Many people go through life lost, directionless, who they are or where they want to go. They feel disconnected from themselves, repeating the same mistakes, or they feel stuck, unsure what their next step is.

The feeling of loneliness lingers as you continue to try and figure out who you truly are, possibly causing harm to your relationships, your career, and overall life satisfaction. You may feel like you don't matter, or anything that you do goes unnoticed.

Without self-awareness, these cycles often continue because we are unaware of the pain we are causing ourselves, or that others are causing us. All this leads to unfulfilling choices, lack of direction, and feelings of being lost, alone, and empty.

And the result from all this? The outcome of not consistently diving into your internal world leaves you feeling clueless, insignificant, out of control , and confused. You have little growth or progress to show for your life which can lead to depression, mental health issues, and powerlessness.

And if you don't change? Well, before you know it you will be middle aged, or even a senior, and by then you will be resentful, possibly blaming others for your lack of growth, results, and fulfillment from your own life. You will believe that you are a "victim" of all the events and circumstances that you have faced in your life. And maybe for some of them you were.

You will be withdrawn, disappointed and ashamed that you didn't take control of your life's steering wheel. Deciding right then and there that YOU were going to change and decide what your life is going to look like.

Now, imagine that instead of not taking action and doing something about your life, you instead made a choice that you were done with the way things were, how you felt, and what you wanted your life to look like? Waking up with a clear sense of purpose, feeling aligned with your values, and knowing how to make decisions that are right for you.

Your not that cranky and lonely middle aged or senior person who blames everyone else for their life's outcomes but instead a powerful man or women who knows what it is they wanted, who they were, what they value, and went out into the world, slayed their dragons and got what they felt they deserved!

The thing is, self-awareness helps build relationships, it boosts confidence, and fosters a sense of fulfillment. Trust me, I've learned this from my own experience. The profound changes in my life since I started journaling everyday ten years ago is astounding. And because of this practice I not only continue to evolve as a human being, but I accomplish more, live a life that makes me proud, and attract the right people into my life.

That is what journaling is all about. Personal growth, self-discovery, and creating the life and person that you want to have and become. Below are 10 very powerful journal prompts to kickstart your journey toward a life aligned with your values and desires and guide you toward the person you want to become.

Journal Prompts for Self-Awareness

1. What are three things I truly value in life, and how am I honouring these values each day?

Values are the guiding forces behind the decisions and actions we take in our lives. By identifying what we value in life, we not only begin to recognize why we do what we do, but we also start to take control of our lives by consciously choosing how to live our life aligned with our values.

2. What is one decision I regret? What can I learn from this experience?

Most of our breakthrough moments in life or biggest learning experiences come from times of regret or failure. Some people don't like the word failure, but I (especially as an entrepreneur) have come to love that word and making mistakes. That doesn't mean I or anyone else should set out to deliberately seek failure. But by asking yourself this question, you begin to change your mindset so that when you do (and trust me, you will) fail or have setbacks, your mind automatically seeks opportunities are areas for growth rather than beating yourself up or letting it hurt you.

3. When was the last time I felt genuinely fulfilled? What was I doing?

I love this question, because I feel not enough people ask themselves it. I ask myself the question every morning when I journal "what brought me joy yesterday?" What this does it brings to light the things that fill up your cup or genuinely makes you happy. And when we pinpoint what those activities are, then we can consciously schedule them more!

4. How do I typically react to challenges, and what does this reveal about my inner beliefs?

By noticing how we react to challenges or triggers in our day-to-day lives, we come to realize what limiting beliefs we carry with us that could be holding us back. Whether that's in the form of self-talk and saying things like "I'm not lovable." How we react to challenges says a lot about what we feel we are capable of handling. By answering this, you can start to change the way you react so you react to challenges the way you want to - overcoming them.

5. What are three qualities I admire in others that I want to cultivate in myself?

This will not only help you identify friends and family that has qualities that make you feel good, uplift you, and motivate you, but also qualities you want to see in yourself. Usually, the qualities that we admire in other people are just qualities that we ourselves wished we had because it's the type of person that we want to be.

6. What am I most afraid of, and what steps can I take to confront this fear?

What we are afraid of is usually what holds us back the most out of everything in our lives. I am afraid of heights, and for a long time that stopped me from a lot of things. How did I handle it once I recognized what it was? I went bungee jumping, skydiving (three times now) and you know what recognizing and facing these fears has done for me? They have made me more confident and assured in my capabilities to do hard things.

7. How do I feel about my current career or life path, and what adjustments would make it feel more fulfilling?

This one is powerful if you feel unfulfilled and stuck in your current job or direction of your life. There isn't much as to say about this question, it really speaks for itself. When we are unfulfilled in our job or path in life, we usually become miserable and unhappy people.

8. Who do I need to forgive, and what impact would this forgiveness have on my life?

We all have or are holding grudges. Here's the thing, grudges NEVER benefit the holder. In fact, it actually holds you back and damages your life. Who do you need to forgive who hurt you, betrayed you, or disrespected you? That doesn't mean you have to forget it and take them back into your life after you forgive them, but by forgiving them, you actually let go of the grip you had on these feelings of hurt, place it on the ground, and walk away as if the weight of the world has lifted off your shoulders.

9. What habits or routines am I holding onto that no longer serve me?

Habits are one of, if not the most powerful component of our lives. Habits shape, mold, and create the person we are or are becoming. Maybe the habit for you is watching TV before bed, always causing you to have awful sleeps and wake up feeling groggy on your way to work. For me, the simple habit of journaling for 20-30 minutes in the morning has massively served me in living my life to its full potential.

10. What would I do if I could not fail?

Now this question, this question when asked consistently will start to give you answers that will open hidden boxes inside you. From internal desires, to what you truly value, this question is powerful because by identifying what we would do if we could not fail, we are essentially realizing what we want so deeply inside our core, but aren't pursuing because of fear. What would I do if I could not fail? Be a writer, write a blog (notice how I have been facing that for a while now,) and help people live their life to it's full potential.

What Will You Do?

These ten questions will kickstart your 2025 and allow you to find direction in your life, cultivate purpose and meaning, build habits that get you the results that you truly desire whether that's losing weight, winning a BJJ tournament, creating self-love practices so you feel like your own best friend.

A simple warning, though: Don't be fooled into the idea and message from others that change can happen over-night and immediately. Spoiler, it can't. By starting this process and making it a habit asking yourself these questions, slowly but surely you will get answers to them but definitely not over-night. If you go out and buy a journal today and ask yourself these questions tomorrow morning your life will not suddenly be exactly how you envisioned it and wanted.

So, be patient. Take it one day at a time. In fact, you will most likely start getting answers fast, but those answers will be surface level and more so than not incorrect. You will have to tweak, ask again and test it out in the world. But from the testing and taking action, you will begin to know what feels right and that's where real transformation comes from.

The real journey happens over time, one question, one insight at a time.

Which prompt speaks to you most? I'd love to know!

P.S.

Liked this blog post or have questions for me that you'd like answered? Send me an email at [email protected] and I'll be more than happy to help you out and answer questions! It is my mission to help people break their family cycles, find passion and purpose, and get the results they desire.

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