42 New Year Journal Prompts For The New You

Here are 42 new year journal prompts that will help you set better intentions and level up your energy for the coming times.

You know what I think one of the most powerful ways to begin your year is? It’s not joining the gym, or throwing a wild party, or doing a complete makeover.

It’s the simple act of sitting down with a fresh notebook and just writing. I don’t think enough people do it, though.

Every new year, we jump from one thing to another, carry emotions we never process, and then wonder why our resolutions aren’t coming true.

But maybe instead of barreling straight into the year, what you need to do is sit down and get your thoughts together first.

Journaling is perfect for this. It gives you a quiet space to understand what’s been weighing you down and what’s been lifting you.

It might be the thing that you need to turn an ordinary year into a powerful one.

In this post, I am bringing you 42 new year journal prompts that are truly life-changing.

While writing these prompts, I found my mind wandering to realizations and epiphanies that had me pausing and doing a double-take.

I simply cannot wait to actually work on these myself in my journal.

You can also answer some of these prompts out loud, but the ones that you feel drawn to, write them in your journal and see what comes of it.

Pin the post to save these prompts!

If you’re ready to get clarity and figure out what you want your life to feel like in 2026, then read on:

41 New Year Journal Prompts for 2026

Reflect on the past year

1. What is one thing 2025 taught you that you’re taking into 2026?
2. What was your hardest moment of 2025, and what did it reveal about your strength?
3. What is something you are proud you survived?
4. Which habit secretly made your life better this year?
5. What was the most meaningful conversation you had in 2025?
6. If you could sum up 2025 in one sentence, what would it be?

Letting go

7. What are three things you refuse to carry into 2026?
8. Who do you need to emotionally detach from (even a little) for your peace?
9. What’s one fear you’re ready to release?
10. What version of you are you finally done being?

Self-connection

11. What did your heart crave most this year? Did you give it enough?
12. What made you feel most like yourself?
13. If your body could talk, what would it beg you to change in 2026?
14. What would the most peaceful version of you start doing immediately?

Vision and goals

15. How do you want your 2026 to feel? (Not goals, but feelings.)
16. What is one big thing you want to achieve, and why does it matter to you now?
17. What daily habits would make you unrecognizable in a good way by December 2026?
18. What is one skill you want to get really good at this year?
19. What’s one area of your life you’re no longer willing to tolerate being average?

Mindset shifts

20. What is one belief you’re ready to rewrite?
21. What does ‘taking care of yourself like someone you love’ look like to you?
22. Which boundaries do you want to strengthen in 2026?
23. What would you do differently if you trusted yourself one hundred percent?

Glow-up energy

24. What does your ideal daily routine look like at your healthiest and happiest?
25. What habits drain you that you want to quit?
26. What habits energize you that you want to double down on?
27. What’s your theme or mantra for 2026?

Dreaming bigger

28. What is one dream you’re scared to admit because it feels ‘too big’?
29. If nothing was holding you back (money, time, fear), what would you do next?
30. How do you want people to describe you by the end of 2026?

Soft life and joy

31. What small comforts made you happy this year?
32. What does a soft, slow, and cozy life look like for you?
33. What moments made you feel alive?
34. How do you want to bring more joy into your everyday routine?

Identity and reinvention

35. What part of yourself are you rediscovering or reclaiming in 2026?
36. Who is the woman you’re becoming, and what does she no longer settle for?
37. What’s one brave decision you want to make this year?
38. What new energy do you want people to feel when they’re around you?

Gratitude and grounding

39. What are you genuinely grateful for from 2025?
40. What are you grateful for right now, in this moment?
41. What deserves your appreciation more often? (A person, a routine, your body, etc.)
42. What is something small that has made a big difference in your life?

Reflect, Refresh, and Reset

Alright, so those were all the prompts from my end. I think they’re really good for setting down intentions and getting super clear on what you want the new year to be like.

Whenever you sit down to work on these, make sure to pour something warm in your favorite mug and then open your notes app or your prettiest notebook.

Let’s start the year with a powerful reflection!

Read next: The Ultimate January Bucket List: Start The Year With Intention