If you read my last post, my tips on getting started with your journal, you may have noticed a bit of a theme - don't overthink it and you don't need to be perfect. I also suggested a 7 day challenge to kick start things - so here you go!
This is a small challenge you can start today or whenever you like, whether you've never journalled before or you've fallen out of the habit more times than you can count.
People often tell me that they start journalling, life gets busy, they miss a day, then miss a week, and somehow that one missed day turns into feeling like they've 'failed' and can't start again.
So this isn't a 30-day streak or a system you have to maintain forever - no penalties if you miss a day and no need to reset anything to 0 if you don't do it perfectly.
The challenge
- Write in your journal every day for 7 days. Grab any notebook, any pen - or if you already have one you started to write in 5 years ago that's perfect.
- There's no minimum length. One line counts. A full page counts. Both are a win.
- Mix up when and how you write, try a morning entry one day, an evening one the next. You're allowed to find out what works for you as you go, but if you already have a preferred time of day to journal stick to that.
- If you miss a day, you haven't failed the challenge. Just pick it back up the next day and carry on. The challenge is about the 7 days you show up, not a perfect unbroken streak and this is about you. You are the only one you are competing against.
Important - Before you start, check in with yourself
Before Day 1 )or you can make this your day one), take two minutes to write down honestly how you're feeling. Are you flat, anxious, restless, stressed, feeling disconnected, overwhelmed? Don't judge it, just note it down — you're going to want this at the end.
Your prompts
There aren't any.
I am deliberately not going to give you specific journal prompts for the next 7 days, if you like prompts and then i have written some below to get you started and give you some inspiration, but sometimes prompts can be a little restrictive and if you aren't inspired by them or ca't think of what to write then they get in the way.
I want this challenge to work for you, so instead choose a theme or a specific activity - you can pick one to do each day or mix it up. Here are some examples.
- The days events / what happened today
- Gratitude lists - things, people moments you were grateful for
- What you are excited for today (good for a morning session)
- Daily goals and actions, plan for the day ahead
- Reading - what did you read today? How many pages
- Daily log - eg. your mood, the weather, your cycle, what you ate, what you watched
Prompt suggestions
- What am I looking forward to — even something small?
- What's one thing I want to remember about today in five years?
- What do I need to let go of before I go to sleep tonight?
- How am i feeling in my body today>
More prompts - 100 Journal prompts
Day 7: the check in
At the end of your 7 days, sit down with your journal and answer honestly: how did I feel before I started this challenge, and how do I feel now? Revisit what you wrote on page 1 and reflect on any changes you feel.
These might be small, and journalling won't fix everything but the act of sitting down putting pen to paper, putting away your phone and showing up for yourself is powerful You decided to do something for yourself for 7 days, you committed to a challenge and saw it through to the end. That's powerful and worth celebrating.
Small wins, small acts of self love compound and snowball.
This is not about 'was I a perfect journaller'(by the way I am not a perfect journaller)
If you take on this challenge, I'd love to know how it goes — and there's no rule that says it has to stop at day 7. For plenty of people, this is exactly how a proper journalling habit quietly begins.
Happy journalling,
Rebecca x