In her book The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron invites readers to begin each day with what she calls “Morning Pages.” As Cameron explains on her blog,
Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages – they are not high art. They are not even “writing.” They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind – and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand.
Working through Morning Pages for ten minutes is an excellent mindfulness habit because you completely focus on putting your thoughts onto paper. It’s a way to liberate your mind from the mental chatter that can set your morning off to a negative or anxious start.
#1. Inspirational Quotes
Everyone has something that inspires them to do their best in life. Quotes that inspire you do not have to come from a famous individual. They can simply be something that motivates you to do your best. Write about the quote and the deeper meaning that it holds in your life. If you still are at a loss as to where to begin, try out these inspirational quotes.
#2. Reflect on a Quote
Quotes are great journal prompts, so if you do not necessarily want to write “inspirational” quotes in your daily journal, you can write about nearly any quote at all. It may not pertain to your life at all, but you can still reflect on the meaning that originated behind the phrase. These quotes can add wisdom to your life or simply be a funny saying that you enjoy.
#3. Answer a Question
If you do not feel like collecting quotes, then question journaling prompts are also great. Questions often arise in life that you do not really think about much, but you can write them down on a piece of paper and place them in a container for a rainy day. When you run out of ideas, randomly select one of the questions to write about.It’s ime to Get COZI!
#4. Self Care
If you are at a loss for what to write in a daily journal, then try to start naming some of the goals that you have for your life. To help you maintain this path, you can write about some self care idea you want to try.
Writing about self care can sometimes have partial effect of making you feel better. For example, if you are going to have a manicure this coming weekend, and you decide to write about how that makes you feel, the thought of the upcoming event can actually serve to make you feel a bit happier.
#5. Life Milestones
Some goals that you want to achieve could be small—like going to get groceries before Friday—while others could be actual milestones in your life. If you have a big goal that you want to focus on, like graduating from medical school, getting married, having your first child, or buying your first home, try writing about it in detail.
#6. Specific Events
These events are not typically something that happened to you. Rather, they are world events that should never be forgotten. Journal prompts that fit into this category could be things like the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11, the building of the Eiffel Tower, or even battles of the Civil War. Throughout history, there are a lot of events that you could write about. I like to write about them as if I were there at the time.
#7. Captured Moments
If you have already reached major milestones in your life, you can write journal ideas about those events. It could be a detailed recollection of your wedding day, the feeling you had when your child was born, your experience at a rally that you attended, or another unforgettable event. You can also write about specific events in the lives of others.
#8. Describe Challenges
We all face challenges in our lives on a daily basis. If you encountered a struggle today that was difficult for you, your daily journal is the perfect place to write it down. Describe the struggle that you had to face in detail. What happened? How did you feel? Were you able to meet and overcome the challenge that crossed your path?
#9. Define Solutions to Challenges
Not all challenges are easy to overcome, so if you find yourself in a situation that you do not know how to overcome, write about possible solutions in your daily journal. Think about the specific actions that you can take to find the solution. Contemplate the situation to find more than one option. You can also write about ways that the situation could have been prevented in the first place.
#10. Write Down Prayers
If you don’t know what to write in a journal, then you can start by reaching out to your spiritual side for ideas. Many of us pray on a daily basis, so instead of simply saying them out loud, write down your thoughts as well. This can be a way to increase your spiritual activity. It will help you strengthen your resolve. These prayers can focus on any aspect of your spiritual life, from gratitude to praise and worship.
#11. Express Gratitude
Sometimes we forget to show our gratitude for the good things in our lives. Each night, take the time to write about a few things that occurred during the day that you are grateful for. If you start writing down your gratitude, you will most likely begin showing how grateful you are, which can be an inspirational form of personal development.
Gratitude is such a strong thing to write about you may want to consider having a journal specifically for expressing gratitude. It may sound odd, but writing about how you appreciate others, even if you never show anyone, actually makes you feel a lot better about yourself.