It’s that time of year again! The end of the year is a time for reflection, and what better way to reflect on the past year than by writing about it? This blog post will provide a list of fun and creative journal prompts to help you document your thoughts and memories from the past year. Whether you are looking to reminisce on all the good times you had or want to document some of your challenges, these prompts will help get you started!
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70 End-of-the-Year Journal Prompts
These 70 journal writing prompts help and encourage you to record your experiences throughout the year. These year reflection questions are perfect for the year’s beginning, middle, or end.
Start With a Journal Prompt of Your Choice and See How It Goes!
Reflecting on a Year
- What was the best thing that happened to you this year?
- The best way to describe the past year would be…
- What did you accomplish this year?
- Did your goals change during the year? If so, why did they change, and how did that affect your life?
- What did you accomplish that you didn’t think was possible?
- What was your biggest accomplishment this year? Did it change your life or make it easier for you? In what way?
- What did you like best about this year?
- What were your highlights during each month of the year?
- How would you describe your mood during the year?
- How did your mindset evolve this year?
- Write about a time when you felt empowered.
- Describe a time when you felt like you made a difference in someone else’s life (e.g., a friend, family member, or student).
- Write about something that made you laugh this year – even if it was at yourself!
- Write about something that happened to you this year that made you feel like an era was ending, but not necessarily in a bad way!
- What was your biggest challenge? Why was it so difficult?
- Write about the biggest challenge you faced this year and how you overcame it (or didn’t).
- What do you wish for next year?
- How do your goals for next year differ from those of previous years?
- If something didn’t go as planned this year, what was it, and how did you feel about it?
- If something went particularly well this year, what was it, and how did you feel about it?
- What was an important lesson learned from the past year?
- How can you improve your daily routine in the coming year?
- Write down a positive memory from the year. What made it feel so great? How can you use that feeling in the future?
Reflecting on Life’s Journey - Review everything that happened this year and write down one thing you learned about yourself from each experience.
- What’s the best way to celebrate the end of a year? How can you make sure this party is memorable?
- What do you want to do before the next year begins? Can you do it now? If not, when will you be able to do it?
- What was your favorite part of your vacations this year?
- What do you regret most about this year?
- What would you like to forget from the past year?
- What was the most surprising thing that happened to you this year?
- In what ways were you different at the end of the year than you were at the beginning?
- What was the most surprising thing that happened to you this year? Why was it surprising?
- What do you want to remember from this year?
- What did you learn from your teachers this year?
- How did your first part of the school year go?
- What will you improve in school this coming year?
- Did you learn a new skill? Which one?
- Did you start a new hobby? Why or why not?
- Who did you spend the most time with this year?
- Write about your best experience this year.
- What was your favorite book this year? Why did it make a memorable impression on you?
- What was your favorite song this year?
- What was your favorite movie this year?
- Who were the most influential people in your life this year?
- What new foods have you discovered in the last 12 months?
- What do you wish you’d done more of this year?
- What do you wish you’d done less of this year?
- What was the most excellent compliment you received this year?
- What’s the most excellent thing you did for someone else this year?
- If you could turn back time, what advice would you give yourself at the beginning of this year?
- How has your relationship with your family changed over the years? How has it stayed the same?
- What do you need to improve about your relationships in the next year?
Navigating Changes - How has your relationship with your friends changed over the years? How has it stayed the same?
- Who made you angry or upset this year?
- Who’s helped you this year?
- How have you grown over the past year?
- What goals or resolutions did you set last year, and how did they make you who you are today?
- What are you looking forward to in the next year?
- How do you envision next year?
- What are your goals for next year?
- Who do you need to reach out to, or what do you need to do to make those goals a reality?
- How will you measure your progress?
- What do you want to change about yourself in the new year?
- What do you want to do differently in the next year?
- What do you want to stay the same in the next year?
- Do you need to set limits for yourself in the next year? If so, what are they and why?
- How would you describe your outlook on life right now?
- Do you still have goals from this year that you want to continue working on?
- What can you let go of to make room for something better?
- What do you hope for yourself in the next year?
- What do you want for the world in the next year?
- How to improve your creative writing skills when writing your journal
The end of the year is a time to reflect on your work, your life, and what you want to accomplish in the coming year. It’s also a time to reflect on your diary writing skills.
Tips for Enhancing Your Daily Practice
Writing a journal every day can be a challenge. Many people fall behind or skip days. This can cause stress and make writing the diary a chore.
Here are some tips on how to improve your writing skills:
- Use a timer for each writing prompt. Take 15 minutes for each journaling prompt and set an alarm if needed.
- Write about something different each day. Don’t repeat the same things repeatedly, or you’ll get bored with the topic and stop writing!
- Set goals for the topics you want to cover in your journal entries throughout the year (for example, one topic per month). Refer to these goals when you write your journal so you don’t stray too far from them!
- Make sure each entry has at least two paragraphs. This way, the reader will learn more about what’s going on in your life than if they only had a single paragraph!
- If possible, write your journal entries in the morning or evening when you’ve more energy. Writing after work or school is better if you’re in a hurry in the morning.