Prompts
76 journal prompts you can answer out loud.
Most journal prompts are written for a pen. They are long, they ask you to "explore" or "reflect deeply", and they read like homework. These are written for a mouth. Each is a plain question you could be asked by a friend, short enough to hold in your head while you talk, and open enough that a sentence or a few minutes both count.
They are the questions YapJar asks: the three that close out an evening, the four that open a morning, and nine themed sets for when a day needs a different door. You do not need the app to use them. Pick one, say the answer out loud, and stop when you run out.
how to use them.
- One question is enough. Three is a full entry. Do not work down the list.
- Answer the way you would to a friend. The first thing that comes to mind is usually the true one.
- If a question lands flat, skip it. The point is to start talking, not to answer that question.
- Same question, different day, different answer. Repeating a prompt is how a journal starts to show you things.
evening: three questions to close a day.
Each evening YapJar asks one from each group, so the entry always moves from what happened, to what mattered, to what to keep.
what happened.
- what happened today?
- how did today actually go?
- what did today look like?
- what did you get up to today?
- what's the first thing that comes to mind about today?
what mattered.
- what stuck with you?
- what's still with you from it?
- what stayed with you today?
what to keep.
- what don't you want to lose from it?
- what's worth keeping from today?
- what would you not want to forget?
- what's the one bit of today you'd keep?
morning: four questions to set a day.
The morning entry looks forward. One from each group, answered in a minute, before the day decides for you.
how you're arriving.
- how are you walking into today?
- what are you carrying into today?
- how are you arriving today?
what today needs.
- what does today need from you?
- what is today asking of you?
- what's the one thing today really needs?
what could get in the way.
- what could get in your way?
- what might trip you up today?
- what's the friction you can already see?
what would make it worth it.
- what would make today feel worth it?
- what would make tonight feel good?
- what would you want to be able to say you did?
themes: nine sets for when a day needs a different door.
In the app these rotate as weekly themes. Here they are all at once.
small good things.
- what small thing went right today that you almost forgot?
- who made your day a little easier?
- what did you notice today that you usually walk past?
- what felt good in your body today?
- what made you laugh this week?
- what would you tell a friend was the best part of your day?
- what tiny thing are you glad you did?
what's heavy.
- what are you dreading, and what part of it is actually real?
- what would feel lighter if you just named it?
- who or what is taking up space in your head today?
- what did you avoid this week, and why?
the people.
- who did you think about today that you didn't reach out to?
- what did someone say this week that stuck?
- who do you owe a message?
- when did you feel close to someone today?
- who are you grateful for right now, and have they heard it?
- what did you learn about someone this week?
- who would you want beside you tonight?
what you want.
- what do you actually want right now?
- what were you chasing today?
- if nothing were watching, how would you spend tomorrow?
- what have you been hungry for lately?
- what did you want to say today and didn't?
- what would make this week feel worth it?
the body.
- how did you sleep, and how is it showing up today?
- where are you holding tension right now?
- when did you feel most awake today?
- what did you put into your body today, and how did it land?
- when did you last move just because it felt good?
- what is your body asking for that you keep ignoring?
- what would actually rest you tonight?
what's changing.
- what are you slowly letting go of?
- what did you used to care about that you don't anymore?
- what would surprise your younger self about today?
- what habit is forming without you deciding it?
- what do you want to be true by next week?
work & craft.
- what did you make or move forward today?
- when did you feel useful this week?
- what did you learn by doing today?
- what felt like a waste of your time, honestly?
- what are you proud of that no one saw?
- what would you do differently on Monday?
what landed.
- what got decided or finished today?
- what did you say yes to, or no to?
- what will you remember about this week in a year?
stillness.
- when were you alone with your thoughts today?
- what noise are you ready to turn down?
- what did you notice when you finally stopped?
- what are you rushing that doesn't need rushing?
- when did you last feel genuinely calm?
- what would a slow tomorrow look like?
- what can wait until next week?
why these are short.
A prompt you have to re-read is a prompt you cannot answer while talking. Every question here fits in one breath, names one thing, and leaves the answer open. None asks you to rate yourself or to find a lesson. A journal that asks better questions gets better days back, and the easiest question to answer is the one a person would actually ask you. More on the method in how to start voice journaling.
these questions, asked at the right time of day.
yapjar asks the evening three and the morning four, and keeps what you say in your own words. free to start, one entry a day. iPhone only for now.
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