Inside: Are you tired of starting the day groggy + irritable? These morning journal prompts will help you jumpstart your day with intentionality, purpose, and joy.

Was it guilt, embarrassment, or shame settling in my gut? Did I need to apologize? Or was moving on confidently, knowing I had done the most with what I knew, the best next step? When do I take responsibility for someone else's hurt feelings, and when do I let go of the pressure to please and move on?

Over the past week or so, my thoughts had been scattered, spontaneous, and directionless as I mulled over these questions. I was splashing around in a pool, hopeful my erratic movements would somehow get me safely to the edge.

The truth was I was going nowhere. 

I was thinking - that's for sure! But those thoughts weren't getting me any closer to the answers I ached for.

Then one morning I grabbed my journal and wrote. My pen hit the page and the thoughts and sequence of events flowed. I outlined what I felt, the facts of the situation, and what I expected the psychology behind my actions was. 

As the words poured out, clarity began to surface. My strokes, instead of sporadic and uncontrolled, were steady. The writing was slowly pulling me to the edge of the water, where I could pull myself out. From this new vantage point I could see to the other side.

How Do I Start A Morning Journal

It can sound daunting can't it? Starting a writing routine feels scary when either:

1. writing has never been your thing
2. it's been years since you've put pen to page

But there is no need to be intimidated.

Journaling doesn't need to look pretty. It probably won't look or sound neat and tidy.  When journaling, I'll often stop mid-sentence because clarity came to mind quicker than my hand could write. My notebooks are messy, thoughts sounds inconclusive, and doodles make them look eerily similar to the pages from my 7th grade history binder

While the page and thoughts look partial and incomplete, the writing process has done it's job by bringing clarity.  

The only real obstacle is carving out the time and then being disciplined to get started. And that is totally up to you.

5 Quick Tips To Start A Journaling Routine

Here are 5 quicks steps to help you jumpstart your morning journal routine (and further on down I'll give you some morning journal prompts to help you get started!). 

1. Grab a notebook and pen: neither have to be fancy, Your notebook can be lined, blank, spiral bound... heck just grab loose leaf paper if that's all you have!
2. Plan to wake up a little earlier. Doesn't have to be much earlier, just 15 minutes or so. 
3. Pick a morning journaling spot. Having a designated writing place will assist in training your brain to form this new habit. Set your notebook and pen near your chosen location.
4. When you sit to write, date the page (this is fun just in case you want to look back), and start writing. Write anything that comes to mind. When your brain goes blank (it will) resist the urge to lift the pen from the page. Keep on writing jibberish until the words start to form again. 
5. Don't judge yourself! Just keep going. It will feel awkward at first, but slowly it'll become more natural. The seeds will sprout and the fruit will begin to grow. 

What Do I Write In My Morning Journal

"Just plug it in!" my mom used to say to my sister during the 6 month stint she homeschooled us. My mom was teaching math, and being a "math person" herself, she couldn't for the life of her understand why my 7 year old sister didn't understand how to "plug" a number into a math equation. 

But math doesn't come naturally to everyone (especially for 7 year olds!). Neither does writing.

Just because you aren't a "writer" doesn't mean you can't start a writing routine.

Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be. Here are a few ideas for what to write when you sit down (again, the morning journal prompts below will help). 

• Any thoughts or feelings you're having about the day, or have about the previous day/week
• A list of what you need and want to get done today
• People and circumstances you are grateful for
• Prayers (I often start my morning writing out my prayers to Jesus)
• Fears you have about a pending task/relationship
• What you hope to be true about yourself and your circumstances in the future
• Worries you feel about the future

The important thing is this: write.

Day 1 will not look like what you imagine Day 30 to look like. And Day 30 won't look like Day 150. This is an evolving process. Each day may look different based on where you are and what's going on in your life. There is no perfect formula for a morning journal routine. 

You just have to write!

31 Morning Journal Prompts

1. Am I more concerned with how others perceive me and my family, or how I make my husband and kids feel when we are together?
2. How much of yesterday did I do on autopilot? How can I be more intentional with my actions today?
3. What is the most chaotic time of day? What can I do to help soften the blow of that time?
4. What can I choose today, even if all my plans go haywire?
5. How can I honor God with my time today?
6. What does my husband appreciate the most about me? What do I appreciate the most about him?
7. Am I acting on the things that I know to be true? Or do I use the collection of information as an excuse to procrastinate?
8. In 5 years, what do I want to be true about my life?
9. Do my daily priorities reflect my values and what I say is important?
10. What is one thing that I know I am good at. Am I using that gift daily? Why or why not? How can I use it more?
11. What do I believe God says about who I am? How does He see me? 
12. What do I dislike the most about myself? Is this a problem, or is this just me being hard on myself? If it is a problem, how can I do better? If I am just being hard on myself, how can I change my internal self-talk? 
13. What is one activity that I can do today with my kids that will be fun for them and for me. Why is it fun for all of us?
14. What is beautiful in my life right now? What is hard?
15. If today was the last day of my life, what would I want to make sure was said and done?
16. What dream or goal have I been ignoring or putting to the side? What can I do to make steps towards that (even if they are tiny steps)?
17. What I can do today that will teach my kids something new about who God is?
18. Who in my life is leading me closer to Christ? Who is leading me further away?
19. How can I honor God with my body today?
20. What am I doing on a daily basis to make sure I am taking care of my physical and mental needs? How does taking care of myself affect my relationship with my husband and my kids?
21. How many times a day do I look at myself in the mirror? What are my motives for looking into a mirror?
22. What are five things God says in His Word about who I am?
23. Am I holding on to any resentment or jealousy towards someone in my life? What needs to happen so that I can move forward?
24. What is one thing in my life I am doing more for appearance sake, and less because it actually matters to me and those I love?
25. If I had a day all to myself, what would I do? Choose one thing from that imaginary day you can do today (even if it's in a very small way).
26. Who are the five people (outside of my immediate family) that I spend the most time with? Remember: "You're the average of the five people spend the most time with" - Jim Rohn
27. Who are 3 people I admire, and why?
28. How can I honor God with my mind today?
29. What is my husband struggling with right now? What can I be doing to encourage and support him in that?
30. What relationship do I wish was stronger? What steps can I take today and this week to build that relationship?
31. Does my house feel more like a house or a home? How can I make it feel more like a home for myself and my family?
32. How can I take better care of my physical body today? How does taking care of my body affect my husband and my kids?
33. How can I focus more on who I am becoming vs. what I am doing?
34. How can I honor God with my relationships today?
35. What 3 qualities do I want my child(ren) to have? Am I modeling those character traits to them?

My Favorite Morning Journal Materials

These suggestions are super simple. If you type "journaling materials" into Google, you'll find a plethora of beautiful notebooks, pens, journals, sticky notes, etc. So if you're looking for beautiful, head to Google. 

If you just want something simple and clean, I'm your girl. Here are my favs:

• my favorite lined notebook, tons of color options (I currently have the yellow and really like it)
• sometimes I like to journal on blank pages, unlined pages. These are slim, and can be carried just about anywhere
• my favorite pen
• printable PDF 30 day journal (with daily planning pages!)

You can start a life-giving writing routine, too.

Starting a morning journaling routine is not hard. Yes, it takes some discipline and learning a new skill, but it's not hard.

It's also not a rhythm you'll regret trying. Even if you don't do it every day, having the right journaling tools and mindset will help when your thoughts are circling but getting your nowhere. S

Sitting down and writing might be just what you need to transform those chaotic strokes in purposeful movements towards shore.

I know that's often true for me.

I’m rooting for you,