Better living through evening prompts

Evening prompts

There are few tools I have found more helpful during times of great change and growth than reflective journaling.

I’ve used it to help take on new roles at work and to navigate divorce as a father.

There are two major benefits to reflective journaling, gratitude and personal development. Memories are still fresh in our mind before sleep.  So the evening is a good time to pause and see what the day has to teach us.  Question prompts bring much needed structure to journaling.

I use these three prompts (but there are several others to choose from):

• What went well today?

• What did not?

• What can I learn today?

The goal is to write down highs and lows. What happened that made you smile? What disappointed you? What caused you stress? What caused you joy? Write down whatever was most relevant to your emotional state.

Go beyond emotions, to the physical and practical.  Write down your actions and habits. Did some of your bad habits creep up?  What did you do and what were the tangible outcomes?

Asking “what went well today?” allows you to take time to appreciate the good thing that came your way. It’s also an opportunity to recognize what you did well and want to continue to do in the future.

“What did not go well today?” gives you a chance to validate any negative emotions you had and to recognize your own shortcomings.  What can be improve upon?  What mistakes were made?

Finally, asking “What can I learn today?” helps make meaning out of chaos.  The answer can sometimes be related to the two questions above, but not always.  Maybe you got some useful information from a friend or coworker you want to remember.  Often  this will be focused on a mistake made and how to prevent it in the future.  I like to emphasize the “can” part of the question.  It’s a reminder that learning is a choice we can make every day.

This journaling method pairs nicely with a reflective prayer such as The Daily Examen. This can deepen our sense of gratitude and hope for the future.

Apply it: If you find yourself in a season of change or personal growth, give yourself 15 minutes at the end of the day to reflect. Capture your notes in a written form. Gather your lessons learned. You will soon have a collection of wisdom gathered from your own lived experience. Learn from it.