Journal Prompts - Intentions for the New Year

This time of year is perfect for seeing intentions and healthy habits for the year ahead, making a plan to prioritise your health and wellbeing so you can show up as your best possible self for family, friends, work and most important of all - yourself!

About this time of year we start to hear the buzz of new years ‘resolutions’ that often imply there is something wrong with your life that needs to be fixed. These resolutions often come with a lot of pressure and specific time frames, yet the statistics show that in reality only 8% of people actually follow through and achieve their resolutions.

A more mindful alternative offered is to set intentions, rather than resolutions. Intentions are cultivated over time, requiring attention, patience and room for mistakes and alternative paths that open up. Resolutions require rigid results whereas intentions offer flexibility and space to create the life you want to live.

Here are a few of our favourite journaling prompts for this time of year. We suggest making a cup of tea, putting on some mindful music and settling in for an hour with pen and paper to get your thoughts written out. You definitely don’t have to set concrete goals which can lead to feelings of failure or disappointment, but just setting some loose ideas of intention for the year helps in gaining clarity on what you want your 2023 to look like. 

What can you do this year to bring you closer to your ideal life?

What is something you can do daily to feel joy and happiness?

What is something you can do weekly to become more present and mindful in your life?

What are some bad habits you will let go of this year? 

What are some positive habits you will create this year?

How will your life look different in 6 months time?

How can you narrow the gap between your current life and your dream life in 2023? What actions can you take?

What are your three themes for this year? (e.g. presence, gratitude, compassion, honesty, self-care, challenging myself, boundaries etc.)


“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
- Joseph Campbell