25 Gratitude Journal Prompts to Kickstart Daily Writing Habits
Feel Better, Write Better!
Having a positive attitude and practicing gratitude is a proven way to attract money, success, and joy into your life. I do not know why it works, just that it does! On a parallel vein, the art of writing daily is an excellent way of honing your craft, finding your voice, and ultimately monetizing your skills.
Bestselling author and millionaire, Tim Ferris recommends daily journaling as one of the first things in his morning rituals.
However, finding things to be grateful for is not easy. To get you in the flow, here are 25 easy prompts to help you get started. I have divided them into sections, so you can choose based on your mood and fancies.
People You Know, But Take For Granted:
1] Name 3 family members you are grateful to have in your life and why.
2] List 3 friends you love hanging out with and why.
3] A teacher who made a huge impact on your life.
4] A mentor who helped you in your career.
5] Social media influencer (blogger, Twitter personality, or Instagram maven) you follow religiously.
6] A stranger who helped you during a time of need.
7] What is one special value your parents insisted on? My parents insisted that “giving your best” was more important than the actual outcome. Moms and dads are amazing (if not perfect!), so give thanks to the people who gave you life and raised you to adulthood.
8] Your partner or spouse. The daily grind causes us to forget to appreciate the people closest to us. What is one quality about your better half that you love?
People Who Inspire You:
9] Your favorite movie star — someone whose work has entertained you for hours and brought you joy!
10] Doctors, nurses, and first responders who are fighting to save lives with no thought of their own safety. Send prayers of strength and thank those faceless warriors! Bonus points if you have someone you know personally!
11] Give thanks to the postal employees, grocery store workers, and other essential workers who are working diligently to keep some semblance of normalcy in our lives during this crisis. Take one step further, and ask their name next time you visit, and thank them for their service.
12] College is a delightful time for everyone. Name one friend or classmate from college with whom you had a memorable adventure.
13] A sports star whom you admire and why.
14] A colleague at the office who helped you when you first joined the team.
Appreciate Your Senses:
15] Look around your house and identify 3 beautiful objects. Thank them for bringing beauty and joy, and for the gift of sight. If you were temporarily blinded, what would you miss the most?
16] Now that we are all working from home, have you noticed that the sounds of nature are stronger — birds chirping, trees rustling, kids playing, or even the trickle of water! Listen closely to these magical sounds and thank your sense of hearing.
17] Appreciate the sense of touch — feel the grass on your bare feet, the soft feel of a baby’s skin, or the smooth texture of a ripe peeled orange. Is this amazing or what that we can differentiate everything distinctly!
18] Spring & Summer are here — Appreciate what you love about these seasons, even if you have not been able to perform your annual vacation or seasonal rituals. Vibrant green trees, baby geese on lakes, sunny skies, warm sunshine; what is not to love!
19] Good health. As someone who lost a dear family member to the pandemic, I have become super appreciative of my own good health and those around me. The death tolls are appalling in most countries — are you grateful to be alive and thriving?
Places of Joy:
20] School/ college — We all have fun memories of those blissful, naive days! Do you remember the physical structure? Give thanks for those happy times.
21] Grandparents’ home. I have an army of cousins and every summer vacation, we would congregate at our grandparents’ place for 3 weeks of uninterrupted play. Do you have such happy memories — spend some time recreating those memories and practicing gratitude for them.
22] Libraries. I love books, so this one was bound to be on the list.
23] Museums, gardens, and state parks. The lockdown has made me appreciate how much I’ve enjoyed these services, without really appreciating their importance in my life. Are you like me?
24] Your last vacation. It might feel like a distant memory, but it is important to say thanks for the opportunity to have those memories, to have money and good health to indulge in such breaks. Especially since most of us are being forced to spend this coming summer break in “stay-cation” mode!
25] Your childhood home — Write down a happy memory or just give thanks to the wonderful games you played there.
That is it for now. Use these to kickstart your daily writing habit and bring joy in your life! :)
Until next time, Adieu for now.
