Like many entrepreneurs who have been in business for more than 90 seconds, I have consumed copious amounts of personal development podcasts, books, and programs.
And to be honest, I get kind of sick of it sometimes.
It’s just a lot of work to improve yourself! I don’t always want to be the best version of myself. Some days I just want to be a silly little cat mom, you feel?
Not to mention, a lot of personal development content being pushed on social media tends to be pretty surface level (and they’re usually trying to sell you something.) It’s easy to get people to buy from you when you drug them up on motivational content.
And yet… I am an overachiever. I have big goals and enjoy pursuing them. To do this, it helps to be self-aware, very curious, and ready to lean on the knowledge of others who’ve come before you.
Truthfully, managing your mindset is the key to achieving anything. When you’re growing a business, you’re going to have to face things about yourself that you never would have encountered otherwise.
So if you’re an entrepreneur, you’re going to benefit from having a journaling practice.
If you’re looking for a little extra encouragement, motivation, and self reflection on your entrepreneurial journey, here are some journal prompts you can have at the ready.
How to start a journaling practice as an entrepreneur
I’ve been journaling for a long, long time, and here’s the advice I give that no one else is going to: you don’t have to be consistent.
You can journal five pages every day for a week and then leave your journal in your desk drawer for a month. You can do stream-of-consciousness journaling, or just copy a bunch of Taylor Swift lyrics. There are no rules.
That said, here are my main recommendations for starting a journaling practice as an entrepreneur:
Dos:
– Get a cute notebook. It’s more fun to journal when your notebook is cute, that’s just science.
– Keep plenty of pens on hand because they will run out of ink in the middle of a very important sentence.
– Keep your journal in an easy place, like your nightstand or desk, so you can use it when you need it.
– Write whatever you feel like writing. Again, there are no rules.
Don’ts:
– Don’t write like someone is going to read it. Journaling is for the writer, not a reader.
– Don’t feel behind if you miss your journaling routine. You don’t even need to have a routine, you can use it as you like.
– Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or proper sentence structure.
– Don’t judge yourself. Journaling is a tool to help you self reflect and process things, it’s not meant to be used against you, even by yourself.
31 Journal Prompts for Entrepreneurs
Since I’ve been in business for a couple years now, here are some prompts that really hit that part of yourself you have to face on the entrepreneurial journey. You can either go by category, do one prompt each day, or pick your favorites and ignore the rest.
For goal setting
- What are your top three business goals for the next quarter/six months? Break each one down into actionable steps.
- Imagine your business five years from now. What does success look like? Work backwards to identify the milestones you can map out now.
- List three habits that are hindering your business growth. How can you replace each with a habit that serves your goals?
- What’s one long-term goal that scares you? Why is it worth pursuing despite the fear?
- Explain why you are in business in only 1-2 sentences. How do your current projects align with this mission? Do any of them need to change?
- If money and resources were not an object, what goals would you be setting for your business?
- Describe your perfect work day. How can you make more days like this a reality?
For inspiration
- Describe a time when a client interaction or feedback brought you joy. How can you create more of these moments?
- List 3 people you’re inspired by, from history, modern day, or even fiction. How do their stories inspire you?
- Write about a business setback that led to an unexpected opportunity or lesson. What did it teach you about yourself?
- Imagine your business wins an award. What’s the award for, and who do you thank in your speech?
- Describe the moment you made your first sale or landed your first client. Tap into that initial excitement.
- Describe how you overcame an obstacle in your business from the point of view of someone who’s supportive of you (a friend, mentor, or fan.)
For creativity
- If you had an unlimited budget, what wild idea would you implement in your business?
- List three industries you enjoy that are unrelated to yours. How could you apply their strategies to your business?
- Pick a character from a movie, TV show, or book that you feel represents the persona of your business. What journey does this character go on? Why do people like this character?
- Describe your business, but you can’t use any words unless they’re quotes from other people. This might be a good time to start making a Pinterest board for your business if you haven’t already
- Make a Spotify playlist for your business. Journal about why each song fits your business.
For when you want to burn it all down
- If you’re feeling emotional, angry, or stressed, what does this emotion tell you about yourself? How is this emotion protecting you?
- What part of your business drains you the most? How can you delegate, automate, or eliminate it?
- If you could go back to the day before you started your business, what would you tell yourself?
- Write an “I’m done with…” list. For each item, brainstorm a solution or a boundary you can set.
- Describe your worst business nightmare. Now, write a plan to prevent it or handle it if it happens (and notice how unlikely it is to actually happen.)
- If you had to completely pivot your business model tomorrow, what would you change?
For when you want to change the world
- How does your business address a social or environmental issue? Can you amplify this impact?
- Write a manifesto for how businesses like yours can contribute to a better world.
- List three ways you can mentor or support aspiring entrepreneurs who are in a similar place to where you started.
- Imagine your business as a force for change in your community. What’s one initiative you can start?
- How can your business model challenge industry norms for the better? Think sustainability, equity, or innovation.
- Describe your business after you’ve reached all your goals from the perspective of someone you currently look up to.
- Create your own definition of success.
When you take care of yourself, you take care of your business
In case you haven’t caught on yet, this is going to be the most chill self-care practice you could adopt.
On my corner of the internet, we’re all about doing exactly what your intuition is leading you to do. No need to wake up at 5am, read Socrates, dunk yourself in an ice bath, then journal your heart out. Do as much or as little as you want.
Whatever you choose to do, trust that taking care of yourself will positively impact your business as well. You’ll be able to access more creativity, intuition, and passion for your work when you take care of yourself–which entrepreneurs need especially!
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