Back in March, I wrote a post on journaling prompts and I gave you 5 questions to write about during your week in order to be more intentional and reflective on where you are in life. I wanted to do another one of these because journaling is such a good way to process ideas and turn thoughts into an action plan. It’s also great when you feel overwhelmed with your emotions but don’t necessarily feel like unloading on someone when you are full of emotion.
Just to reiterate: This challenge doesn’t need to start at the beginning of the month or the week. Just use it as you need it. You could go in order or skip around. You could do one question or do all five. Just do what feels right for you.
You also don’t need to do this in one sitting. Feel free to linger on one question or a couple of prompts for an extended period of time. Maybe that question could be a marker for you of change in your life as the weeks pass on. Use these questions as conversation starters with friends you want to get more intimate and vulnerable with. Make it work for you. These are your tools, I’m just handing them to you.
Recent Post: 5 Day Journaling Prompt Challenge
What has been lifegiving this week?
When weeks feel hard or overwhelmingly good, it’s hard to pinpoint the moments or activities that feel lifegiving. Take some time and slow down to consider this question. Maybe you’ve gotten some time outside. Maybe a friend unexpectedly phoned and you talked for a few hours. Maybe your mornings have been a solace for your busy days. Whatever it is, write it down. Nothing is too small. You could write in bullet points or paragraphs. Do what feels natural to you. For me, it’s been having endless free time in summer (at least before my internship starts). The pressure of school is gone and I get to make time for the hobbies I enjoy.
What is something you wish was easier?
This could be the littlest thing or the biggest thing. Maybe for you, it’s decision making. Or picking a new tv show to watch, Perhaps it’s having a hard conversation. Or trying to do the dishes and listen to a podcast (if you have ANY idea how to do this, please let me know!). It’s good to air out frustration, I’m not saying that every moment of everyday should be about airing your complaints but if you try to cling to toxic positivity, you will get sick. Be honest about how you’re feeling. Give yourself some integrity and tell it like it is. You can figure it out later, how to fix it and who to talk to, etc. But let yourself articulate it first.
Recent Post: Life Update of May 2021
Where are you finding light these days?
While this question seems like the first question at first glance, it’s actually asking you what is something that is illuminating something else. That might be confusing, but let me give an example. I love the show HIMYM. I’ve mentioned it a lot on this blog. It’s one of my favorite shows to laugh, get lost in someone else’s story and the perfect binge. However, one episode illuminated for me the overly tied-up-in-a-bow quality of the show. Real life doesn’t always give you closure. Sometimes all you are left with are questions and fragments of memories. So where is the light shining these days and what are learning by what the light is allowing to shine? Maybe it’s the harsh word of a friend that hurt but simultaneously made you realize all the ways you may not be so good a friend. Maybe it’s the moment of silence that made you realize you stopped making space for those moments. Maybe it’s the promotion that asked you to consider if this job is even right for you. Things are being lit in your life, but you have to be the one to reflect on what the light actually means to show you.
What are the small wins you are celebrating?
Lately on Twitter I’ve been following this account Women for W’s, and this account celebrates all sorts of wins for women. Jobs, apartments, leaving abusive relationships, etc. But the small wins count just as much as the big wins. It can be hard to think that small wins are big, but think about that rush of accomplishment when you finish a simple task. The way you feel after a big closet clean out. The way you feel after closing your laptop for the day. The way you feel after turning an assignment in. What are your small wins? They’re small but they still matter.
Recent Post: What I’ve Learned From Journaling
How are you keeping track of growth? In relationships? In skills? In your career?
Growth has the tendency to be attached to more tangible things. Like growing in height or shoe size. Growing your bank account. Growing out your hair. But I want you to consider how you are tracking growth in your relationships. In your skills (not job skills). In your long term career trajectory. Are you spending a good amount of time with friends? Is that quality time in your relationships with family? What new skills are you acquiring – learning a new language, gardening, fixing things around the house? How are you building towards your next step in your career – maybe this looks like maintenance, or even reconsidering the idea of your ideal career? Make sure you’re making time to reassess how things are growing in your life. And sometimes that looks like recognizing some things are stagnant and need to be cut. Sometimes it looks like talking to people and asking them how they view your relationship with them. It could mean letting old things go so new things can come in.
I truly hope these questions were helpful and useful! If you want to learn more about journaling, check out my other blog posts! Also, let me know if you decide to do this challenge, I’d love to hear from you!!
Signing off,
Gigi
