The Only Morning Journal Prompts you Need to Kickstart a Great Day

Mornings are a great time to reflect on the previous day and set goals for the upcoming one. That’s why morning journal prompts can be such an effective way to start your day.

It allows you to take some time for yourself, focus on your thoughts and feelings, and set goals for the day ahead. morning journaling can also help you get creative juices flowing and jumpstart your productivity. That’s why it’s a habit of so many successful people.

So how can you get started with a morning journaling practice? Some prefer to let their thoughts flow freely, while others rely on morning journal prompts.

I’m a huge fan of morning journal prompts because they can help guide your thinking to frame the day ahead.

You don’t actually need too many morning journal prompts to get started. Because every day is different, you may be surprised how your answer to the same journal prompt varies each morning.

Here are ten of the best morning journal prompts to get you started journaling each morning.

Why Use These Morning Journal Prompts

There are a number of benefits to morning journaling, and it can be different for everyone. First, it can help you wake up and get your day started. It can also help you focus on your goals and priorities for the day, and get your mind in the right frame for tackling them.

Morning journaling can be a great way to reflect on your successes and failures from the previous day, and plan for how you want to improve going forward.

In particular, the morning is a great time to start journaling because it can help you set the tone for the rest of your day. When you take a few minutes to reflect on your goals and priorities for the day, and write down what you’d like to accomplish, you are more likely to stay on track.

By setting the intention to have a great day through morning journaling, you’ll be more aware of your feelings throughout the day, and more likely fulfill that intention.

Morning journal prompts have different benefits for everyone. If you’re focused on productivity, focus on your goals and habits. If you’re focused on wellbeing and improving your overall happiness, write more about your feelings and moods.

Or, if you’re like me, it’s helpful to check in with all aspects of your life- goals, habits, moods, feelings, you name it!

So do yourself a favor, and keep the morning journaling habit going.

How to Use Morning Journal Prompts

There’s no one way to use morning journal prompts. The main idea is to get out a piece of paper and a pen, and spend a few minutes writing before your start your first task of the day.

It can be so helpful to make sure you journal before you do anything else. Yes, before you make your breakfast, answer texts, emails, or whatever else. This creates a dedicated time for you to do your morning journal prompts, and prevents you from forgetting and getting swept into the day.

Here’s my favorite way to use these morning journal prompts:

1. Have a dedicated notebook for journaling. Technically, you only need a pen and paper to journal. But it can be so helpful to have a dedicated place to journal each day, and look back on over time.
2. Answer one of the following morning journal prompts. Spend as much time as feels right for you, but try to dedicate at least 5 minutes to get started.
3. Don’t think too much about what you are writing. Some suggest you don’t stop writing for the full amount of time to capture your most authentic thoughts.
4. Use a habit tracking app like Daylio to make sure you are doing your morning journaling every day
5. Once you’ve got the hang of it, make up your own morning journal prompts.

Morning Journal Prompts

1. Pretend the day is over, and it was absolutely amazing. Write as if you are reflecting on the day.

The goal of this question is to paint a clear picture of what the absolute best day could look like for you. By visualizing and writing about the day, you will know where to put your energy. This allows you to be mindful of how you spend your day, because you are conscious of just how great it could be.

Consider what you will spend your time on. Will you be with loved ones? Will you work toward a particular goal? Will you take time for yourself?

Get really specific, and focus on the feelings you want to have. When you’re done, you’ll know the perfect recipe for a great day.

2. Write 3 things you are grateful for, 3 things you are celebrating, 3 things you forgive yourself for, and 3 things you will do to get closer to your goals

This simple framework is a great way to get starting with a morning journaling practice if you’re not quite sure where to start. Not to mention, gratitude has so many benefits, making it a great mood-booster to focus on gratitude and celebration first thing in the morning.

By using a format like this, you don’t have to think so much about your journaling habit. Every morning, you know exactly what you need to write. This makes it a lot easier to get started with morning journal prompts.

It’s important to remember that what you write down doesn’t have to be huge things. Don’t spend so much time thinking, simply trust your intuition and write what comes to mind.

3. What do you need to let go of today?

It’s important to start each day fresh– letting go of past events and feelings that no longer serve you. This morning journal prompt can help you clear and negative energy you have from the days past.

Ask yourself– what’s holding you back? What negative emotions showed up first thing in the morning? How might you attempt to let go, so that they do not affect the day ahead?

4. What reminder do you need today?

We could all use support, but It’s unlikely that every day, a loved one tells you exactly what you need to hear. So, why not tell yourself? Ask yourself what is important for you to remind yourself of today.

Feeling down about work or school? Maybe you need to remind yourself that you have done the best you can and your best is enough. Maybe you’re feeling like you haven’t made progress in your fitness journey. Remind yourself that you have come so far already.

These may seem obvious, but that’s kind of the point. They are reminders. Things you might already know, but need to tell yourself frequently to truly internalize.

5. Write down three things you hope will happen today.

Get really optimistic for a minute– what do you hope will happen today? Be totally honest with yourself…

Great weather? A call from a loved one?

Some things we hope for are in our control, while others may not be. But either way, putting them on paper can help you understand what you really want. In time, you’ll be able to find ways to attract and work towards your desires.

6. How will you connect with someone today?

Journaling is a very personal habit, but that doesn’t mean you can’t consider others in the process. For example, you might want to consider how to spend more time with loved ones or contact someone who needs encouragement.

Especially if you’re an introvert like me, it can be helpful to be intentional about how you will connect with others during the day. Yes, even us introverts need social connection!

7. What are you excited about in your life right now?

This one’s pretty self explanatory– we could all use something to look forward to. When the days are blending in to one another or you are going through a tough time, this is the perfect prompt.

It can help shift your perspective and serve as a reminder that whatever you are going through is temporary. There are so many bright things ahead.

8. How will you take care of yourself today?

Self-care is an important part of every day, and this morning journal prompt can help you remember to take care of yourself.

You have people to see, things to do, goals to accomplish, etc. But there’s nothing more important than taking care of yourself. For starters, eating healthy meals, drinking enough water, and getting enough sleep are great ways to practice self care.

You might also consider setting aside some time for relaxation, or taking more breaks from work/school.

Use this journal prompt to get clear on how you can practice self care every day.

9. What gave you energy yesterday, and what drained your energy?

If your ups and downs feel more like a mystery than anything you have control over, this is the question for you. By reflecting on the previous days energy-givers and energy-drainers, you can set yourself up for the day.

Maybe you noticed that time on your phone felts draining, and your walk outside gave you lots of energy. Maybe it’s not that clear cut, and that’s okay. Start paying attention to these patterns so that you can break out of any bad habits and build better ones.

10. How will you show up differently in your life today?

In your morning journal, write down one or two things you will do to show up differently in your life today.

If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten– you know the deal. So what will you do different today?

Maybe you’ll be more patient, or maybe you’ll go to bed 10 minutes earlier. These don’t have to be big. Focus on small actions. A 1% improvement every day makes a huge change over time. But it is important that you do something different today to show up in a way that makes you feel proud.

How Will You Use These Morning Journal Prompts?

Morning journal prompts are a great way to start your morning off on the right foot. Whether you want help getting creative, feeling compassionate with yourself or setting realistic goals for today’s tasks, morning journal prompts can have an important impact on how you feel throughout the day.

I hope these 10 morning journal prompts helped get the positivity flowing and set you up for success! Which of these morning journal topics will be most helpful in starting your day off well? Let me know below!