acquire in the new year?
24. What mantra do you want to guide you in the new year?

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