4 Journal Prompts for Intention Setting
4 Journal Prompts to Help With Your Daily Commitment to Intention Setting and Action.
Hi, y’all,
When I was a nun, Sister Rosemary reminded me that the only intentions that matter are those that lead to action. Everything else is wishful thinking.
Mindful intention and the follow-up action are like both sides of the same hand.
Today, I want to share four journal prompts to help you reflect and commit to your daily intention setting and action.
Let’s dive in.
First, some easy micro-mindfulness tips – actions you can do in less than 3-7 minutes at a time.
Micro-Mindfulness Tips
Ponder this Quote
The real journey in life is interior. It is a matter of growth, deepening, and of an ever greater surrender to the creative love and grace in our hearts. ~ Thomas Merton
A prompt for reflection and journaling:
Reflect on one way you are leaning into creative love and grace in your life.
Mindful Action
Here’s one actionable tip for practicing micro-mindfulness this week – a brief activity you can do in 3-7 minutes.
Observe the transition from day to night or night to day, appreciating the gradual changes.
Journal Prompt
Take a moment to reflect on your day before journaling. Be mindful of what grabs your attention when you pay attention.
Journal Prompt: What is something about yourself you've come to accept, and how has it freed you?
Reflect on One Mindful Thing
Here are a few suggestions for micro-mindfulness reflection and action. Choose one mindful thing or another practice to try this week.
Feeling stressed? Close your eyes for 30 seconds and focus solely on your breath. This is your quick reset.
Locking your door? Take a second to feel the key turn and hear the click. These sounds and sensations anchor you in the now.
Handling paperwork? Feel the texture of the paper, and notice the weight of the pen in your hand. Engage your senses.
Eating at your desk? Put down your utensils between bites and truly taste your food. This is your moment to slow down.
Beginning your next call? Really listen to the voice on the other end. How does it make you feel? Be present in the conversation.
Insight
4 Journal Prompts to Help You Commit to Setting Your Daily Intention with Clear Focus and Action
When it comes to setting your intention, sometimes it takes consistent practice.
What do I want for my life? Why am I not there? - Thomas Merton
Intention setting is a regular cadence of pausing to reflect and then stating your intention in some way.
Here are four journal prompts to help with your daily commitment to intention setting and action.
The quote from the monk and writer Thomas Merton inspires these prompts. Choose the ones that resonate with you and help you strengthen your daily mindful practice.
Journal Prompt #1: What do I want for my life and work?
This question grounds you in the following:
The innermost desire of your heart - what you truly want.
The purpose you are here in life and the reason for your work.
Journal Prompt #2: Why am I not there?
This question directs you to reflect on the following:
The obstacles that hold you back.
Any roadblocks that prevent you from living as your genuine self.
Journal Prompt #3: How and when will I take action to get there?
This question challenges you to reflect on your career and life's purpose:
Focus on changes and actionable steps to get you back on track when needed.
Align or re-align your intentions, behaviors, and actions toward who you will be.
Journal Prompt #4: Now what?
This question invites you to:
Focus on how you will change or pivot and live differently moving forward.
Commit to the actions you need to do right now to remain firm in your life's purpose.
What journal prompt works best when setting your intention for the day?
Key Takeaways
Mindful intention and action: The only intentions that matter are those that lead to action. Mindful intention and the follow-up action are like both sides of the same hand.
Micro-Mindfulness Tips: These are actions you can do in less than 3-7 minutes at a time. For example, observe the transition from day to night or night to day, appreciating the gradual changes.
Journal Prompts: Reflect on your day before journaling. Be mindful of what grabs your attention when you pay attention. For example, what is something about yourself you’ve come to accept, and how has it freed you?
Reflect on One Mindful Thing: Choose one mindful thing or another practice to try this week. For example, close your eyes for 30 seconds and focus solely on your breath when feeling stressed.
4 Journal Prompts to Help You Commit to Setting Your Daily Intention with Clear Focus and Action: These prompts are inspired by the quote from Thomas Merton and help you strengthen your daily mindful practice. They include reflecting on what you want for your life and work, why you are not there, how and when will you take action to get there, and what you will do now to remain firm in your life’s purpose.
That's it!
As always, thanks for reading.
Hit reply and let me know what you found most helpful this week—I'd love to hear from you!
I appreciate you being part of the journey. See you next Sunday.
Denise
Author of A Glowing Ember of Courage—Ponderings, Poetry, and Prayers, the children's book It's Just a Little Rain, and other books on storytelling.
I'm a former nun who became a big-tech risk manager. I want to help demystify mindfulness through simple micro-practices that allow you to think clearly, act decisively, and recover fast from burnout. Check out more of my writing here.
How I Can Help You
Are you sometimes easily distracted by your thoughts or all the digital shiny objects? If so, you might want to try my course on learning micro-mindfulness practices to help you increase resilience at startmicromindfulness.com.
Are you gaining some traction in practicing mindfulness? Want to take it to the next level of consistency? Consider my 14-day one-sentence consistent mindfulness journaling challenge at 1sentencejournaling.com.
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Love your posts! Always take something new away to try 🙏