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50 Journal Prompts, by Category

Not sure what to write? Start here. Five categories, ten prompts each — all free, right on this page.

Childhood memories

For revisiting your own childhood before the details blur, or recording it for family who'll want it later.

  1. What did your childhood bedroom actually look like — the walls, the mess, the smell?
  2. What's the earliest memory you're fairly sure is real, not something you were told about?
  3. Who was your best friend at age 8, and what did you do together on an ordinary afternoon?
  4. What did you want to be when you grew up, and where did that idea come from?
  5. What's a rule your parents had that made no sense to you at the time?
  6. What food instantly takes you back to being a kid, and why?
  7. What's something you were afraid of that seems small now?
  8. Describe a birthday you actually remember, in detail.
  9. What did your neighborhood sound like on a summer evening?
  10. What's a lie you told as a kid that you got away with?

Questions for your future self

For writing a Letter to Future Self, or journaling with a little more perspective than usual.

  1. What are you hoping is different a year from now?
  2. What's a decision you're sitting on right now that you haven't made yet?
  3. What do you want to remember about exactly how today felt?
  4. What's something you're pretending not to worry about?
  5. Who do you hope you're still close to?
  6. What's a habit you're trying to build, and how's it actually going?
  7. What would surprise you the most if it turned out to be true?
  8. What's something you're proud of that no one's noticed yet?
  9. If nothing changes from here, are you okay with that?
  10. What question do you want your future self to answer honestly?

Questions to ask a parent before it's too late

For adult children who want their parent's own words recorded — while there's still time to ask.

  1. What was your childhood home actually like?
  2. What's something about your own parents I never got to ask you?
  3. What's the hardest decision you ever made, and would you make it again?
  4. What did you want your life to look like at my age — and did it?
  5. What's a story about our family that only you know?
  6. What's something you were proud of that you never told anyone?
  7. What do you wish you'd done differently as a parent?
  8. What's a moment you'd relive exactly as it happened?
  9. What do you want me to know about who you were before I existed?
  10. What do you want to be remembered for?

End-of-year life review prompts

For an annual reflection ritual — New Year, a birthday, or just closing out the year honestly.

  1. What's one thing that happened this year you didn't see coming?
  2. What did you spend the most time on, and was it worth it?
  3. What relationship changed the most this year?
  4. What's something you finally let go of?
  5. What did you do this year that your younger self would be proud of?
  6. What's a mistake you made that taught you something real?
  7. Where did you feel most like yourself this year?
  8. What's something you said yes to that you'd say no to now?
  9. What do you want less of next year?
  10. What's one sentence that sums up this year honestly?

Milestone reflection prompts

For marking a specific milestone — a wedding, a new job, a move, the birth of a child — while it's still fresh.

  1. What did this day actually feel like, physically, in the moment?
  2. Who was there that mattered most to you?
  3. What almost didn't happen, that did?
  4. What do you want to remember saying, or being said to you?
  5. What were you afraid of right before this happened?
  6. What's different about you because of this moment?
  7. What would you tell someone about to go through this themselves?
  8. What's a detail no one else would think to write down?
  9. Who do you wish had been there?
  10. If you read this on the milestone's tenth anniversary, what do you want to know?

Questions people ask about this

Where can I find journal prompts for self-reflection?

This page has 50 free journal prompts across five categories: childhood memories, letters to your future self, questions to ask a parent, end-of-year reviews, and milestone reflections.

What are good questions to ask a parent before they pass away?

Good starting points include: what was your childhood home actually like, what's the hardest decision you ever made, what do you want to be remembered for, and what's a family story only you know.

Somewhere to put these once you write them

MyLife: Timeline Journal — a private, offline journal for iPhone. One-time purchase, 30-day free trial.

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Write to your future self · Preserve a loved one's story · ← Back to MyLife: Timeline Journal