Each prompt below contains a quote and question to think about. I have personally used each of these prompts countless times in the past to nudge myself into self-reflection, and I continue to revisit them regularly. They bring awareness to the subconscious attachments and assumptions we all have. And they can help you think and move through situations, big and small, so you can let go, refocus yourself, and make better decisions going forward.
Challenge yourself to read and reflect on one prompt a day for the next few weeks…
1.
Forgive yourself for the bad decisions you’ve made, for the times you lacked understanding, for the choices that hurt others and yourself. Forgive yourself, for being young and reckless. These are all vital lessons. And what matters most right now is your willingness to grow from them.
What specifically do you need to forgive yourself for? What have your errors in judgment taught you?
2.
The mind is your battleground. It’s the place where the fiercest conflict resides. It’s where half the things you feared would happen, never actually happened. It’s where your expectations get the best of you, and you fall victim to your own train of thought time and time again.
What’s one thought that has been getting the best of you lately? How has it been influencing your behavior?
3.
What you focus on grows. Stop micromanaging your time. Start better managing your focus. 95% of what stressed you out recently won’t matter a month from now. Shake off the nonsense, bring your attention back to what’s important, and move forward with your life.
What is truly worth focusing on today? What is NOT?
4.
Happiness on the average day is letting go of what you assume your life is supposed to be like right now, and sincerely appreciating it for everything that it is. So relax. You are enough. You have enough. You do enough. Breathe deep… let go, and just live right now in the moment.
What do you appreciate most about your life right now? Why?
5.
A tiny part of your life is decided entirely by uncontrollable circumstances, while the vast majority of it is decided by your internal responses to those circumstances. Let this sink in. Regardless of what’s going on around you, peace of mind arrives the moment you come to peace with what’s on your mind.
What is one reality you need to come to peace with? Why?
6.
It’s funny how we outgrow what we once thought we couldn’t live without, and then we fall in love with what we didn’t even know we wanted. Life keeps leading us on journeys we would never go on if it were up to us. Don’t be afraid. Have faith. Find the lessons. Trust the journey.
What’s something you’ve let go that once meant the world to you? And what’s something you love today that you never even knew you needed in your life?
7.
Most of the time you have a choice. If you don’t like a changeable aspect of your life, it’s time to start making changes and new choices. And it’s OK to be low-key about it. You don’t need to put everything on TikTok and Instagram. Silently progress and let your actions speak for themselves.
Over the past month, what have your actions been silently saying about your priorities? Are there any changes you want to make? If so, elaborate.
8.
We waste our time waiting for the ideal path to appear, but it never does. Because we forget that paths are made by walking, not waiting. And no, you shouldn’t feel more confident before you take the next step. Taking the next step is what builds your confidence.
What’s the next step you’ve been thinking about taking for far too long?
9.
The next step means nothing if you are in love with your comfort zone and simply walking in circles. Don’t live the same day 30,000 times and call it a life! Growth begins today, at the end of your comfort zone. Dream. Attempt. Explore. This moment is the doorway to anything you want.
How have you stretched your comfort zone in the past month (even slightly)? What did you learn from the experience? What’s one new comfort zone challenge you’d like to conquer?
10.
Your capacity to be happy is directly related to the quality of people whom most closely surround you. So be with those who are good for your mental health. Those who bring you inner peace. Those who challenge your bad habits, but also support your ability to change and grow.
Who have you spent the most time with over the past month, and how have these people affected your life?
11.
Too often we say “life is not fair” while we’re snacking on food, sipping a drink, and reading social media posts on our smartphones. Think twice and be thankful. At the end of the day, before you close your eyes, breathe deeply, appreciate where you are, and see the value in what you have.
What is one privilege you have that you often take for granted?
12.
When things aren’t adding up in your life, begin subtracting. Life gets a lot simpler when you clear the clutter that makes it complicated. Fill your life with lots of experiences, not lots of things. Have incredible stories to tell, not incredible clutter in your closets.
What kinds of physical clutter have been complicating your life and diverting you from meaningful life experiences?
13.
Even when it seems personal, rarely do people do things because of you, they do things because of them. You know this is true. You may not be able control all the things people say and do to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Make that decision for yourself today.
What’s something you often take too personally even though, logically, you know better? How has this habit affected your life?
14.
You can’t control how other people receive your energy or communication. Anything you do or say gets filtered through the lens of these people’s opinions and past experiences, which oftentimes has nothing to do with you. Just keep doing your thing with as much love and honesty as possible.
What’s one good, recent example of someone with a bad attitude (or someone genuinely suffering from past trauma) completely misjudging you?
15.
You won’t always be a priority to others, and that’s why you have to be a priority to yourself. Learn to respect yourself, take care of yourself, and become your own support system. Your needs matter. Start meeting them. Don’t wait on others to choose you. Choose yourself today!
How have you chosen yourself recently? How will you choose yourself today?
16.
Just breathe, be, and pay attention to what it’s like to be YOU. Nothing to fix. Nothing to change. Nowhere else to go. Just you, breathing, being, with presence, without judgment. You are welcome here. You belong here. Here, you are enough. Close your eyes. Breathe…
What’s something true about yourself that you need to embrace more openly and lovingly?
17.
There’s a big difference between giving up and starting over in the right direction. Know when enough is enough already, and respect yourself for feeling that way. Sometimes we have to say goodbye before we can say hello. Sometimes we have to let go to move forward with our lives.
What’s something from your past that you are thankful you gave up on? Why?
18.
Give yourself the space to hear your own voice — your own soul. Too many of us listen to the noise of the world and get lost in the crowd. Stand strong today! Live by choice, not by chance. Work to grow, not compete. Choose to listen to yourself, not the jumbled opinions of everyone else.
What has your inner voice been trying to tell you lately? What does it mean?
19.
Forget popularity. Just do your thing with passion, humility, and honesty. Do what you do, not for an applause, but because it’s what’s right. Pursue it a little bit each day, no matter what anyone else thinks. That’s how dreams are achieved.
What’s something that’s worth working on today, regardless of what other people think? Why is it important to you?
20.
If it entertains you now but will hurt or bore you someday, it’s a distraction. Don’t settle. Don’t exchange what you want most for what you kind of want at the moment. Study your habits. Figure out where your time goes, and remove distractions. It’s time to focus more on what matters most.
What distractions have been getting the best of you lately? How often? Why?
21.
Don’t fall back into your old patterns of living just because they’re more comfortable and easier to access. Remember, you left certain habits and situations behind for a reason: to improve your life. And right now, you can’t move forward if you keep going back.
What’s one old pattern of behavior that sometimes still sneaks up on you? What’s a better alternative and why?
22.
Your mind and body need to be exercised to gain strength. They need to be challenged consistently. If you haven’t pushed yourself in lots of little ways over time — if you always avoid doing the hard things — you’ll crumble on the inevitable days that are harder than you expected.
How can you provide healthy challenges for both your mind and body on a daily basis? What will you do today to walk the talk?
23.
As you age, you’ll learn to value your time, genuine relationships, meaningful work, and peace of mind, much more. Little else will matter. Thus, the strongest sign of your growth is realizing you’re no longer worried or stressed by the trivial things that once used to drain you.
What’s something that used to drive you crazy, but no longer bothers you? Why?
24.
Everybody you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something. Know this. Respect this. And be extra kind. Take time to really listen. Take time to learn something new. Take time to say thank you. Today.
What can you easily do to be a little kinder than usual today? And who was the last person who was unexpectedly kind to you?
25.
People will rarely think and act exactly the way you want them to. Hope for the best but expect less. Agree to disagree when necessary. And be careful not to dehumanize those you disagree with. In our self-righteousness, we can easily become the very things we dislike in others.
How have your recent expectations of others gotten the best of you? What happened, and what have you learned?
26.
Love what you do, until you can do what you love. Love where you are, until you can be where you love. Love the people you are with, until you can be with the people you love most. This is the way we find happiness, opportunity, and peace.
How will you embody “love” today? What specifically will you do?
27.
The older we grow, the more peaceful we become. Life humbles us gradually as we age. We realize how much nonsense we’ve wasted time on. So just do your best right now to feel the peace that flows from your decision to rise above the petty drama that doesn’t really matter.
What kind of drama do you sometimes get caught up in? What can you do to rise above it?
28.
It’s not too late. You aren’t behind. You’re exactly where you need to be. Every step is necessary. Don’t judge or berate yourself for how long your journey is taking. We all need our own time to travel our own distance. Give yourself credit right now. And be thankful you made it this far.
How far have you come? Seriously, how much have you grown? Think about the specifics of your recent and long-term growth. What have you not given yourself enough credit for?
29.
You’re not the same person you were a year ago, a month ago, or a week ago. You’re always growing. Experiences don’t stop. That’s life. And the very experiences that seem hard when you’re going through them are often the ones you’ll look back on with gratitude for how far you’ve come.
What’s the hardest thing you’re trying to accomplish or cope with right now? What’s something small and necessary about this struggle?
30.
There will come a time when you think it’s all over, everything is finished — you’ve reached the end of the road. That’s the starting line. Be humble. Be teachable. The world is often bigger than your view of the world. There’s always room for a new idea, a new step… a new beginning.
What does a new beginning mean to you right now? What’s the next step?
Consistency is everything…
These daily quotes and thinking prompts will have little effect if they are not used consistently. One day of self-reflection by itself won’t cut it.
It’s the compound effect of simple, seemingly mundane actions over time that leads to results.
For example, there’s nothing immediately exciting about putting one foot in front of the other every day for weeks, but by doing so many normal human beings have climbed over 29,000 feet to the top of the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest.
There’s nothing immediately exciting about forcing yourself into self-reflection for a few minutes every day, but by doing so thousands of people around the world have drastically better lives.
Remember, the mind needs to be trained to gain strength. It needs to be worked consistently to grow and develop over time. And that’s precisely what daily self-reflection allow you to achieve. If you don’t proactively push your mind in little positive ways every day, of course it’ll stumble on the days that are tougher than expected.
You have a choice right now!
Choose to put one foot in front of the other, when it would be easier to stay seated.
Choose to wake up earlier to reflect, when it would be easier to sleep in.
Prove to yourself, in little consistent ways, that you have the power to take control of your days and your life.
(Reminder: Marc and I build the small, life-changing daily ritual of self-reflection with our readers in “The Good Morning Journal: Powerful Prompts & Reflections to Start Every Day”.)
Now it’s your turn…
Marc and I would love to hear from YOU before you go. Your feedback is important to us.
Please leave us a comment below and let us know:
Which quote and corresponding question above resonates with you the most right now?
Also, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to sign-up for our free newsletter to receive new articles like this in your inbox each week.
Rose says
I already reflect in a journal every morning so I’m going to use these prompts to use intention when I journal for the next month or so. I work out a ton of my issues on the page all the time. These will help that much more. Thank you again!
Tayla says
Angel and Marc, until I attended your Think Better Live Better conference a couple years ago I never thought about my daily rituals the way I do now–that what I do every single day either makes or breaks me. This write-up on daily self-reflection as a ritual was a good reminder and surely pushes me to continue practicing what I’ve learned, in addition to cracking my dusty journal back open. Just small, consistent actions that start my days off right. Just a few short weeks ago, I never would have said that. I just wanted everything to be easier, rather than right. Anyway thanks for making a difference over here.
Dana Smith says
I did not have to go any further than number one! I have struggled for months now trying to forgive myself for something and I’m still battling it. I’m gonna start today doing some personal reflection and continue for the next 29 days with the rest of them so, for now, I’m not reading anything past number one. I’ve got to focus on it because it is draining everything out of me. Not only did I hurt someone else, it’s making me question who I’ve always thought and prided myself to be. Yet I did just the opposite of that and continue to struggle with this decision and in forgiving myself.
Kevin Newland says
Thanks for the email today, Angel! I’m thankful I took a few moments to read and reflect on this linked post. Although it’s taken me a long while to get to where I am now, self-reflection has been a part of my daily routine and personal wellness practice for nearly a decade now. And my morning routine is also one that brings peace. For me, that means a 15-minute walk at sunrise, a cup of decaf coffee, and reading (or re-reading) a few pages of a book that inspires me, like your books.
Hope everyone who reads this has a wonderful rest of the day.
Carey says
M&A, the whole idea of investing in yourself and working out your thoughts every day resonates. And as I read over the prompts #15 really jumped out at me. I used to struggle with this to no end. In fact, I found your work about three years ago when I was stuck in a moderate bout of depression. Between mind-wrenching career challenges and tough family obligations, my tank was totally dry. In a nutshell, I had been stretching myself too thin…I was giving all my energy to others and leaving absolutely no time to recuperate and grow. After reading your articles and emails, I signed up for your getting back to happiness course and completed the scheduled coaching with you. The little rituals we designed and implemented for overcoming my self-neglect and balancing my energy output have been a daily life-saver. And now I’m going to add 10 minutes of daily self-reflection into the mix. Thank you.
DK says
I began writing in journals in around 1986 when I was in college, and decided that I would compile my writings into several bound journals. It was a great reflection reading and then rewriting from journals so long ago. What was important, how I felt, where I went and who was important to me at that time. I wish I had started writing in 1981, as it was a very turbulent time for me trying to deal with my parents divorce, and getting to university. All in all, the reflecting/jounaling experience has been rewarding and your ideas were superb. I have listed them at the front of my newest journal and plan on visiting each of them in the near future.
Beth Davis says
This article really hit home for me. These are things I try to work on daily, and this is a great a reminder to keep on going. Life needs reflecting so we can grow, to be the best we can be, stronger and happier. I truly believe in life’s journey, taking risks, and being in the moment/present. I started reading your blogs about 5 years ago from a friend who posted one on Facebook. I was in need of this that day and have been throughout the years. Thank you for sharing your experiences and wisdom, it truly makes a difference for me.
C says
Thank you for this! I can look forward to a daily dose of knowledge, kindness, logic & so many other things that apply to my life or that of someone I know. Thankful for your sharing.
Sophia says
Someone above mentioned using these prompts in their journal. I love journaling too, especially when you get to come back years later and read what you wrote once you are in different space. This post’s prompts are ones that I’ll consider as I journal in the near future.
Raj says
I found you guys randomly and decided to commit to one of your previous 30 day journaling practices. It honestly took me 2 months and 10 days, as consistency has been my greatest foe. Some days were easy and some days tough. All were useful, even to sit and think that this is not applicable to me took a lot of reflection I wouldn’t have carved out for myself. I found something else, towards then end, there was a guiding subconscious hand changing my moods and habits. Obviously there are up and down days, which feel liberating or back to zero, but you don’t really see the effect until you track them and find the overall balance actual shifts. So thanks for this!
Lynn says
Love these prompts. Wish they were in a pdf file for download or printing… You all are always inspiring. I have journaled hit or miss but I need to get more consistent with it thanks for the inspiration
David says
I can begin with comenting on the first quote, and maybe reflect on one, on a daily basis at a time.
In my younger days, I would get angry and frustrated with a lack of communication with people who had trouble or simply refused to communicate. All along, I found myself being too busy to communicate well myself; a compounded problem.
Now, it’s not that I’ve become the greatest with interpersonal skills, but I am trying to do better.
Thanks and hugs.