Raise your hand if you’re still shocked that 2025 is only a matter of days away. I know I am! With the new year quickly approaching, I’m finding ways to embrace mindfulness and spend quality time reflecting. I can’t think of a better way than lighting a candle, curling up in bed, and journaling. Journaling is a great way to not only cope through difficult times like a break-up or to practice self-love, but it can also help you practice slowing down and taking a moment for yourself in the middle of busy schedules. It’s also a great excuse to treat yourself to new journals.

While creating New Year’s goals and resolutions is a great way to visualize the new year, journaling can provide a moment of mindfulness, so you can slow down, spend time with yourself, and enjoy quiet moments of reflection.

Without further ado, here are 40 New Year’s journal prompts you can use for 2025.

A girl in a silver dress with gold confetti and pink and gold balloons surrounding her — Photo by Inga Seliverstova from Pexels

Did you meet any of the goals you set for yourself this year?: Acknowledge any win! Even the small ones count.
List five things you learned about yourself in 2024.: Growth and self-awareness are everything, even if they’re uncomfortable.
What was your happiest memory in 2024? Describe it.: You deserve the happiness, bestie.
What was a challenge you faced in 2024? Describe it.: Sometimes, we all need a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come.
Was there anything you had to let go of in 2024 that you didn’t expect?: Pull out the Kleenex, because this one may bring tears.
Is there something you want to tell your past self?: Consider it a love letter to your 2024 self.
What habits do you want to leave behind?: Let go and let the universe.
What things are going well in your life?: Some things don’t need to change.
What books, podcasts, or content would you like to explore in 2025?: Self-improvement starts with education.
Is there a new language you can spend time learning in 2025?: Time to break out Duolingo!
What’s your 2025 word or mantra?: Is it “fulfillment,” “strength,” or “love always”? Sometimes identifying a keyword or phrase can help you visualize your intentions.
Set a specific health goal for 2025. How will you achieve it?: The more details, the better!
Identify a bad habit you want to break in 2025.: Growth often involves doing things that aren’t always easy.
Do you have any professional goals you want to achieve in 2025?: Writing about your goals is the first step to manifesting them.

Photo by Marco Verch distributed under a CC BY 2.0 license
What are your financial goals for the new year?: Time to break out the Excel sheets.
What are five things you want to achieve academically this year?: You are capable of high-flying achievements.
How will you measure success in 2025? What does “success” mean to you?: Define it based on your terms.
How can you step out of your comfort zone more this year?: Good things await you on the other side of your comfort zone.
Describe a way you want to give back or help your community this year.: Volunteer work can be extremely rewarding and a great way to become more connected to the city you live in.
What fear would you like to conquer this year?: Really spend some time thinking about this one.
How do you plan to prioritize self-care in 2025?: Remember that you are important and deserve consistent self-care in whatever way that may look.
What are the expectations you have of yourself this year?: Hold yourself accountable to the goals you set.
Is there anything holding you back from improving your love life this year?: Take the time to be intentional about your dating goals.
Reflect on your relationships. Is there anything you can do to improve and strengthen them in 2025?: Whether it’s a romantic or platonic relationship, there’s always room for growth and improvement. Try talking to your friends and/or partner as well — they may share how they want to be loved and appreciated.
What does a healthy love life look like for you?: We all deserve a beautiful and slow love that meets our expectations (no, they aren’t too much).
What are your values and are there any you are willing to compromise on? Any hard no’s?: Boundaries are important.
Set boundaries for yourself this year – academically, personally, and professionally.: My fellow people pleasers, 2025 is the year we learn to say “no” and honor our space and energy.
What places would you like to visit in 2025? Why?: Break out the passports, besties.
How can you continue to cultivate new experiences for yourself this year?: Small or big. Write them down.
Write a letter to someone who impacted you in 2024.: Whether good or bad, you don’t need to wait to find closure.
What role does creativity play in your life? How can you nurture it more in 2025?: We all have our inner artist.
A new experience I want to have this year is _____.: Embrace all the possibilities!

Photo by MUNMUN SINGH from Unsplash
What kind of person do you want to be in 2025 and beyond?: This is a big one, so try to be as specific as possible.
How has your relationship with yourself changed in the past year? Is there anything you want to continue improving?: Light a candle and spend some time reflecting.
Write a letter to future you.: You’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come by the start of 2026.
What are some new hobbies you can embrace in 2025?: Because we all deserve some fun downtime.
Is there anything you didn’t achieve last year that you can achieve this year?: Just because it didn’t happen doesn’t mean you need to disregard it.
What was a moment you felt truly confident? How can you embrace your confidence in the new year?: Confidence is key!
Reflect on your morning routine. How can you improve it to start each day with a positive mindset?: Start your mornings right!
Reflect on your night routine. How can you improve it to end each day with mindfulness and self-care?: 2025 is the year to create the best routines for yourself.

Start Your New Year The Right Way With These Journal Prompts

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