How to Create a Never Ending Supply of Journal Ideas

Journaling is an effective way to process your thoughts and emotions, and it can be a therapeutic outlet for all the pent-up feelings we often bottle up inside. But sometimes, producing new journal prompts can be daunting. You fear running out of topics to write about, so you look for journal prompt ideas on the internet. And the cycle never ends.

If you find yourself in this never-ending search for journal prompts, here is some good news for you — there are an infinite number of things you can write about in your journal. You don’t have to feel limited by prompts or ideas from other people. Using a few simple techniques, you can come up with your own never-ending supply of journaling topics. 

Techniques to Produce a Never-Ending Supply of Journaling Topics

Brainstorming

Make a list of subject areas for your journal writings. Choose one to write about each day using this method. Set a timer for five minutes and write down everything that enters your mind, no matter how ridiculous or insignificant it may appear.

Brainstorming is effective for generating new journaling ideas. However, in order to brainstorm effectively, it’s crucial to create a calm, non-critical atmosphere where you feel at ease coming up with thoughts.

Keep an open mind while brainstorming and be ready to consider even the most unlikely possibilities. The whole purpose of brainstorming is to remove your roadblocks by not restricting yourself.

To get the most out of brainstorming, focus on quantity over quality. Develop as many ideas as possible. Don’t worry if they’re not all great at first. After you generate a list of ideas, you can eliminate the ones that don’t fit later. For now, focus on creating a list of ideas without judging them. 

Once your list feels complete or your time is up, you can start to narrow them down and refine them into something more concrete. Although brainstorming is an excellent tool for generating new ideas, it’s vital to put in the hard work to make them a reality once you have some promising ideas.

Free Writing

Once you have a general idea of what you want to write about, start writing and see where the words take you. Set your timer for 10-15 minutes. Then just write non-stop until the time is up. 

• Start with a prompt: To get the creative juices flowing, start with a prompt or topic to write about. This can be anything from “What are you grateful for today?” to “What was the best moment of your day?”
• Set a timer: Once you have a prompt in mind, set a timer for 10-15 minutes and start writing. The goal is to keep writing non-stop until the time is up.
• Don’t worry about grammar: This isn’t a formal essay, so don’t worry about perfect grammar or spelling. Instead, allow the words to flow and see where they take you.
• Keep it private: If you feel self-conscious about your free writing, keep it to yourself. This is a personal exercise meant to help you brainstorm and generate new ideas, so there’s no need to share unless you want to.
• Try it: Free writing can be daunting, but it’s worth it. You might be surprised at the ideas that come to you when you just let your thoughts flow onto the page.

Free writing is a great way to journal without too many restrictions. The main thing is to just write without thinking about the results. No one is going to grade what you write. So, you can write freely without judgment since no one else will read it without your permission.

Write and record what feels right at the moment and give it no judgment as good or bad. Whether you free write or write more specifically about the topics you choose, it will help you keep a running list of ideas so you can journal when it’s time to journal. 

Get Inspiration from Others

If you’re feeling stuck, look at other people’s journals for inspiration. This can be anything from a friend’s diary to a celebrity’s public blog. If they’re offering a peek, it won’t hurt to look. Just make sure not to copy anyone else’s ideas – use them as a jumping-off point for your own journaling.

To get inspiration from others, follow journaling hashtags on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. This way, you can see what other people are doing with their journals and get some ideas for your own.

Another way to get journaling inspiration is to attend a journaling meetup or workshop. These events are usually led by experienced journalers full of ideas and tips.

If you want to get journaling ideas from someone in your life, ask a buddy or family member who enjoys writing. They could have some remarkable journaling techniques to share with you.

It’s vital that you continue writing, no matter where you get your journaling idea. The more you practice, the better your abilities will become. Who knows? One day, you’ll be the one inspiring others with your journaling.

Keep a Running List of Ideas

This is a way to have a go-to list of journaling topics when you can’t seem to think of anything on your own. Write down any idea that comes to mind, no matter how big or small, and refer to it when needed. 

Some tips on how to write down ideas for your journal: 

• Keep a notebook or a file on your computer dedicated solely to journaling ideas. This will make it easy to find and refer to when needed. 
• Jot down ideas as they come to you, no matter how big or small. 
• When recording ideas, go into detail. – the more detail, the better. This will make it easier to write about the topic later on. 
• If you have trouble coming up with ideas, try looking online for prompts or ask a friend for suggestions. 
• Once you’ve compiled a decent list of suggestions, try to think of several methods for tackling each one. This can is handy when it’s time to sit down and write.

Keeping a list of ideas is a good way to ensure you always have something to write about in your journal. When you are specific as possible and have multiple ways to approach each topic, you’ll be able to use the list as a springboard for creative journaling sessions.

Use Prompts

Try using prompts if you’re struggling to produce something to write about. These can be found online or in journals designed explicitly for prompts. Prompts can be anything from a single word to a complete sentence and can be general or specific. 

There are a few methods to get journal ideas. First, you may look for “journal prompts” or “writing prompts” on Google, and you’ll come up with a variety of resources.

Here are some places to find journaling prompts:

• Magazines: If you flip through any magazine, you will find at least a few journaling prompts. For example, a fitness magazine might have a prompt about tracking your workout progress, while a fashion magazine might have a prompt about your style.

• Online: Many websites offer journaling prompts on a static page or as part of a larger community where people share their own entries.

• Books: If you want something more comprehensive, there are entire books devoted to journaling prompts. These can be a good way to get started, as they often provide a wide variety of prompts to choose from.

The best way to find journaling prompts is to start writing simply. Of course, the more you write, the easier it will be to come up with things to write about. If you’re ever feeling stuck, though, prompts can be a helpful way to jump-start your journaling practice.

Additionally, there are journals available for purchase that are designed explicitly for prompts. You’ll find them in stores locally and online. Finally, you can produce your own prompts through brainstorming as described above. If you’re struggling to develop something on your own, try thinking about a specific question you’d like to answer or a topic you’d like to explore. 

Some tips for using journal prompts: 

• Try to answer the prompt as honestly and openly as possible. 
• Don’t overthink it – the point of a prompt is to help you start writing, not to create the perfect answer. 
• If you get stuck, try free writing for a few minutes until something else comes to mind. 
• There are no incorrect answers, so don’t worry if you make a mistake. 
• Have fun with it.

Producing a list of ideas using prompts is a time-tested way to begin your journaling practice, but you can also simply interview yourself to find new ideas to write about for any situation. 

Ask yourself questions

Asking yourself questions as if you’re conducting an interview for a journal article is a fascinating approach to help you generate content ideas. In addition, this is an excellent technique for coming up with a topic if you don’t know what to write about.

This can be done either in your head or by writing them down. But it’s highly recommended that you write down anything you brainstorm, no matter how silly you may believe it is at the time. 

Most people overestimate their memory, so don’t risk losing a good concept by not recording it. If you don’t have a way to write it down immediately, you can use your smartphone to record notes or email the concepts. You may never know when a terrible notion will lead to an outstanding one.

Some examples of questions you could ask yourself are: 

• What are three things I’m grateful for today? 
• What was my favourite activity of the day?
• What was the best part of my day? 
• What did I learn today? 
• What are some goals I want to achieve in the next week/month/year? 
• What are some things I want to change about myself? 
• What are some things that are stressing me out right now? 
• What are some things that make me feel good? 

Regardless of your approach, the most important thing is simply to begin. Of course, the more you journal, the easier it will become to come up with topics to write about. But the trick is to keep a list, so you don’t have to think about it when it comes time to journal. Another way to come up with never-ending journaling topic ideas is to think about the life events and topics most people can journal about. 

Topics Most People Can Journal About

No matter your age, occupation, or location, you can always find something to journal. Here are some topics that make for excellent journaling material for most people. 

• Your day-to-day experiences: What did you do today? How did you feel about it? What were your thoughts and emotions?
• Your goals and dreams: What do you want to achieve in life? What are your hopes and fears?
• Your relationships: How are your friends and family members doing? What difficulties have you experienced in your relationships?
• Your thoughts and feelings: What’s on your mind lately? What emotions are you experiencing?
• Your memories: What are some of your fondest memories? What lessons have you learned from past experiences?
• Your observations: What do you observe about the world in which you live? What’s your take on current events?
• Your creativity: What ideas have you been thinking about lately? What new projects are you working on?

No matter what topic you choose to journal about, the important thing is that you’re expressing yourself and exploring your thoughts and feelings. Journaling can be a wonderful way to gain clarity, relieve stress, and boost your mood. Here is a list of life events that most people who live will experience at some point. These are all excellent topics to journal about. 

• Starting a family
• Having children
• Dealing with debt and budgeting
• Making friends
• Getting married
• Starting a new job or career
• Going through a major life change
• Experiencing a significant loss
• Facing a health scare or diagnosis
• Enduring financial difficulties
• Dealing with death
• Retiring from work

Did you think of more things that happen to most people while reading this list? The answer is yes. But that’s good because that is more you can list and save for later when you’re ready to start journaling about the topic. 

Here are some things you and most people can journal about. Keep this list handy, so you can implement it any time you want to sit down and journal.

Journal Your Feelings Of:

a shared experience  | abundance  | accomplishment | anxiety  | awe and wonder  | being able to just be yourself 

being loved just as you are  | being on the same team  | being seen and heard  | being there for someone in their time of need 

belonging  | big life changes  | breaking through barriers  | celebrating each other’s successes  | changing the world 

comfort in silence  | community  | connection  | contentment | courage | doubt  | faith  | family 

finding your voice  | flow  | frustration | gratitude | growing together | growth | happiness | having an impact 

home  | hope | interdependence  | joy | learning from each other | living in your truth | loneliness 

loss | love and support | making a difference | mattering | mutual respect and admiration | new perspectives 

possibility | proud moments | reborn moments | sadness | safety and security | satisfaction | stress 

success | true friendship | trust | turning to others in your time of need and them being there | worry 

General Ideas You Can Write About in Any Situation

Another way to produce new journaling ideas is to brainstorm a list of topics that you can write about in any situation. These can be general topics like “gratitude,” “goals,” or “thoughts for the day.” Or they can be specific prompts like “what made me smile today?” or “three things I’m grateful for.” 

Some situations that enable you to write about gratitude, goals, thoughts for the day, and so forth are:

• Take a few minutes to make a mental list of things you’re grateful for from the day before when you wake up in the morning. This might include anything from your bed to a delicious cup of coffee or time spent with friends and family.

• Use your commute as time to think about your goals for the day or week ahead. Record whatever comes to mind, and then use this list to help you stay focused and on track.

• Take a few minutes before bed to write down your thoughts for the day. This can be anything from things that made you happy or grateful to things that stressed you out or worried you. Getting what you think down on paper can help you clear your mind and feel ready for a good night’s sleep.

When you realize that you can come at a topic in many ways, from writing directly about what happened step-by-step to writing about your good feelings about the situation to writing about your progress on your goals, the ideas are truly endless, as you can see. 

Build On Existing Ideas

Being on existing ideas is an effective way to generate even more topics you can use as journaling fodder, for example. If you’re writing about a difficult situation you’re going through, you can explore your feelings and emotions around that situation, good or bad. 

Alternatively, if you’re describing a goal you wish to achieve, list all the actions to take to accomplish it.

Here are some ideas for how to journal about your objectives:

• Break down your objective into smaller, more doable chunks. This will assist you in comprehending precisely what it will take to achieve your objective and making the process less daunting.

• Write about your motivation for wanting to achieve this goal. What are your reasons for wanting to reach this goal? What will it take for you to meet this objective? How important is it to your life?

• Write about the challenges and obstacles you anticipate facing as you work towards your goal. Then, what can you do to overcome these challenges? 

• As you pursue your objective, keep track of your progress. This will help you to stay on track and motivated. Write about what you’ve accomplished so far and what still needs to be done. 

• Celebrate your successes along the way. Achieving a goal is a significant accomplishment, so make sure to pat yourself on the back for all your hard work—Journal about how good it feels to progress towards your goal. 

• One way to develop new journaling ideas is to write from a new perspective. For example, if you usually write in the first person, try writing in the third person. Or, if you typically write about your day-to-day experiences, try writing from the perspective of your future self. This can help you to gain fresh insights into your life and experiences. 

Some examples of how you can journal from a new perspective: 

• Write from the perspective of someone who loves and cares for you. What would they say to you about your current situation? 

• Write from the vantage point of your future self. For example, if you could time travel, what advice would your future self give you about your current situation? 

• From the perspective of someone well-acquainted with you, describe what it’s like to be you. What do they see that you might not be able to see about yourself?

• Write from the perspective of a stranger doing research. For example, what would you write if you were a reporter authoring your story?

Jotting down your thoughts and feelings about your goals in every way you can helps you better understand and achieve them. There are endless possibilities, so don’t feel you must stick to someone else’s ideas. Instead, brainstorm your list of topics and prompts, and let your creativity flow.

Journaling is a personal practice, so make it yours.

You’ll discover that as you begin to generate things to journal about, they grow in number until you discover that you could write in your journal every day for the rest of your life and never run out of fresh ideas.

So now you just need to get started on your own list of ideas you want to journal about based on what you’re trying to achieve, how you want to journal, and your goals for life and journaling.