You crack open your journal, pen in hand, expecting a lightning bolt of purposeful revelation to strike. In this moment, your calling shall reveal itself!
But as you poise the pen over the blank page, no poetic epiphany flows — just the deafening roar of silence.
I’ve been there too — angry, frustrated, and depressed. I thought it wasn’t fair that the likes of Stephen King, Oprah, and J.K. Rowling got to live their purpose while I was stuck in survival mode, hating every aspect of my life.
I forgot one thing, though — most successful people (like Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, and Oprah) found their “a-ha” moments after years of working mundane jobs.
But who wants to wait tables for decades before awakening to their life’s true meaning?
The good news is you don’t have to wander aimlessly down the path of the undiscovered when targeted journaling can uncover your passion. An overnight eureka breakthrough would be nice; however, reflecting on the right cues can unlock what captures your curiosity and compels you to jump out of bed.
In this post, we’ll use 70 introspective journal prompts to find your purpose. These thought-provoking questions will chisel away years of conditioning to reveal your deepest drivers and motivations.
Table of Contents
70 Journal Prompts to Find Your Purpose
1. How do I define success and failure in my life?
2. What have been my proudest moments so far?
3. What aspects of myself do I genuinely want to change or improve?
4. What do I like most about myself and who I am?
5. What are my biggest fears and anxieties?
6. What do I find myself envying in other people’s lives?
7. When I think of my future self, what do I see myself doing on a daily basis?
8. What does my ideal average day look like?
9. What career paths get me excited to jump out of bed, and which make me anxious?
10. Beyond money, status, and recognition, what do I truly want from life?
11. What career advice would I give my younger self if I could?
12. How do I want to make a positive difference in the world?
13. If I had absolutely no fear, what bold dreams would I pursue?
14. If I suddenly had a million dollars, how would I use it?
15. Do I prefer generating new ideas or improving existing things?
16. What would I choose to do if I ignored everyone else’s expectations?
17. What do others tend to appreciate about me or come to me for help with?
18. What are my first reactions and assumptions when I hear about people in unconventional creative careers?
19. Is financial stress or instability holding me back from pursuing meaningful work?
20. Who are my role models, and what do I admire in them?
21. What companies or organizations would I be most excited to work for?
22. What books, talks, music, and blogs am I naturally drawn to?
23. What do I enjoy doing for other people simply because it comes naturally to me?
24. What goals do I often talk about pursuing but never actually try?
25. What would I speak about if asked to give a 45-minute TED Talk on any topic right now?
26. What activities get me so engaged that I lose all track of time?
27. What skills do I wish I had or want to learn?
28. What qualities do I admire in other people?
29. What would my biggest regret be if I was on my deathbed looking back at my life?
30. If I had to choose between two career paths — one that was meaningful but demanding with no guarantee of success and another that was unfulfilling but stable and secure — which path would I have the courage to follow?
31. What gets me excited to jump out of bed each morning?
32. What topics could I discuss for hours without getting bored?
33. Which skills leave me feeling lit up with joy and satisfaction when I use them?
34. How would I spend my time if I had limitless financial resources?
35. What issues in the world bother me the most?
36. If I left the world one piece of wisdom, what would it be?
37. Who have been my most impactful mentors and role models?
38. What accomplishments would I like highlighted in my obituary?
39. What bold dream would I pursue if I knew total success was guaranteed?
40. What gives my life meaning beyond material success?
41. If I had a magic wand and could instantly manifest any career, what would it be?
42. What topics could I research for days without losing interest or running out of steam?
43. When do I feel most authentic, self-expressed, and alive?
44. What issues in the world make me feel outraged enough to take action?
45. If all jobs had equal pay and benefits, how would I choose to spend 40+ hours each week?
46. What unique talents and gifts have I cultivated that the world needs?
47. How do I want my eulogy to describe the legacy I left behind?
48. What quote or saying best encapsulates my personal mission statement?
49. What social causes inspire me enough to volunteer my time or donate money?
50. What do I see myself doing when I visualize my dream life 10 years from now?
51. What life experiences shaped my perspectives and strengthened my voice?
52. If I could pick any career regardless of my current skill level, what would excite me most to learn?
53. When I help others using my innate gifts, what is most personally fulfilling for me?
54. What impact do I most wish to have on my community or the world?
55. What books, songs, art, and ideas have influenced me over time?
56. If I had one year left to live, how would I choose to spend my time?
57. What doubts hold me back from boldly pursuing my wildest dreams?
58. What calms my mind, centers my spirit, and soothes my soul?
59. If money was no concern, where in the world would I most enjoy living?
60. Beyond profit, what company missions resonate with my personal values?
61. If I was guaranteed fame and fortune doing anything, what meaningful work would I still choose to pursue?
62. What innovators, leaders, or creators do I find most inspirational and why?
63. When reflecting on past jobs, what aspects brought me the most joy and fulfillment?
64. Have any strangers ever commented on a unique talent or gift they observed in me?
65. If all limitations were removed, what would my ideal day-to-day workflow look like?
66. What skills come so naturally to me that others are surprised to learn I consider them special?
67. Does any cause or social issue tug at my heart enough to support regardless of public attention or acclaim?
68. If I could pick one career for my child to pursue, what would I choose and why?
69. What advice, lesson, or insight do I frequently share with friends?
70. If I knew I couldn’t fail and history would remember me, what legacy project would I tackle?
My Journaling Experience to Find My Purpose
I’ve always collected journals. My mom looks at me with exasperation when I’m in a stationery store because it doesn’t matter that I have three brand new journals with labels at home; I want more.
I’ve also always been a word-lover. I read to my heart’s content as a child, teenager, and woman. I wanted to write the best inspirational stories and call myself a writer.
Yet, the world had silenced me.
2020 was the first year I realized I wanted something more for myself. I was not meant to be an accountant and live a conventional life. I wanted more, and I wanted words.
So, in pure Pooja fashion, I grabbed one of my old journals and wrote and wrote. I didn’t use journal prompts to find my purpose; I free-wrote, meaning I wrote with no prompt or inhibition.
Today, I can call myself a writer — I’m getting paid to do it, and it’s still my hobby, too.
Was journaling the reason I found my purpose? Maybe, maybe not. But it definitely was a helping hand on that journey there.
Use journaling as a medium to figure out where you want to be. I can guarantee that as you write, write, write, with or without a prompt, you will unearth versions of you that you didn’t know existed.
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed these 70 journal prompts to find your purpose. Let me know your favorite prompt below!