If you’re like me, you’ve probably tried half a dozen times to start a journal. Well, to be more accurate, you did start a journal, but it never made it much further than that.

Even though daily journaling has amazing benefits (like stress relieve, more organized thoughts, increased creativity and better problem solving skills, just to name a few), it’s hard to make journaling a daily habit. The reality is, day-to-day life is actually kind of dull, which makes writing about it as enticing as 2-day old McDonalds.

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To help keep me interested in journaling, I began using simple prompts to give me some guidance in my writing. Some days my thoughts hardly vary and other days I end up far from where I started. But that’s the great thing about journaling- it doesn’t matter.

If this sounds like a tactic that will help you be more successful in your own journaling experience, here are some great prompts to get you started. I recommend filling one page, at least, so elaborate! Let your pen follow your mind and write whatever pops into your head.

1. Your goals for the next month
2. What makes you happy
3. Something to let go of
4. A fictional character you’d like to trade places with
5. Something you don’t tell people
6. Something that makes you excited
7. A memory from around a fireplace (or bonfire)
8. Your favorite thing about yourself
9. The theme song to your life
10. Something you’re looking forward to
11. One thing the world needs more of
12. A book that changed your life
13. A moment you will always remember
14. Your favorite place
15. What don't you share?
16. Your biggest accomplishment
17. Someone you need to forgive
18. What are you most grateful for?
19. The thing you would like to be remembered for
20. Is your life what you imagined?
21. A habit you need to break
22. Something good that happened today
23. Your biggest fear
24. Something you wish people knew about you
25. Your dream job
26. What motivates you?
27. What makes you proud?
28. Favorite childhood memory
29. The nicest thing anyone has done for you
30. Your greatest dream
31. What are you offering the world?
32. A trip you want to take
33. The thing you want most out of life
34. Who inspires you?
35. Someone you miss
36. The title of your life story
37. The best advice you’ve ever received
38. Something you wish you knew 5 years ago
39. The thing that's holding you back
40. The best part of your day
41. Something you wish you did more often
42. Something you need to change