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Feeling sluggish, uninspired, or just plain blah is no fun. How awesome would it be if we were bursting balls of energy, ready to tackle everything in our life with ease?! That might not come so easy, but these journal prompts for motivation can help you in some ways.
Contrary to what you’ve been told, it’s not realistic to feel motivated every single day, all of the time. So if you’re feeling down on yourself because your motivation fades from time to time, don’t be! It’s perfectly normal.
But, experiencing a lack of motivation is frustrating nonetheless! You know you have things to do, but you just can’t for the life of you bring yourself to do it. We’ve all been there, and thankfully there’s steps you can take to make things more manageable! These journal prompts for motivation are a good starting point.
Can journaling help with motivation?
When you keep a written account of your goals and plans, you’re much more likely to stick to them. It can get overwhelming when you feel like you have a million things to do but have no idea where to start.
Journaling as an organizational tool can alleviate this by organizing and prioritizing everything that’s floating around on your mental to-do list! As a result, you’ll feel more motivated to make that daunting first step toward achieving your goals.
What do you write in a motivational journal?
When keeping a motivational journal, think goal-oriented. Focus not only on the goals you want to achieve, but on your “why?” behind achieving them.
Many people have a hard time waiting for delayed gratification. The desire for instant gratification and getting what you want now can make it challenging to be consistent and stick to long-term goals. Especially when you don’t get to see those results right away.
To combat this, use your journal to reflect on these aspects relating to your goals:
- What is your deeper motivation for achieving the goal?
- How will you feel once your goal is achieved?
- In 6 months from now, will you feel glad you stuck with your goal?
Journal Prompts for Motivation
Need journal prompts for motivation when you’re uninspired or sluggish? These prompts are the perfect pick-me-up to get yourself back on track!
Journal Prompts for Motivation With Your Goals
- What is your definition of “being motivated?”
- What would being motivated in your life look like to you?
- What goals have you wanted to accomplish, but felt that your lack of motivation got in the way?
- What is the #1 roadblock to staying consistent when working toward your goals?
- What would your dream life include?
- Who is someone you admire?
- What about them makes them so admirable?
- Who do you wish to be more like?
- What is one small step you can make today that would contribute toward a larger goal?
- What are your top 5 goals for the next 5 years?
- What are the specific and actionable steps you can take you make those goals a reality?
- What needs to change in your routine right now to keep you on track to where you want to be?
RELATED: New Month Journal Prompts for Goal Setting
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Journal Prompts for Motivation When You’re Feeling Uninspired
- When you don’t feel like getting things done, what usually triggers that feeling?
- When was the last time you did something creative and what did you do?
- In times where you’ve felt really motivated/excited, what brought on those feelings?
- What can you do to create more opportunities to feel that way?
- Do you know what your “life’s purpose” is? Vent your thoughts on this.
RELATED: 60 Journal Prompts to Find Your Purpose When Stuck
- When you get into “procrastination mode,” what causes it and what do you do when you procrastinate?
- Name one thing you can do to prevent procrastination
- Have you felt burnt out before? What does it feel like and what triggers it for you?
- What are some of your “warning signs” that you’re about to approach burnout?
- What do you need to do to prevent yourself from getting burnt out?
- What is the biggest goal you’ve achieved recently?
Motivational Monday Prompts
- What makes Mondays such a drag for you?
- What is one thing you can do to make Mondays more enjoyable?
- Do you think Mondays really are a chance for a fresh start? Why or why not?
- Are there good habits you start doing on Monday but drop by the end of the week? What causes this to happen?
- What is one good thing you can do for your mental health each week?
- What is one self care activity you can prioritize each week?
- What are 5 things you’re grateful for about the start of the week?
- What would make you happy right now?
- What is getting in the way of that happiness?
- How can you improve your productivity/time management this week?
- In what areas of your life do you feel out of alignment with right now?
- How do you define success?
RELATED: 80 Monday Affirmations to Kick Off the Week with Confidence
How to boost motivation
Journaling is a great place to start when you want to gain back some motivation. Along with these journal prompts for motivation, give these ideas a try too!
- Talk it out and seek support from someone who encourages you
- Make sure you’re maintaining your mental health
- Strive for balance. Don’t work yourself too hard or place unrealistic expectations on yourself
- Practice self care activities like these
- Get some movement into your daily routine (movement you actually enjoy!)
- Do what you can. Trying is better than not doing anything at all.
- Just start. (No, it’s not always that easy, but telling yourself you’ll do a task for just ten minutes often results in working on it longer!)
- Boost your confidence through positive affirmations like these affirmations specifically for motivation
- Prioritize taking breaks
- Create a vision board to represent all your goals
Struggling, like, a lotttt with motivation? Journaling is a good first step, but sometimes I need more than that to manage my bouts of demotivation. Therapy helps a ton. I always recommend Online Therapy because it’s a comprehensive, effective online therapy toolkit at an affordable monthly cost. Get 20% off your first month at the link below!
I hope these journal prompts for motivation gave you the little kick you needed to keep on going! Remember that it’s not realistic to feel motivated 100% of the time, so don’t expect that from yourself. Do what you can, be balanced with work and rest, and you’ll do great!
More Resources to Keep You Motivated
80 Motivating Self Improvement Journal Prompts
50+ Daily Positive Affirmations for Motivation and Self Confidence
New Month Journal Prompts for Goal Setting
Goal Ideas for Personal Growth to Set This Year
LIKE THESE JOURNAL PROMPTS FOR MOTIVATION? PIN THEM FOR LATER!

Last Updated on November 27, 2022