Have you ever met a New Year’s denier?
You know the type.
They bah-humbug their way through January 1st, insisting it’s just another day that shouldn’t hold any significance.
On the one hand, we get it.
Every day is a fresh opportunity to start over, work harder, and do better.
But we’d argue there’s something special about the beginning of a year.
So, in honor of the planet’s “birthday,” today we’re talking about New Year’s journaling.
Why Write New Year Journal Prompts?
For starters, journaling is great for your mental health. According to health care provider Kaiser Permanente, regularly writing in a journal has been proven to help people:
- Achieve their goals
- Develop self-confidence
- Improve their writing and communication skills
- Improve their memories
- Track the progress of their objectives
- Reduce stress and anxiety
New Year’s is a time of rejuvenation — a tabula rasa — making it a super time to think about last year’s highlights and low points and set goals for the 12 months ahead.
How to Start Your New Year’s Journaling Habit
How can you start a journaling habit that sticks? We’ve got an action plan.
- Stock Up: The first step is stocking up. Start with two new journals. We recommend getting hardcover books with lined pages and a box of smooth-writing pens. If you’re more artistic, also pick up an unruled notebook. Why hardcover? It’s a built-in desk so that you can journal anywhere. (For the same reason, we recommend spiral options so you can fold over the pages.)
- Start Slowly: The more you journal, the more benefits you’ll enjoy. People who put pen to paper daily experience the most gains. But we recommend starting slowly. Commit to doing it once a week in January. Then increase the frequency, so you’re up to five days a week by the middle of the year.
- Use Prompts: One of the most challenging things about maintaining a journaling habit is figuring out what to write and think about. Prompts are a massive help in this arena.
- Keep It Separated: Consider keeping two journals: one for positive thoughts and analysis, the other for negative. That way, at some point, you can go back and read the positive journal when you need a boost and not have to worry about stumbling upon triggering sentiments.
65 New Year Journal Prompts to Start the Year with Mindful Intention
In the market for journal prompts for the new year? We’ve got your back.
1. Will this be the year that I…
2. The best part about this year was…
3. The worst part about the year was…
4. What were your resolution stats for the end of the year? What factors contributed to your final stats?
6. What was your biggest accomplishment?
7. What is the one mistake or unfortunate incident you most want to leave in [YEAR ENDING] and never think about again?
8. What was the biggest lesson you learned?
9. Who do you owe an apology to for your behavior during the year?
10. What behavioral or personality fault did you successfully tackle?
11. What personality or behavioral issue do you want to overcome in the coming year?
12. What three adjectives best define your year?
13. I’m proud that this year, I….
14. I’m grieving the fact that I… this year.
15. I forgive myself for…
16. The person who supported me the most during the year was…
17. What three goals do you want to achieve next year?
18. How do you want to change your eating habits next year?
19. What three new things would you like to try for the new year? Why?
20. What quality did you develop this year that you want to bring into the next?
21. What is the most destructive habit you want to crush in the coming year?
22. Do you want to change anything about the way you look in the coming year? Why? Is it something you genuinely care about or is it rooted in outside pressure?
24. What are your plans to maintain good health next year?
25. Have you created a budget for next year? How much do you hope to save?
26. If the Universe could help you with only one thing in the coming year, what would it be?
27. Name three ways you can push yourself out of your comfort zone in the new first quarter.
28. What would you say if someone asked you to describe yourself in the current phase of your life?
29. What limiting beliefs are you going to ignore starting in January? Write them a breakup letter.
30. What person did you completely forgive this past year? Is there someone you want to focus on in the same way next year?
31. Do a beginning-of-the-year assessment of your life. What’s going right? What’s your base point?
33. What strengths do I have and need to nurture in the coming year to reach my goals?
34. In what ways can you put yourself first in the new year? Name three ways why you deserve it.
35. Who inspired you to do better over the last 12 months? How can you thank them?
36. What are your deal breakers for the new year?
37. What will your mantras be for the next 12 months?
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38. How can you serve your community going forward?
39. What can you do to be kinder to the planet?
40. How can you make more time for your pet in the coming year? How can you be a better parent to a four-paw?
41. What will success look like at the end of the coming year?
42. How can you incorporate more mindfulness into your life in the coming year?
43. In what ways can you implement a “less is more” approach starting in January?
44. Map out quarter goals for the year. Where do you hope to be in 3, 6, 9, and 12 months from now?
45. Is there something you want to do every day starting on January 1? What is it, and why do you want to do it?
46. How will you express your creativity going forward?
47. What one thing do you hope to do that scares you?
48. Write a letter to your future self — the one who will be reading this in 12 months.
49. Write down two pages of quotes you think may inspire you over the coming year.
50. If a genie showed up on your doorstep and granted you two wishes, what would they be?
52. How can you be more present for your friends and family?
53. What musical artists did you discover in the last 12 months? What do you love about their sound?
54. How many books do you want to read in the next 12 months? What’s your plan to make that happen?
55. What new foods would you like to try next year?
56. Decluttering your life is highly beneficial to your brain and body. What can you eliminate to give you more space?
57. What fears will you try to squash as a New Year’s resolution?
58. In what ways can you be more compassionate in the coming 12 months?
59. Think about a self-care routine for the new year. How much time will you set aside for yourself weekly?
60. Create an alter ego for this coming year. What are their characteristics, and how will they help you achieve your goals?
61. What can you do this upcoming year that will get you one step closer to your dream life?
62. What boundaries can you set to help you have more peace of mind starting in January?
63. Do you currently have any draining relationships? Do you want to continue them over the next 12 months? If not, how do you plan to wind things down?
64. Think about why you want the things you do. Are they self-directed or a product of socio-cultural expectations? If it’s the latter, how can you diminish the amount of unhelpful outside influences in the coming year?
65. Try the 65 in 365 challenge. To prep, write down 65 micro-goals you’d love to reach over the next 365 days.
It’s going to be a great year, and we know you have what it takes to rock it — especially if this is the year you make journaling a pillar of your self-development work.
We hope our New Year’s resolution writing prompts help you along the way. May this year’s force be with you!
