31 January Journal Prompts to Jumpstart 2015
If you're determined to begin journaling in the new year, it's best to start out strong. The last thing I want you to experience is a journaling rut when your ambitions were so high from the start, so I put together this list and guide to 31 January journal prompts to help you through the first month of the year and jumpstart your 2015.
Believe me, I know it can be slightly terrifying to face a brand new journal on a brand new day in a brand new year. I know many a journaling ruts could have been avoided if I had a game plan before the new year started that would go beyond the first page.
How many times have you started a journal on January 1 with a list of resolutions? I've done that a few times, and let me tell you, after writing that list, I never picked up the journal again. It was the quickest way to get me to NOT face my problem with developing good journaling habits.
One year, I took a different approach, and managed to fill my journal quite well throughout the year. The approach forced me to take in my surroundings, pay attention to living an experience, and to practice my writing technique. I wasn't focused on goals and resolutions on page one. Those could come later. Instead, I was focused on journaling, on keeping a record of my life, and it paid off.
So what did I write on that 1st page of that brand new journal on a brand new day in a brand new year?
I wrote a narrative of my New Years Eve. I didn't pause for grammatical concerns. I didn't erase, scratch out, or worry about semi-colons. I just wrote what I experienced that night and the feelings and sounds and words that rushed around me in a fusion of moments: Glasses clinking, romance budding between two friends, countdowns and kazoos, fireworks.
This kind of journaling can leave you feeling breathless and accomplished. It's creative writing at its best. It's brainstorming at its worst. Starting a journal this way gives you the strength and momentum to return to your little blank book time and time again.
So without further ado, here's some January journal prompts for the New Year. Some are for one day only, but others are actually categories that allow you to create multiple entries under the same topic. This also means they can be used later in the year if you're stumped. After Journal entries 1 and 2, you can rearrange the rest in any order you want.
Journal Entry 1: A creative narrative of your New Years Eve or New Years Day
We've already addressed this, and now that you know about it in advance, you can make sure you take in the sights and sounds of your evening or day (whichever you choose to document). If it helps, take photos. You can print them and add them to your journal pages later.
Journal Entry 2: Assign a word to the New Year
This is a tradition my husband and I started when we were newly engaged. Every New Years Eve, we would reminisce about the year we just experienced, how much we grew as individuals and as a couple. Then, I'd ask him to 'predict' the New Year. What would it be? He'll get quiet and thoughtful, before he says something like "This will be the year of forgiveness," or "This will be the year of contentment." And we'll take that word and hold it to remind us of how we want to grow and love and pursue life.
So find a word for your own year, and write it down. You can write about the word, or leave it as the sole word on the page. Your choice.
Journal Topic: Highlights from the Year (5 journal entries)
Pick 5 highlights from the past year and write a journal entry for each one. These could be milestones, favorite memories, accomplishments, or celebrations. Write these in any style you want. You can do a creative narrative, a list (although I have some bullet list entries coming up soon), or just a few sentences.
Journal Topic: Lessons you Learned from the Past Year (5 journal entries)
Think of 5 lessons you learned in the past year and write a journal entry for each one.
Journal Topic: Goals for the New Year (5 journal entries)
Come up with 5 goals for the New Year and write a journal entry for each one. You don't need to think of these all at once if that's too overwhelming. Just start with one goal and write about why you set it, what you hope to achieve by reaching it, and what positive and productive steps you'll take toward it.
Journal Topic: Photo Essay or Snapshot to sum up a moment or day (5 journal entries)
Try to document your new year in photos as well as words and create 5 journal entries around them. When a photo with meaning strikes you, print it out and tape or glue it in your journal. You can do a series of photos, or just one. If you're afraid you'll forget the meaning behind the photos, write a caption or introduction to the photo series.
Journal Topic: Bullet Lists (7 journal entries)
Sometimes, a themed list can say a lot. Here's 7 examples that can count for 7 journal entries. These lists will help you reflect on the previous year and establish hope for the new one. Your list length is up to you. Feel free to add notes to each item if you wish.
1. A List of Setbacks - what happened in the last year that caused you to feel unaccomplished?
2. A List of Accomplishments - what did you accomplish in the last year?
3. A List of Giving - In what ways did you give or receive help to others?
4. A List of Learning - What do you hope to learn in the new year? This could be life lessons, skills, subjects, languages, ect.
5. A List of People - make a list of people who had a huge influence in your life in the past year, whether for good or bad. You can also include people you want to get to know better in the new year.
6. A List of Grievances - reflect on the things that broke your heart, made you wonder, irritated you, and hurt you. Write them down. It's crucial to be able to move on, but forgetting is a denial of how far you've come. It's important to understand what makes you tick, cry, and worry.
7. A List of Gratitude - follow up that list of grievances with a list of things you're grateful for in life.
Journal Entry 30: A Day in the Life
You don't have to save this one for the second to last day of the month, but it's good way to wrap up the month of January. Document your day in a timeline starting from the moment you wake up to the time you go to sleep. You can write this in any way you want, but it may go quicker and easier if you do it in a timeline format.
Journal Entry 31: A Quote to Signify the New Year
Save this for your last entry for the month. Find a quote or jot down something meaningful that you heard someone (or yourself!) say. Let this quote motivate you and lead you onwards to February, and the rest of the year.
Believe me, I know it can be slightly terrifying to face a brand new journal on a brand new day in a brand new year. I know many a journaling ruts could have been avoided if I had a game plan before the new year started that would go beyond the first page.
How many times have you started a journal on January 1 with a list of resolutions? I've done that a few times, and let me tell you, after writing that list, I never picked up the journal again. It was the quickest way to get me to NOT face my problem with developing good journaling habits.
One year, I took a different approach, and managed to fill my journal quite well throughout the year. The approach forced me to take in my surroundings, pay attention to living an experience, and to practice my writing technique. I wasn't focused on goals and resolutions on page one. Those could come later. Instead, I was focused on journaling, on keeping a record of my life, and it paid off.
So what did I write on that 1st page of that brand new journal on a brand new day in a brand new year?
I wrote a narrative of my New Years Eve. I didn't pause for grammatical concerns. I didn't erase, scratch out, or worry about semi-colons. I just wrote what I experienced that night and the feelings and sounds and words that rushed around me in a fusion of moments: Glasses clinking, romance budding between two friends, countdowns and kazoos, fireworks.
This kind of journaling can leave you feeling breathless and accomplished. It's creative writing at its best. It's brainstorming at its worst. Starting a journal this way gives you the strength and momentum to return to your little blank book time and time again.
31 January Journal Prompts
So without further ado, here's some January journal prompts for the New Year. Some are for one day only, but others are actually categories that allow you to create multiple entries under the same topic. This also means they can be used later in the year if you're stumped. After Journal entries 1 and 2, you can rearrange the rest in any order you want.
Journal Entry 1: A creative narrative of your New Years Eve or New Years Day
We've already addressed this, and now that you know about it in advance, you can make sure you take in the sights and sounds of your evening or day (whichever you choose to document). If it helps, take photos. You can print them and add them to your journal pages later.
Journal Entry 2: Assign a word to the New Year
This is a tradition my husband and I started when we were newly engaged. Every New Years Eve, we would reminisce about the year we just experienced, how much we grew as individuals and as a couple. Then, I'd ask him to 'predict' the New Year. What would it be? He'll get quiet and thoughtful, before he says something like "This will be the year of forgiveness," or "This will be the year of contentment." And we'll take that word and hold it to remind us of how we want to grow and love and pursue life.
So find a word for your own year, and write it down. You can write about the word, or leave it as the sole word on the page. Your choice.
Journal Topic: Highlights from the Year (5 journal entries)
Pick 5 highlights from the past year and write a journal entry for each one. These could be milestones, favorite memories, accomplishments, or celebrations. Write these in any style you want. You can do a creative narrative, a list (although I have some bullet list entries coming up soon), or just a few sentences.
Journal Topic: Lessons you Learned from the Past Year (5 journal entries)
Think of 5 lessons you learned in the past year and write a journal entry for each one.
Journal Topic: Goals for the New Year (5 journal entries)
Come up with 5 goals for the New Year and write a journal entry for each one. You don't need to think of these all at once if that's too overwhelming. Just start with one goal and write about why you set it, what you hope to achieve by reaching it, and what positive and productive steps you'll take toward it.
Journal Topic: Photo Essay or Snapshot to sum up a moment or day (5 journal entries)
Try to document your new year in photos as well as words and create 5 journal entries around them. When a photo with meaning strikes you, print it out and tape or glue it in your journal. You can do a series of photos, or just one. If you're afraid you'll forget the meaning behind the photos, write a caption or introduction to the photo series.
Journal Topic: Bullet Lists (7 journal entries)
Sometimes, a themed list can say a lot. Here's 7 examples that can count for 7 journal entries. These lists will help you reflect on the previous year and establish hope for the new one. Your list length is up to you. Feel free to add notes to each item if you wish.
1. A List of Setbacks - what happened in the last year that caused you to feel unaccomplished?
2. A List of Accomplishments - what did you accomplish in the last year?
3. A List of Giving - In what ways did you give or receive help to others?
4. A List of Learning - What do you hope to learn in the new year? This could be life lessons, skills, subjects, languages, ect.
5. A List of People - make a list of people who had a huge influence in your life in the past year, whether for good or bad. You can also include people you want to get to know better in the new year.
6. A List of Grievances - reflect on the things that broke your heart, made you wonder, irritated you, and hurt you. Write them down. It's crucial to be able to move on, but forgetting is a denial of how far you've come. It's important to understand what makes you tick, cry, and worry.
7. A List of Gratitude - follow up that list of grievances with a list of things you're grateful for in life.
Journal Entry 30: A Day in the Life
You don't have to save this one for the second to last day of the month, but it's good way to wrap up the month of January. Document your day in a timeline starting from the moment you wake up to the time you go to sleep. You can write this in any way you want, but it may go quicker and easier if you do it in a timeline format.
Journal Entry 31: A Quote to Signify the New Year
Save this for your last entry for the month. Find a quote or jot down something meaningful that you heard someone (or yourself!) say. Let this quote motivate you and lead you onwards to February, and the rest of the year.
To help you keep your topics organized, here's an outline you can pin now and reference later. It splits up all the topics so you're not writing five journal entries in a row for the same topic:
Dec 18th 2014
