Journal Prompts for Goal Setting

Most goals fail quietly: they were vague, too big, or nobody looked at them again after January. Writing about a goal before, during and after working on it fixes all three.

Use the first sections when you set a goal, the obstacles section when you plan, and come back to the review section every week or two.

Each prompt below has a Write about this link: it opens a new private entry with the prompt as its title, so you can start writing straight away.

Choosing what matters

• What do I want more of in my life this year? Write about this: What do I want more of in my life this year? →
• What do I want less of? Write about this: What do I want less of? →
• Which area of my life would improve everything else if it improved? Write about this: Which area of my life would improve everything else if it improved? →
• Which goal am I setting because I want it, and which because I feel I should? Write about this: Which goal am I setting because I want it, and which because I feel I should? →
• What would I regret not trying in the next year? Write about this: What would I regret not trying in the next year? →
• What did I want five years ago that I still want? Write about this: What did I want five years ago that I still want? →
• If I could only achieve one goal this year, which would it be? Write about this: If I could only achieve one goal this year, which would it be? →
• How will my life look different if I reach this goal? Write about this: How will my life look different if I reach this goal? →

Making it concrete

• How will I know, exactly, that I have reached this goal? Write about this: How will I know, exactly, that I have reached this goal? →
• What is a realistic deadline, and what makes it realistic? Write about this: What is a realistic deadline, and what makes it realistic? →
• What is the very first step, small enough to do today? Write about this: What is the very first step, small enough to do today? →
• What does a good week of progress look like? Write about this: What does a good week of progress look like? →
• Which part of this goal can I measure? Write about this: Which part of this goal can I measure? →
• What resources, skills or people do I need? Write about this: What resources, skills or people do I need? →
• What will I stop doing to make time for this? Write about this: What will I stop doing to make time for this? →
• How will I remind myself of this goal every week? Write about this: How will I remind myself of this goal every week? →

Planning for obstacles

• What is the most likely reason I would give up? Write about this: What is the most likely reason I would give up? →
• When I miss a day, what will I do the next day? Write about this: When I miss a day, what will I do the next day? →
• What has stopped me from reaching similar goals before? Write about this: What has stopped me from reaching similar goals before? →
• Who or what tends to pull me off track? Write about this: Who or what tends to pull me off track? →
• What will I do when I lose motivation, because I will? Write about this: What will I do when I lose motivation, because I will? →
• What is my plan for a busy or stressful week? Write about this: What is my plan for a busy or stressful week? →
• Who can I ask to check in on my progress? Write about this: Who can I ask to check in on my progress? →
• What is the smallest version of this goal I can keep going on a bad day? Write about this: What is the smallest version of this goal I can keep going on a bad day? →

Reviewing progress

• What progress did I make this week, even if small? Write about this: What progress did I make this week, even if small? →
• What worked better than I expected? Write about this: What worked better than I expected? →
• What did not work, and what will I change? Write about this: What did not work, and what will I change? →
• Am I still excited about this goal? If not, why? Write about this: Am I still excited about this goal? If not, why? →
• What have I learned about myself while working on this? Write about this: What have I learned about myself while working on this? →
• Is my deadline still realistic? Write about this: Is my deadline still realistic? →
• What would I do differently if I were starting this goal today? Write about this: What would I do differently if I were starting this goal today? →
• What is my focus for the next two weeks? Write about this: What is my focus for the next two weeks? →

Celebrating and letting go

• What milestone have I reached that I have not celebrated yet? Write about this: What milestone have I reached that I have not celebrated yet? →
• How will I reward myself when I reach this goal? Write about this: How will I reward myself when I reach this goal? →
• Which goal is it time to let go of, and is that okay? Write about this: Which goal is it time to let go of, and is that okay? →
• What did this goal give me, even if I did not fully reach it? Write about this: What did this goal give me, even if I did not fully reach it? →
• Who helped me along the way, and have I thanked them? Write about this: Who helped me along the way, and have I thanked them? →
• What new goal grew out of this one? Write about this: What new goal grew out of this one? →
• What am I proud of in how I worked, not just what I achieved? Write about this: What am I proud of in how I worked, not just what I achieved? →
• What do I want my next chapter to be about? Write about this: What do I want my next chapter to be about? →

What an answer can look like

Goal: run 5 km without stopping by March. Most likely reason I will give up: dark, cold mornings. Plan: run at lunch on weekdays, and on a bad day just walk for 15 minutes so the habit stays alive.

That's it: a few honest lines. Nobody grades a diary.

Tips for using journal prompts

• One prompt is enough. Answering a single prompt well beats skimming five.
• Set a small limit. Five minutes or three sentences keeps it easy to start.
• Be specific. Names, places and details make entries worth rereading.
• Keep it private. You write more honestly when you know nobody else will read it. How Ediary keeps entries private.