40 Journal Prompts for Productivity
Did you know that journal prompts aren’t just great for self-awareness, improving your mindset, and working through your emotions?
Journal prompts are also an effective way to increase productivity.
They work by motivating us, helping us set goals, and encouraging us to catalogue exactly what we have to do in order to achieve what we want.
What’s more, by simply using journal prompts in the morning, we’re already achieving something with our day. We’ve already done something productive with our time, which gives us a boost going into the day.
Here are some of my favourite journal prompts for productivity.
- What does your dream life look like? How do you think you can get there?
- Are you currently trying to manifest something? If so, what?
- What’s your five-year plan?
- Break down your five-year plan into manageable chunks. What yearly goals does your five-year plan break down into?
- Write about a huge goal that you want to achieve this year. How would achieving this make you feel?
- Break down your large goal for the coming year into monthly steps.
- Break down this month’s goal into weekly goals.
- Break down this week’s goal into daily goals.
- What can you do TODAY to work towards your weekly goal?
- What does “productivity” mean to you?
- Do you struggle with remaining productive? Why do you think this is?
- How does being productive make you feel?
- How does not being productive make you feel?
- What’s one thing that motivates you?
- Write about one person who inspires you.
- What does your morning routine look like?
- How does your current morning routine make you feel?
- What are some positive habits that you can incorporate into your morning to make you more productive?
- How can you make your days as a whole more productive?
- What are five things you’re grateful for?
- What’s one thing that you’re excited for this week?
- What’s something that you’re looking forward to in the future?
- How does setting goals make you feel?
- What does burn-out feel like to you? What are the first signs?
- What are three steps you can take to avoid burn-out?
- What are three self-care activities that help you unwind?
- Let’s put some boundaries in place: What are your working hours? When do you “switch off”?
- Do you have trouble switching off? Why might this be?
- What tasks can you delegate?
- How does delegating make you feel? Why might this be?
- What are some boundaries you can put in place to stop yourself from over-working?
- Do you find it hard to find the balance between “productivity” and relaxation?
- “Resting can be productive.” How does this statement make you feel?
- What are three ways you can be productive that don’t involve work?
- What’s one way you like to move your body that helps your mental health?
- What are three things you can do to make yourself feel better in sad moments?
- What’s something that you need to do today that you’re worried about? How do you plan to tackle it?
- What’s your “frog” (most dreaded task) for today? How do you plan to “eat that frog”? (Complete your most dreaded task of the day first.)
- Do you struggle with prioritising your tasks? If so, how can we work on that?
- Who can you always turn to if you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed?
(Check out my Journal Prompt Library for 750+ journal prompts to help you transform your mindset all in one place.)
Does journaling help with productivity?
Journal prompts can help increase productivity in a few ways:
#1. Journaling helps us tick off a goal
By journaling first thing in the morning, we’ve already done something purely for ourselves before we’ve fully faced the day.
By practising this small act of self-care, we set an intention for the day. We tell ourselves that this is how we mean to go on and tick off our first goal, which gives us a little boost of motivation ahead of what’s to come.
In turn, this encourages us to be productive with our day, whether that means having a self-care day, or a day full of work.
#2. Journaling encourages us to catalogue what we need to do for the day
A huge source of anxiety for me is forgetting to complete tasks that need to be completed.
This anxiety is only exacerbated if you’re neuro-divergent (for example, you live with ADHD) and have trouble remembering things.
By using journal prompts for productivity, we note down exactly what needs to be done so that it’s down in writing, decreasing our chances of forgetting and therefore relieving stress.
What’s more, we can elaborate and write down a plan of action so that relatively larger goals can be broken down into smaller, more manageable ones.
Again, this helps relieve stress.
#3. Journal prompts can be used to motivate us to be productive
Sometimes, just writing about smashing our goals and being productive can motivate us.
In fact, did you know that you’re 42% more likely to achieve a goal if you write it down first?
By writing it down, we strengthen our resolve. We make the dream a reality. We bring it into the 3D (or 2D, since we’re writing on paper).
By using journal prompts aimed at increasing productivity, we give ourselves the boost of motivation needed to get stuff done.
#4. Journaling improve self-awareness and mindfulness
Journal prompts – and journaling in general – helps improve mindfulness and self-awareness.
Improving this area of our mindset helps put things into perspective and also encourages us to prioritise.
We get better at learning how to “eat that frog” (do our most dreaded task of the day) and complete our tasks in order of importance, making us more productive.
We also learn that productivity is relative. Some days, just getting out of bed and brushing your teeth is productive. Others, making a phone call or getting your laundry done might be productive.
Sometimes, simply resting is productive because it’s in our best interest.
Being productive doesn’t mean you have to subscribe to the no days off mentality that we’ve been conditioned to believe is how you become successful. In fact, this mentally will probably only lead to burn-out and slow down your success.
Journaling can help you realise this, respect your own energy (and time), and harness your own self-worth.
What else can you journal about to increase productivity?
As well as using journal prompt, there are some other journaling techniques you can use to increase your productivity.
- Practise gratitude: By writing a gratitude list every day, we improve our mindset and mood. When we feel positive and content, our mental health tends to be in a better place and when our mental health is in a good place, we’re often more motivated to be productive and smash our goals. Basically, practising gratitude puts us in the right frame of mind to get stuff done!
- Goal-setting: This one is pretty self-explanatory. If you set goals each day – no matter how small or large – you’re more likely to work towards them. By writing down our daily goals and working through them, we’re taking steps towards achieving them. What’s more, journaling is a good goal to have each morning. Therefore, we’ve already completed one goal for the day just by using a journal prompt. This has a snowball affect and encourages us continue being productive with our day.
- Affirmations: By writing down affirmations, we boost our confidence and remind ourselves that we’re capable of achieving anything. We can even write down affirmations for productivity in order to really fortify our resolve and give ourselves the boost we need to get stuff done.
My Master Your Mindset with Journaling workbook guides you through these techniques and more in order to completely transform your mindset, which will help improve your motivation and productivity.
The workbook is currently available, so feel free to come on over and join!
A witchy ray of sunshine who loves to help others on their journal journey. I’ve been journaling since childhood and have since gone on to earn a degree in English and a diploma in Shadow Work. I love my plant babies, yoga, and anything spooky. Find out more on my about me page.
