21 Journaling List Ideas to Inspire You
Do you have a journal? Is it sitting on your bedside waiting for you to use it while you feel you’ve run out of ideas of what to write? I find lists a great way to keep track of my life and of what I want to keep from getting lost in the hurdle. However, I find it hard sometimes to even think of what to write down myself. If you’re like me in that sense, here’s a prompt for us with 21 journaling list ideas that will help us keep track of things that matter.
How many times do you have an inspiring idea or come across an interesting activity you want to follow up on, but later end up forgetting about? Your journal can be a great resource to keep track of those thoughts so you actually get to accomplish them. Lists are a great way to compile ideas, thoughts, interests, and dreams while also ensuring they get taken care of. Writing them down in detail is important so that even if you don’t look at the list again, it gets stored in your brain where you will be way more likely to actually follow through with it.
The 21 journaling list ideas below are just the starting point of what you can do as you journal each day!
1. Things To-Do
A to-do list may not be a conventional thing to do while journaling (I personally like to keep them in a planner), but for some people it helps. And we know that just by writing it down we are more likely to remember and get them done. Your list can include daily chores as well as fun or relaxing activities for your time off.
You can split these into daily tasks (that happen periodically, such as exercise, get the garbage out) and one-time tasks (such as schedule a Dr. appointment). Check them off as you do them. At the end of each week or periodically, remember go back to it and celebrate all the things you’ve accomplished!
2. Things You are Grateful for
Making a gratitude list is one of the most common themes when it comes to journaling. It’s helpful to write down all that you are grateful for. When you are needing a mood boost, you can come back to this list. It will remind you just how blessed your life is. It is recommended to be used as a daily routine to increase your life’s level of happiness.
3. Short-Term Goals
At the end of each weekend, I like to put all my goals for the following week on my planner. This could also be done in a journal. Breaking down your bigger goals into actionable items you can work on everyday is a must to progress toward your goals. Writing down your short term goals – be it for today, the week or the month, is a great way of making sure you meet them.
4. Long-Term Goals
In order to have a clear list of short-term goals, it’s important to know what you want to accomplish as a long-term goal first. What are your goals for the year, or the next five years? Make a list of them. Use them as a reference when making your short-term list. Include how you plan on achieving each of one of them and leave room to your progress updates.
5. Goals Achieved
As you cross out items from your short-term and long-term goals, add them to your Goals Achieved list. The purpose of this list is to remind yourself of your accomplishments and reward yourself for them. Maybe you can create a system where, for each 5 short-term goals achieved, you treat yourself to a special date by yourself, or with your spouse or a friend – whatever makes you happy! Celebrate those wins!
6. Favorite Movies, Music, TV Shows, Podcasts or Books
My husband has a running list of favorite movies he has shown our kid – mostly classical ones such as “Singing in the Rain” or “The Miracle Worker”. Making lists of favorite things is fun, and helps remind you of what makes you happy. We have sent this movies list to friends who asked for recommendations over and over so it was really helpful that he wrote them all down. Also very helpful when we want new ideas for getting inspired!
7. Movies, Music, TV Shows, Podcasts or Books you Want to Watch/Listen to/Read
This one is for when you get recommendations from others but cannot immediately get to it. Logging these on a list of future things to do will give you quick ideas when you are looking for them in the future!
8. Places to Go to
Traveling is a great hobby and there are so many interesting places to go. I hope to soon start to being able to travel more again, and take my son along! There’s always something new to explore, or places I want to go back to. Traveling is such a wonderful mind expanding experience!
A lot of people think great trips only happens if you go abroad or long-distance across countries; however, we often forget about finding wonderful nearby destinations just waiting for us. Remember your country may also have great spots to visit, and make that list!
When you finally do get to visit them, remember to cross them off your list and write down your favorite memories, and print your favorite pictures!
9. Places You Have Traveled to
As you cross of places to go to from the list above, add them to this one, or add previous trips. Just as planning a future trip is fun, journaling about trips you’ve made is great for reliving those happy memories. When you write down your experiences while fresh on your mind, you can relive them years later after you’ve forgotten many of the details, making it a fun reading experience that can put a smile on your face or that you can share with someone else!
10. Hobbies You Want to Try
Everyone has things they want to try one day but haven’t gotten around to. When you make a list of these things you are more likely to actually get to them one day. As you get to do them, journal about how that experience felt like. Did you have fun? Was there something about it you didn’t like? Will you integrate it into your routine?
11. Positive Affirmations and Quotes
Just as the gratitude daily journaling, the positive (or, as I like to call them, blissful) affirmations daily practice is also a powerful tool for shifting our mindsets to a highly successful one. Writing and reading positive affirmations (and quotes) inspires us to be and do better, and journaling about our favorite ones will help to keep us on that blissful road.
12. Traditions
Do you and your family have activities you enjoy doing regularly? Make a list of favorite traditions and journal about each one of them. Traditions come and go, so these entries will make for great memories, while also serving as recommendations you can later pass down to friends and generations to come.
13. Praises / Great Reviews You Have Received From Others
One of the favorite things I like to keep track of is a list of compliments I’ve gotten at work or from customer reviews of my service. They help remind me of how great I can be and of my talents and are a great thing to revisit when I am feeling down or have doubts about my skills.
14. Wins or Highlights of the Day
A great idea for a daily or weekly practice (monthly if you have a good memory!), journaling about your wins helps you focus on your accomplishments. It also gives you ideas on things you can add to your gratitude journal. And focusing on the positive, as we know, helps attract more positive things to your life. What you focus on, expands.
15. Habits to Track
Habit trackers can also be found in planners, but you may use your journal as your primary tool for tracking all your daily habits. This way you’ll take care of everything from deadlines to making sure you stay on top of those healthy habits.
16. Things that Make You Happy
Make a list of all of the things that make you happy, big or small. Maybe it’s a fresh out of the oven apple pie, a particular song, or your favorite cozy pajamas. This list will help lift your mood when you are feeling sad. You can come to it at times you need a boost and find things to do that spark you joy.
17. Things that Make You Sad
If you ever find yourself feeling blue, stop and think about what it is that might be bringing the mood. You can then add it to this list to create a journal entry on your personal triggers with ideas for coping strategies. Also, it also may give you ideas of how to create personal boundaries to keep you from situations that are preventable.
18. Rainy Day Activities
What are some of the best ways to spend a rainy day? This helpful list lets you have lots of different things to do on standby. We don’t often find ourselves with nothing to do, but a list can come in handy when we’re bored and without an idea! Also it’s a great way for us adults cure that “I’m bored” nagging from our partner or kids; just give them something fun on this page they’ll love… and so will you!
19. Daily Routines
Different than the routine tracker, this is just a main list of routines you want to keep on a regular basis. It is also a good way to see how you are spending your time. You can use this to prioritize and check back occasionally to assess what is and isn’t working, and adjust.
20. Self-Care List
A good place to keep a list of ideas for when you want to reward yourself (see item 5). But make sure you have some of these included as part of your daily routines, too. Self-care ideas can vary according to your preferences. For me, it includes a hot shower, time to read a book, listen to music I like or go out with friends.
21. Favorite Jokes
Laughing is a great therapy. Having your favorite jokes compiled in one place is perfect for when you need a laugh. Even include those not-so-funny jokes your kids have invented, as these will make up for incredible memories when they are all grown up!
As you could see, these were just some ideas to give you inspiration on how to compile lists on your journal, and they are a great way to collect information from the past, present and future. They are also an amazing opportunity for reflection and memory keeping. Let me know below if you used any of the ideas above, or if you have one list you journal about that hasn’t been mentioned! Enjoy creating your lists!