10 Revealing Journaling Prompts to Tell the Truth About Your 2020
2020. The year that will forever live in infamy as the dumpster fire year. A rollercoaster of emotions and maybe, just maybe the year you learned to find the silver linings.
Journaling. Brain dumping. Putting pen to paper. An exercise you love and crave. Your way of recording events and creative expression. Or you’re new to journaling. It’s something you’ve been told to do but when you sit down to start writing, you can’t seem to find what to write about.
Cue — prompts! I am sharing with you 10 revealing journaling prompts to get your creative juices flowing so you can write an epic 2020 year in review.
Get your favorite pen and journal, or type them out. Do all the prompts or pick out your favorites. Really, choose your own adventure here.
2020 has been, well Interesting. And it’s important to take some time to think about what you’ve learned, noticed, or changed.
Journaling allows you to record this moment, in case you ever want to look back, but also helps to release everything you’re holding onto from this year. Like the things that happened what feels like years ago [it was March…] that you pushed to the back of your mind because you didn’t have time to deal with it.
Use these 10 intuitive journaling prompts as a way to cleanse and clear out before heading into 2021. Let’s look at the good, the sad and a few things in between.
1. What was the most significant change I experienced?
This could be anything from a change in employment, to a relationship change or even moving across the country. Maybe it’s a physical change or a change in perspective. Was the change sudden? Did you choose it or was it a surprise? How is that change impacting you now?
2. What new hobby or routine did I pick up?
Were you on the banana bread train or did you become a sourdough expert? Maybe you started riding bikes or going for daily walks with your neighbor.
What was there space for this year and how did you fill it? How did doing that make you feel? Is it something you think you’ll continue to do?
3. What did I let go of?
Maybe this is something that you are still actively learning to let go of every day. And 2020 just brought it to the foreground.
Is it the need to have your life appear a certain way? The need to achieve or produce by society’s standards? Or fear holding you back from your passions.
Was it something you had been forcing and finally chose to surrender? What limiting thought or belief did you let go of this year? What habit or routine did you let go of?
4. Who did I become closer to?
Whether by design or by chance, the people you spent your time with this year probably changed. It is truly an illusion that we as humans are separate from one another, 2020 showed us that. The ability to find common ground in our experience of this year is a unique perspective on what it means to be united. Be it in your home, block, workplace, city, or internationally.
Who did you spend your time with? How did you keep in touch? Whose presence do you crave to be around? Have you enjoyed spending time with these humans? Be honest…
5. What did I learn I could live without?
Stuff, people, social events, overpriced coffee. What did you notice that you didn’t miss? Are you happier now that you’ve had space without it? Or do you “know” you can live without it but when you have it now makes you enjoy it more? How has focusing on what you have made you feel?
6. How did I do with my finances?
Are you cringing? Don’t. This is YOUR journal, remember? Money is a leading cause of stress and not thinking about it doesn’t make it magically solve itself. So look at your current situation and make a plan. Every step forward, no matter how small, makes a difference.
Where do you want to be in the next six months? In the next year? Do you need to consult a professional? Pay off debt? Make a budget?
7. What milestones were affected?
2020 was the year of virtual everything, from meetings to baby showers to graduations. Milestones are essential road markers in our life. They tell the story of our hard work, accomplishments and achievements. Some of those milestones didn’t go the way they’re “supposed to” — like a virtual prom anyone?
So instead, how were they celebrated? How will you remember them? What were you disappointed about? Acknowledging that you were disappointed about something, even though you know it was the right thing to do, is okay. You are allowed to feel loss and sad about what was missing.
8. Who did I say goodbye to?
This one is tough and can feel taboo. Yet, we all either have someone close that passed away or know someone who lost someone this year. Without our traditional ways of processing death and dying, it can be difficult to grasp that loved ones who’ve passed are gone. Did anyone you know pass away? Did you get to say goodbye? What do you wish you could have told them? How will you remember them?
9. How did I show up?
How did you show up to your life this year? In the face of change and adversity, fear and restrictions. Who were you? How did you face it? Who did you get to be? Did it surprise you? How do you feel about how you showed up?
10. What do I see is possible for 2021?
Dream big. Now double it! If there’s anything that 2020 taught us it’s to expect the unexpected. So go for those goals, whatever they are. Take the steps, even if it feels like you’re taking two steps backward to take one step forward. Know that where you are is perfect and what you’re going for will work itself out.
Writing about your experiences helps identify the associated emotions. Once identified, you can process those emotions and move on.
Journaling about significant events is like taking inventory of all the things that you put in your backpack throughout the year. You take each one out, look at it and decide if it gets to go back in the backpack or if it gets left on the ground. Marie Kondo style, “does this spark joy?”
Writing it out and processing how you feel about each experience, choosing to keep it or letting it go, is a way of being intentional about the memories and energy you carry with you.
Work through the prompts and after each one honor the experience and release it. Take a deep breath and intentionally choose what you want to take with you into the next year.
Please let me know in the comments which of these writing prompts you used if not all. What other journaling prompts would you add to this list?
