Eli Rallo, an author and social media influencer, has a way of making people feel better about their lives. With her refreshing honesty and knack for spreading positivity, she’s become a comforting presence online. This November, Eli introduced a daily journaling series on TikTok, where each morning, she shares creative prompts to kickstart a day of self-reflection and positivity.
Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wanted to be one of those “cool girls” who journals regularly, and can creatively capture her thoughts on paper. Despite all of my efforts and the numerous new notebooks I buy, I’ve repetitively hit a familiar roadblock: What do I write? This question usually leads me to closing my notebook and giving up on journaling for a while.Â
So, when Eli announced her Notebook November series on Tik Tok, I was immediately obsessed. Each day, she introduces a new set of questions, along with how much she suggests you write, whether it’s half a page or an entire one. Her prompts are specific, guiding participants to reflect on specific moments, feelings, and thoughts in both a positive and negative way. This makes journaling feel less daunting and engages participants to reflect on themselves in numerous ways.Â
Here’s a look into my experience so far:Â
The first few days of the series, I was extremely motivated and eager to get the prompts done each day. The prompts were manageable and gave me a framework, which helped me avoid the intimidating blank page. Knowing that Eli and other viewers like me were journaling right aside motivated me to stay consistent. As the days went on though, I found myself struggling to make the time to finish each prompt and lost some of my initial motivation. To combat this I made sure to set a certain time each day where I would do it, the best time ended up being in the mornings, allowing me to start my day on the right foot.Â
Eli’s prompts are designed to make you dig deeper than normal. Some of them encourage you to look into your past, your future, moments of gratitude, insecurities, and even your biggest dreams or fears. One of my favorite prompts was from November 14th, and it asked for one flaw you’ve recognized in yourself, if you have accepted this flaw, if you would like to change it, and how that interrogation of yourself felt. I have never answered a prompt like this and it made me think about myself in a different light. It was challenging but definitely very eye opening and rewarding for me. Completing such a challenging prompt left me feeling accomplished and happy with the reflection I was doing.Â
Now what’s great about this series is the structure. It’s not just about showing up; it’s about doing so with purpose. Eli’s direction on how to respond to each prompt—whether focusing on one idea or expanding on a thought—has made the journaling process feel easier and more natural. I’m finding that having someone set the intention for the day relieves the pressure to come up with meaningful reflections on my own.
All in all, this series is not about producing perfectly written entries but about showing up authentically, even when what you write isn’t groundbreaking. Having Eli’s guidance has made journaling feel like a treat rather than a chore. And while I don’t know if I’ll keep it up every day after November, I can see myself returning to these prompts whenever I need a boost of creativity or self-reflection.