101 End-of-Year Journal Prompts to Get Your Mind (and Life) Together

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I have created these 101 end-of-year journal prompts to help you get into the right frame of mind before the New Year starts. Now is the perfect time of the year to start reflecting on the things that went well and the things that didn’t.

I’ve broken down these journal prompts into different themes so that you can pick and choose what area you want to focus on. The themes range from love, groundedness, faith, goals, values and so much more.

There is a journal prompt for every area of your life!

Man in Black Suit Jacket writing in a journal with a lapotp open and a sand timer next to him to symbolise end-of-year journal prompts

Table of Contents

Why you should journal at the end of the year

I have made it a ritual to journal at the end of each year and it’s something I’ve been doing since I was a teenager. I’ve found that it really helps to put things into perspective and reframe the year especially if it has been a particularly tough year for me.

Here are also some other benefits you can expect from journaling at the end of the year:

It gives you the opportunity to reflect on all that you have achieved
Identify a theme and/or word of the year
Document the lessons you have learnt and develop a growth mindset
Puts everything into perspective, the good and the bad
Enables you to tie up loose ends and metaphorically close the chapter of the year
Helps the transition of the new year

Journal prompts to help you get your ISH together

Grounding

What are three things that anchored you this year (e.g. any key moments)?
What does ‘staying grounded’ mean to you?
What routines helped you stay balanced this year?
What did you do when you felt ‘off-balance’ or ungrounded?
How can you start the new year in a grounded headspace?

Gratitude

List five things you’re grateful for this year.
Who made a positive impact on your life, and how?
What’s a small win you’re thankful for?
What’s one ‘boring’ or ‘normal’ thing that you’re grateful for?
What random act of kindness did you do or receive this year?

Values

Did your actions align with your core values this year?
Do you know what your core values are?
What values were most important to you this year?
How did your values help you with your decision-making?
What values do you want to prioritise in the next year?
Were there any values that were compromised this year and why?

Get your FREE Values Over Perfection Workbook to help you identify your values

Goals

What goals did you achieve this year?
Which goals did you struggle with the most, and why?
Did your goals change throughout the year?
What goal-setting strategies worked for you e.g. SMARTER, 54321 method?
What’s one goal you want to focus on in the new year?
Are there any goals that you completely abandoned and why?

Behaviour

What behaviours or habits helped you the most this year?
What behaviours do you want to change or improve?
How did your behaviour affect your relationships?
What’s one behaviour you’re proud of?
What behaviour or habit would you like to let go of in the new year?

Thoughts

What recurring thoughts or beliefs affected you this year? E.g. ‘I’m not good enough’
How did your thinking patterns evolve/change? e.g. better or worse
What negative thoughts did you challenge and how?
What helped you stay focused and positive throughout the year?
How can you shift your mindset for the new year?
Did you get help for any limiting beliefs e.g. therapy or coaching?

Attitude/Mindset

How did your attitude affect your experiences this year?
What mindset shifts did you make, if any?
What’s one thing you learned about your attitude?
Do you have a positive mental attitude or a negative one?
How did your mindset impact your goals?
What mindset do you want to adopt for the new year?

Challenges

What was the biggest obstacle you dealt with this year?
How did you overcome it, or what did you learn from it?
What challenges are you STILL dealing with?
Did these challenges make you stronger or weaker?
What’s one challenge you hope to sort out next year?

Experiences

What was the most memorable experience of the year?
Did any experience change the direction of your year?
What experience changed your viewpoint about life?
Were you actively present in your experiences?
What new experiences do you want to do next year?

People

Who had the biggest impact on your life this year?
How did your relationships change and grow?
What did you learn from the people around you?
Who do you want to spend more time with in the new year?
What qualities do you appreciate in others?
Were you a good friend this year?
Did you make time for the people you care about?
Is there anyone you want to cut out of your life or set boundaries with?

Wins

What’s your proudest achievement of the year?
What small wins brought you joy?
How did you celebrate your successes?
Did you achieve anything that surprised you?
How can you build on these wins in the new year?

Lessons

What’s the most important lesson you learned this year?
How did you apply this lesson in your life?
What lessons did you learn from your mistakes?
Were there any lessons you learnt about yourself that made you feel uncomfortable?
What’s a lesson you want to carry forward?

The Good

Who made you the laugh the most?
List the top 5 things that made you laugh the hardest.
What moments made you happiest?
What’s something good you learned about yourself?
Did you find love for yourself this year?
What positive changes happened in your life?
What makes you hope for the future?
Did you make the most out of the summer?

The Bad

What made you cry the most this year?
How did you cope with cold rainy days?
What did you learn from the tough times?
What’s one thing you’d like to change from this year?

Two people sitting on a couch away from each other after arguing

The Ugly

Did you have any conflicts with anyone?
How did you deal with conflict?
What’s one thing you’d do differently next time?
What moments made you feel the most alone and why?
Did you behave badly towards others?

Love

Was love an important theme for this year?
How did you practice self-love this year? Was it easy or hard to do?
How did your relationships with the people you care about evolve?
What attachment style do you have and how did it affect your love life?
Did love make you behave insecurely or securely?

Faith

Did religion or spirituality play a big role in your life this year?
How did your faith support you this year?
How did you find strength in your faith when things felt like they were going wrong?
What new things did you learn about your religion?
How do you want to grow spiritually in the coming year?
Did you read any religious literature this year (e.g. the Bible etc…)

Letters to Yourself

Write a letter to your past self at the beginning of the year.
Write a letter to your future self for the new year.
What advice would you give your teenage self?
What would you say to your 5 year old self about this year?
What encouragement do you want to give yourself for the future?
What reflections do you want to share with yourself?

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Top tips for effective end-of-year journaling

Be honest with yourself: Don’t sugar-coat things. Be honest about what worked and what didn’t. There’s no need to judge yourself for the past because it’s already happened so try to develop a growth mindset about the situation
Be kind: Treat yourself with compassion. Reflect on your achievements and growth with grace. Remember, you are only human and perfection was never an option
Have fun: Make the process enjoyable. Have fun with it and laugh about your mistakes or any fun memories. You can even doodle or draw pictures
Be expressive: Let your thoughts flow freely. Use your journal as a space for full expression and vulnerability
Sit with your feelings: Don’t overthink it. Allow yourself to feel and process without intellectualising. Remember, your feelings sit in the BODY, they’re not something you can just think through or analyse. They just are
Choose prompts that resonate with you: You don’t have to do everything. Pick what speaks to you the most

What journal prompts are you going to use to end this year on a high note?

I hope you found these journal prompts helpful and used it as a structured guide to help you evaluate your year.

Remember, what’s happened has already happened and you can’t change the past. HOWEVER, you can definitely learn from it and adapt you behaviour in the new year so that you can enjoy your life the most you can.

There’s no right or wrong answer when using these journal prompts so have fun with it and see what comes up for you!

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101 End-of-Year Journal Prompts to Get Your Mind (and Life) Together

Why you should journal at the end of the year