Seasons and occasions

41 New Year Journal Prompts

The start of a year has a way of making you pause. The calendar is fresh, the holidays are winding down, and you may find yourself thinking about where the last twelve months went. These new year journal prompts are for anyone who wants to spend a little of that pause with a pen in hand.

Some prompts look back at the bright moments, the hard decisions and the lessons you would like to keep. Others look ahead, not to a strict list of resolutions, but to how you want your days to feel, what you want to make room for and a single word that might guide you.

There is no need to have it all figured out by January 2. Write honestly, keep it small when you need to, and let the year ahead take shape one page at a time.

All 41 prompts

Each prompt is marked quick (2 to 5 minutes), reflective (about 10 minutes) or deep (20 minutes or more).

  1. Name three things you did for the first time this past year. quick

  2. What song, meal or place will always remind you of the year that just ended? quick

  3. Who made you laugh the hardest last year, and what were you laughing about? quick

  4. What did you read, watch or listen to last year that stayed with you? quick

  5. If you had to sum up last year in a single sentence, what would it say? quick

  6. What is one thing you are glad to leave behind in the old year? quick

  7. What is one habit you picked up last year that you want to keep? quick

  8. What are you most looking forward to in the first month of this year? quick

  9. What is one simple pleasure you want more of this year? quick

  10. What is one thing you could do in the first week of the year that your future self will thank you for? quick

  11. What would you like to do on the first quiet weekend of the new year? quick

  12. Which three words would you hope to use a year from now when you describe how this year went? quick

  13. What surprised you about yourself in the past year? reflective

  14. What was the hardest decision you made last year, and how do you feel about it now? reflective

  15. Which relationship grew stronger last year, and what helped it grow? reflective

  16. Look back through your calendar or photos from last year. What patterns do you notice in how you spent your time? reflective

  17. What did last year teach you about what you need in order to feel rested? reflective

  18. What is one thing you learned the hard way last year that you would want to remember the next time a similar moment comes? reflective

  19. What is one goal from last year that you let go of, and what did letting it go give you? reflective

  20. What would you like to do less of this year, and what might you do instead? reflective

  21. Instead of a resolution, write an intention that begins with 'This year I want to feel...' What would help you feel that way? reflective

  22. Choose a word for the year. Why does this word fit where you are right now? reflective

  23. What is one skill or interest you would like to explore this year, and what would a first small step look like? reflective

  24. Who would you like to spend more time with this year, and how might you make room for them? reflective

  25. How do you want your home or everyday surroundings to feel this year, and what is one change that would help? reflective

  26. What is one thing you want to get better at before the school year ends, and who could help you with it? reflective

  27. What was one of your favorite moments together last year, and what would you like to try together this year? reflective

  28. If last year were a chapter in your life story, what would you title it, and what happened in it? deep

  29. Write about a moment last year when things did not go the way you hoped. What did it ask of you, and what do you carry from it now? deep

  30. Write a letter to the person you were on the first day of last year. What would you want them to know? deep

  31. What did you lose or say goodbye to last year, and how would you like to honor it as you move into the new one? deep

  32. Which of your values guided you most last year, and where did your choices drift away from them? deep

  33. What did you give your time and energy to last year that you would not choose again, and what made it hard to stop? deep

  34. What story do you tend to tell yourself at the start of each new year, and is it still true for you? deep

  35. What part of yourself do you want to bring forward into this year, and what part would you like to set down? deep

  36. What worries you about the year ahead, and what would you say to a friend who carried that same worry? deep

  37. Imagine it is one year from today and it has been a good year, not a perfect one. Describe an ordinary day in it. deep

  38. What do you hope your family remembers about this coming year, and how can you make room for those memories? deep

  39. Return to your word for the year. What would living by it look like in your work, your relationships and your rest? deep

  40. Write a letter to yourself to open on the last day of this year. What do you hope you will have noticed, tried or let go of by then? deep

How to use these prompts

Start at the top if you want something light, or scroll down when you have more time and want to think something through. Quick prompts take a few minutes, reflective ones about ten, and the deeper ones may fill twenty minutes or more. Many people like to write in the first quiet mornings of January, but any day of the year works, and you can come back to these at the halfway point too. If you feel stuck, look through last year's photos, calendar or messages for a spark, write one plain sentence and keep going, or switch to a different prompt without guilt.

Download the new year prompt sheet (PDF)

Questions

What is the difference between an intention and a resolution?

A resolution is often a fixed rule, like a goal you either keep or break. An intention is more about how you want to live or feel, so it leaves room for ordinary weeks and fresh starts along the way.

How do I choose a word for the year?

Write down a handful of words that describe how you want this year to feel, then notice which one you keep coming back to. Pick the one that feels true for where you are now, not the one that sounds most impressive.

What if last year was a really hard year?

You do not have to find a bright side or tie it up neatly. Choose the prompts that feel manageable, write only as much as you want to, and let it be enough to simply name what happened.

Is it too late to use these prompts if January is already over?

Not at all. A new year can start whenever you are ready to look back and look ahead, and many of these prompts work just as well in March or on your birthday.