10 Career Journal Prompts for Self-Reflection

Successful career development and personal growth can be boiled down to one of life’s most important accessories: self-awareness.

I wish this was the part where I insert a link where you can purchase some in bulk, but unfortunately this particular item is more of a DIY project. The good news is that gaining self-awareness won’t cost you a dime. Instead, it just requires you to invest some time, attention, and intentional effort through self-reflection.

If I don’t build “down time” into my schedule and set boundaries for decompression and reflection, it will never appear. This will prompt my energy, work and goals I’ve set for myself to suffer. No thanks.

As I continue on in this new decade, I’ve also been working on journaling consistently. It’s helpful for me to remind myself that journaling can take on many forms, including:

• a voice memo on my drive into work declaring what I’m grateful for
• 5 minutes while I sip my morning coffee to write down my stream of consciousness
• Typing up how I’m feeling about a stressful situation at work in a note on my phone
• Filling out my Money Goal Blueprint (grab your free copy here.)

By giving ourselves time – no matter what it looks like – to quiet our minds and be alone with our thoughts, we can better focus and align our careers and daily lives with our values and priorities.

Whether you are a seasoned reflector or not quite yet convinced of the power this practice holds, this article is for you.

Today I’m sharing 10 career questions that make for great journal prompts. They can help you reflect on your progress and success this past year, be aware of where you are right now, and help prepare you for the year ahead.

1. Last year, did I often fall behind on sleep, free time, or commitments in my personal life due to work?

If you asked me this question a year ago, I would be guilty as charged. My stress levels were at an all-time high, I was depressed, anxious, exhausted, and neglecting the needs of my family, my friends, and – most importantly – myself!

Why? I was in a toxic work environment and was holding myself to unrealistic, unhealthy expectations. I spent all my time thinking about and talking about work. It consumed my life, and it wasn’t even fun anymore. Does this sound like you?

Fast-forward to today, and I am pleased to share that the shifts I made at the start of last year made for a healthy, successful (seriously, it was my best year yet numbers wise) and balanced 2019.

I would even go as far to say that this particular journal prompt has helped me better handle the oh-so-many challenges 2020 has brought.

I share a little bit about the importance of taking time for yourself in one of my very first blog posts – Vacation & Buyer’s Remorse: 3 Tips for a Guilt-Free Holiday

More on this topic later. Just remember that if you begin experiencing psychological, emotional, and physiological symptoms due to your career, it’s a sign to take a step back, address it, and seek help if you need to.

2. If I were my manager, would I be happy with my performance at work this past year? If not, how can I identify and address my challenge areas?

This journal prompt may be covered in your annual performance reviews if you are a part of a corporate structure. Nonetheless, it’s valuable to visit this question more than just once a year.

When we take a moment to quiet our minds, our intuition is excellent at telling us the truth. In this case, when we reflect on where we may have slacked off or didn’t do our best at our job, our intuition tells us what those areas are!

The good news? Everyone has challenge areas. We are in this journey of growth, learning, and development together – including your superiors!

Style tip: If someone tells you they don’t have challenge areas at work, they are as fake as that Gucci bag sold on the sidewalk in Times Square.

Use this knowledge about your weaknesses and challenges to fuel a proactive discussion with your manager. How can they help you brainstorm on solutions and push your career forward?

In case you missed it:

• Faux Financial Security: 3 Money Mistakes to Avoid
• Ditching Your Latte Won’t Make You Wealthy – Here’s Why
• 4 Tips to Gift Without Going Broke
• Kiss “Budgeting” Goodbye – Use This Instead
• Why Compound Interest is Better Than a Birkin Bag

3. When it comes to work-life balance (or work-life integration, as I like to look at it), how well did I do?

This easily ties back to question 1, but with a focus on presence. Even if you left the office on time every day last year, were you really “present” when you sat down at the dinner table with your family? Or, was your mind still on work problems?

The opposite should be asked as well. When you are at the office, are you able to tune out distractions and noise to be present for the work you are doing in that moment?

With the rise in remote working from home, it’s now more important than ever to be able to switch gears, create healthy boundaries, and be “present” and intentional throughout the day.

I don’t like to think of this dynamic between career and life as a search for “balance.” It’s all your life – including what you do for 8+ hours a day.

Instead, I think we should focus more on our presence and engagement in all the moments of our day – whether they are spent at home, at the office, or on a yacht in the Maldives (everyone’s schedule is a little different).

4. Did I achieve the career goals I set out for myself this past year? If not, why?

Once you accept that failure is your friend, the second half of your life begins.

Think of the resolutions you made for yourself a year ago and reflect on them. If you didn’t achieve them completely, did you make it to 80% of your goal? 50%? 10%?

Progress is progress, and every small win counts. Want to know more about the science and significance of building momentum through small wins? Read more about it all here.

Journal prompt follow-up questions: What were the obstacles that showed up in your pursuit of those career goals? Were they internal or external? Were they in your control or out of your control?

5. Over the past year, did I strive to get along with and collaborate with my team members?

Did you just roll your eyes? It’s okay, I won’t snitch. You’re probably thinking of that one person in the office that drives you nuts.

Why do they annoy you? To find out, look in the mirror.

Style tip: When you dislike or disapprove of something about someone else, it’s actually you identifying something about yourself you don’t like. They are simply reflecting these qualities back to you to help you see it!

Throughout our careers, it is inevitable we will have to work closely with people we aren’t particularly fond of.

Instead of listing off all the reasons why you don’t care for your coworker and don’t “click,” focus on the things you do admire about them.

Want to take it a step further? Try to find ways to impact their day for the better. Compliment them on their work on a recent project, offer to help them learn a new skill, make a networking connection for them you think would be valuable, or simply treat them to a latte.

Don’t feel guilty about buying them that hand-crafted coffee, either. Discover why ditching your latte won’t make you wealthy here.

6. What are 3 attainable, action-oriented career goals I can set for myself this coming year?

You very well may have figured out your answer to this prompt already. But if not – or if you want to come up with 3 more goals – take this chance to do so. What’s one project you’ve always wanted to work on or one initiative you’ve dreamed about spearheading within your team, but have never gotten around to taking the first step?

7. If one of my goals is to receive a promotion or a raise, what specific actions do I need to take to make it happen?

While my Money Goal Blueprint is for mapping out your money goals, it can be used to help break down your career goals – and the money that goes along with them – as well. Access it here.

For this journal prompt, I also recommend creating a one-page executive summary of your accomplishments, contributions, and goals you have for the next 3-5 years in your potential new role. This will help showcase to your management team why a raise or promotion is due.

8. Am I in the role or on the career path I’m truly meant to be on? (Listen to your intuition – what is it telling you?) If no, why?

No one likes to admit that they’ve made a wrong turn or are in a job that’s not meant for them. My first piece of advice around this journal prompt is to ignore the voice that’s telling you that you can’t make a career change and it will be painful and terrible and awkward.

Style tip: You are 100% capable of handling pain, fear, and awkwardness – especially if it means getting to do something you actually want to be doing for the rest of your life. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Put your intuition on speakerphone. List out the reasons why your gut is telling you to make a career change. What steps do you need to take to do so? Will you need further education and different skills to break into your ideal field?

To set yourself up for a smooth job transition financially, be sure to follow my 4-step process every paycheck.

9. I’m an over-achiever – what can I do to go above and beyond in my role or my business this year?

Only you know the answer to this journal prompt. My only piece of advice here is to not put too much pressure or too high of expectations on yourself. This can lead to anxiety, depression, and burnout (trust me).

You can achieve great things and push your self-limiting beliefs out the window while still maintaining an adequate level of sanity.

Need help getting in the right frame of mind to set the world on fire? Here are 13 of my favorite quotes to help keep you motivated on your journey to succeed.

10. How can I increase my productivity and improve my time management?

This prompt allows us to reflect on our daily tasks – which activities energize us? Which tasks drain us?

In any career, there are going to be job requirements we aren’t thrilled about. However, it’s important we focus primarily on activities that are 1) revenue-generating and 2) highest best use of our time.

Style tip: Determine the activities throughout a typical day day that you could potentially automate, delegate, or eliminate entirely. How much time will that free up to focus on the tasks you do enjoy and are highly skilled at?

So, now that you have the tools, what will you do with them?

These questions will help you increase your self-awareness and become clear on your career goals.

I only share 10 questions here – what additions would you make to this list? Please let me know how these prompts serve you in the coming year!

Xx, Faith