+21 Inspiring Productivity Journal Prompts For Setting And Achieving Your Goals
In this post, I will give you +21 productivity journal prompts that will transform how you think and inspire you to lead the most fulfilling life!
If you’re anything like me, you are always looking for ways to live a more meaningful life. Being more productive and proactive is important to reach your goals.
But how often do we take inventory of our emotions and our current place in life?
In this post, I will give you +21 meaningful and purposeful productivity journal prompts that I hope you use to navigate through the chaos of our lives and focus on what is really helping us grow.
I recommend picking one prompt per week (or by day if you have the time) and truly focusing on how you can create a more meaningful and purposeful life!
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Productivity Journal Prompts
What does your dream life look like?
Being able to see the big picture is something we are often taught to do. Med students think about the day they become doctors and save lives. Athletes train countless hours every day in hopes of making it to the pros. Seeing your life in a macro perspective helps you realistically plan your goals and your time to attain your dream life.
Be as detailed as possible and when you think your dream is big enough, go bigger!
Describe the top three things that mean the most to you.
Whether it be family, making a steady income, or traveling, choose three things that are important to you. Explain why each is important. This productivity journal prompt allows you to reflect on your values in life. This can help build your goals around the things that you want.
Get to know what makes you happy so you can create habits and goals to lead to these things.
What does your dream life look like in the next five years?
Whether you’re in school, starting your career, or in the midst of an awesome career, you want to have an idea of what your life will look like in the next 5 years. Do you want to still be in the same job? How much traveling would you hope to do? Do you want to be married? Have kids? How will this cause you to adjust the lifestyle you currently live?
What will your life look like in the next year? Plan out action steps to get there.
While we aren’t fully on the micro perspective view of life just yet, this question gives more of an idea of where you want to be in the near future. Think about it like this… many people break down the year into four quarters. What do you plan on accomplishing in these quarters to reach your yearly goals?
Break down your yearly goals into chunks. What are the pieces of the puzzle, meaning, what are the things you must accomplish and do in order to reach your yearly goal?
What’s one action you can take today that’ll push you closer to your goal?
We all have the same amount of time in a day. What makes successful people more successful than others is how they value their time. Describe what actions will help you get closer to your goals that you could accomplish in the day.
We often underestimate the power of small consistent actions. These small wins accumulated over time result in magical changes that can transform your life, business, etc. This concept can be explained in detail in Atomic Habits by James Clear.
What’s (at least) one action you can remove from your daily routine that can improve your productivity and focus? Explain why.
Just as much as we focus our energy on all the things we “need to do”, let’s take time to focus on what we don’t need to be doing anymore. The biggest one I can think of is our… yes… you guessed it… our phones! If there’s something else you have in mind, say that and explain how it deters you from focusing and how you will feel when that distraction is no longer there.
Find a motivational quote that resonates with you, and describe how you relate to it.
I use the five minute journal which has quotes throughout the book and it’s so inspirational when I read a quote that connects with me. Find one that you connect with and go into detail as to why you’ve picked that quote and what about your life relates to it.
What is one highlight from today?
As much as productivity is targeting what is wrong and how to fix it, you should also celebrate the wins! Use this time to describe what made you happy today and why.
What are some new habits I can incorporate into my daily routine to increase my productivity?
There’s always room for improvement. Brainstorm some ideas on what you can add to your daily routine and how it can make your day better and more productive overall.
How can I overcome procrastination and stay productive throughout the entire day?
Jot what’s really taking your focus away from your work. And explain how you feel when you realize you’ve been distracted by it. I have an entire post about how you can eliminate distractions from your day to give you some inspiration.
What are some ways I can stay positive and maintain a growth mindset?
Did you know the National Science Foundation found that 80% of our daily thoughts are negative? Some things that you may or may not have realized you’ve thought negatively about is fear of the future, regrets of the past, unhealthy comparisons, and blame for how certain situations went down. Use a journaling session to detail how you can create positive thoughts and self-confidence in yourself.
Who are the people in your life who drain your energy after you leave them? Do they take more than they give and if so… should you consider moving them out of your life and why?
Reflect on the people you talk to on a weekly basis and even a daily basis. List them out and detail what they add to your life and if they take anything away from you (energy, time, happiness, etc.). Go in-depth on what will improve and change when you make some changes with the way you interact with the people in your life.
What are ways you can hold yourself accountable for accomplishing your goals?
This is one of my favorite productivity journal prompts because the only person who can make your dreams come true is… you! Detail things you currently do to hold yourself accountable, then brainstorm more ways that you can effectively take control of your time and priorities. This can be having an accountability buddy, someone who checks in on your progress regularly to make sure you’re staying focused. It can also be eliminating distractions like your phone, hanging out with friends less often, or quitting a vice like smoking or excessive drinking which can bog you down.
How has my smartphone hurt or helped your productivity throughout the week and should you change anything about how you interact with your phone or social media?
There has never been a time in history where we have had so much access to information, people, and entertainment at the tip of our fingers. Reflect on how this has impacted your life positively or negatively. Then create some goals for the week to create a healthier relationship between you and your devices.
What are some tasks or projects that I have been avoiding and why?
If you’re anything like me, you have so many projects you want to do. Sometimes we procrastinate on projects or avoid them altogether. Talk about these projects and explain why they’re not in motion. Every once in a while, we realize maybe not everything we want to do is a priority or something we even want to accomplish anymore.
What are some ways I can inspire and motivate others in my personal or professional life?
Productivity also shows in how you support others. What are you doing to make an impact on your friends, your family, and the world? Mention some ways you can contribute productively to others.
What are a few wins from the week?
Add this to your productive weekend routine! Journal about things that made you smile, made you laugh, or made you closer to your goals!
What are a few wins from the day?
This is something I reflect on in my 5-minute journal! However, you can go in-depth to reflect on what went positively in the day. It helps you focus on the
What are some ways I can push through fear and take more calculated risks?
I bet there are some things you’ve been wanting to accomplish, but haven’t due to anxious feelings and fear. Jot these things down, and explain why you feel fear or apprehension to start. Lastly, jot down what your life will look like when you DO accomplish this goal. This can help ease anxiety around putting effort into achieving.
What are simple ways to incorporate exercise and movement into your week?
I work out a few times a week and I started this by deciding:
- What days would I like to work out?
- What obstacles are in my way that stop me from working out?
- How can I restructure my day to allow time for me to work out?
I use themed days throughout the week. So I decided that Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays would be the days I go for a 3-mile jog. Why did I choose these days? Well, it’s the days that I work on small tasks for my blog. So I know I will have enough time to work out, shower, and decompress. I wouldn’t choose Monday, Wednesday, or Friday because I’m either creating new blog articles, going through a certification program, or hanging out with friends! Be methodical in your approach to make sure you have time to get movement into your week
What is something you’ve been praying would come true that has already happened?
We spend so much of our energy on our future goals. Let’s take some time to reflect on a HUGE win that we may take for granted. This could be, a new job you wanted, an apartment, a car, getting healthier, or making new friends. Anything you have been hoping and praying about will suffice. Give yourself some praise for how far you have come!
Journals I Love
Here are some super cute and fun journals for you to sound off on your productivity journal prompts!
I truly hope these productivity journal prompts help you become happier and healthier! Use one weekly to set yourself up for success throughout the week and to create actionable plans to improve your quality of life. What are your favorite productivity journal prompts? Let me know below!
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