Questions To Wrap Up Your Day – Journal Prompts
How many times have you finally dragged yourself off to bed and your head is whirling with a million and one thoughts?
Some days are full-on! They are busy and it feels like there is an endless to-do list unfolding which only means overwhelm and sleepless nights.
I feel you.
One of the greatest tips I ever came across was to write down what was happening in your head before you go to bed. Now the only problem with that was that I had no clue where to even start.
However, I’m one of those super annoying organising types – Even my mind needs to be structured. I just had to figure out the best way to get the most out of my journaling practice but to also set my day up for tomorrow. After a whole lot of fine-tuning, I came up with a daily practice that helped me to get the mind mess out onto paper so I could get a good night’s sleep. I could relax knowing what I had to do the next day without having to go over it a few more thousand times.
Let’s go through these simple questions to wrap up your day.
X Questions to Wrap Up Your Day
Before we go deep it’s really important to get rid of the mind clutter that is hanging over our heads – that dreaded to-do list.
#1 WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TOMORROW?
Write a list of clear actions that need to take place tomorrow – it can be super simple like, kids to soccer, get milk OR to go to the hairdressers. What we are looking for here is to get the to-do list out on paper, so it’s not in your head. First list 3-5 things that need to happen tomorrow, put these bad boys on a post-it note, and put it somewhere where you can see it ready to go for in the morning. Mine lives on my laptop.
So you are probably thinking, my to-do list is epically long. I’ve got you. Hold on…
Anything that needs to happen over the coming week write it down in a notebook – prioritise the order of the tasks to be done. Each day you can pull from that list in your notebook and put things on to post-it notes for the day.
Then those bigger projects, get a whiteboard or even a large piece of card and write them up there (these are the things you are working towards or want to do) For example I put all my ideas up on to my board, that way I have recorded them but they get out of my head instead of letting them take me on a wild adventure in my mind. I can come back to them when the time is right.
Some days I just write out my to-do list in my journal then organise those tasks like the above so I’m clear on my focus.
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Now let’s get into journaling. Journaling is about writing down your thoughts and feelings without a filter. This means honoring how you are in the present state. Not what you think you are supposed to write. And if you have nothing to write at all, acknowledge it – it’s okay to notice nothing in your mind and body – so write it down.
#2 WHAT DID I ACHIEVE TODAY?
It’s, oh, so easy to skip straight to the bit of the day that sucked. That is why it’s important to look for the gold in the day. No matter what happened there is always something that we can be grateful for, it could simply be that you had a fantastic cup of coffee from your favourite cafe, you bought a new dress that makes you feel fab, you resolved a problem that had been bothering you.
Write down the highlights from your day and how they made you feel. What did you love about them?
If you are struggling to find a hidden gem, it’s noteworthy to remind yourself to slow down during the day to appreciate the many moments that happen. Take a few extra breaths soaking up the sun if need be.
Got loads to be grateful for? Well list them out and celebrate them! It’s okay to acknowledge our successes, this is growth. We deserve a little glitter party so start learning to praise yourself.
#3 WHERE DID I STRUGGLE OR FACE PROBLEMS TODAY?
Some days are met with a list of issues the moment we roll out of bed. Here is where we honour the mess, the struggles, emotions and problems that came up. Write down in dot point or write out the situation to gain a deeper insight to the issue.
When we see our challenges with clarity it gives us the opportunity to learn from them. Write down the lessons that have come from tacking on your challenges, seeing through your struggles and problem-solving. Jot down a few notes on how you can apply those lessons to better your life in the future.
#4 WHAT DOES MY DREAM LIFE +LOOK LIKE? (SPILL IT ALL OUT – PAINT ME THAT PICTURE)
This is my daily reminder of what I am working towards. Some days I just write a list while others I get creative and elaborate explaining my dream life.
The reason why it’s so important to keep an eye on your dream is to make sure that it is still aligned with who you are. It lights you up. The dream can be simple or as complex as you like – just remember its what you want.
Some days while I write this section I often surprise myself with new discoveries, I will be madly writing and a new idea drops in. These new ideas are often the breadcrumbs I follow to create my dream life.
The idea of living our dream life is feeling a certain way – so think about how you are moving through life now and how you want to be. What is the energy you hold, what is the environment around you, the people, the work you do??
#5 AM I HOLDING MYSELF BACK FROM CREATING MY DREAM LIFE? IF SO HOW?
This question is meant to get under your skin. Can you pinpoint anyway that you might be blocking yourself from having the life you described above? If so how? Dive into that, ask yourself ‘Why?’ a few times to see if there are some answers there.
Doing this exercise helps us to see our weaknesses or areas that we can invest time in to strengthen. Creating our dream life takes one step at a time and if we are not showing up for it now, then we need to look at how we can problem solve why that is.
#6 What are three actions that I can do to support myself on this journey?
It’s time for a little self-love reminder. Smashing out your to-do list is awesome, I feel you. However, it is equally important to take time to replenish your energy and get you into a headspace that feels badass for the next day’s list.
These things can be really simple – a ten-minute meditation, a cup of tea outside under the stars before bed, a dance party to shift your energy, order a book you have been wanting to learn from, a podcast episode that could give guidance on a situation that came up today.
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The end of the day is about winding down. These journal prompts are to support you to dive deeper into your day, hold yourself accountable for your actions and show us the lessons that occur as we move through life. We are all here experimenting and dancing with life and when we do this work to own our mess and celebrate ourselves we are demonstrating to the world that we mean business, we are here to create the life we desire, with passion, purpose and determination.
I hope these journal prompts help support you.
