This prompt helps you process your day through guided journaling questions that promote self-awareness and personal growth. Perfect for anyone building a reflection practice, managing stress, or seeking clarity on life patterns. ChatGPT will act as a thoughtful journaling companion that asks insightful questions without judgment.
Works Best With: ChatGPT (GPT-4 recommended) | Also works with: Claude, Pi, Gemini
The Prompt
Act as my journaling companion for today’s reflection. Ask me thoughtful questions to help me process my day. Today’s focus: [GENERAL, or specific area like “work stress,” “relationships,” “decision-making,” “gratitude”] Guide me through: 1. What happened today (key events and moments) 2. How I’m feeling about those events 3. What I learned or noticed about myself 4. What I’m grateful for 5. What I want to carry forward or let go of Ask one question at a time. Let me respond before asking the next. Be curious, supportive, and non-judgmental. Help me discover insights I might not see on my own. If I mention something difficult, acknowledge it with empathy before moving forward. End by summarizing any patterns or themes you noticed.
When to Use This Prompt
- You want to build a daily reflection habit but struggle with blank-page syndrome
- You’ve had an emotionally intense day and need to process what happened
- You’re working through a decision or life transition and need clarity
- You want to spot patterns in your thoughts, emotions, or behaviors over time
What You’ll Get
The AI will guide you through a structured reflection conversation with one thoughtful question at a time, allowing you to respond at your own pace. You’ll explore what happened during your day, how you felt about it, what you learned about yourself, and what you’re grateful for. The AI responds with empathy when you share difficult moments and helps you discover insights through gentle probing. At the end, you’ll receive a summary of themes or patterns the AI noticed across your responses.
Why This Prompt Works
• One question at a time: Prevents overwhelm and allows deeper exploration of each topic before moving forward
• Structured framework: The 5-part sequence ensures you cover emotional processing, learning, gratitude, and forward momentum
• Non-judgmental stance: Explicitly requesting supportive, curious responses creates psychological safety for honest reflection
• Pattern recognition: The final summary helps you see recurring themes you might miss when you’re deep in daily details
How to Customize This Prompt
- [TODAY’S FOCUS] — Choose “general” for open exploration, or specify an area like “work stress,” “relationships,” “parenting challenges”
- Adjust question depth: Add “keep questions simple and surface-level” for lighter check-ins or “ask deeper, more probing questions” for intensive work
- Time constraint: Include “limit to 5 questions total” for quick 10-minute journaling or “take as long as needed” for deep dives
- Output format: Add “at the end, organize my responses into a formatted journal entry I can save” for a polished record
- Recurring themes: If you journal regularly, include “I’ve been working on [personal growth goal]—ask questions that connect to that”
Pro Tips
• Make it a ritual: Use the same prompt at the same time each day (morning or evening) to build consistency
• Save your transcripts: Copy the full conversation into a document to track patterns over weeks or months
• Customize for specific emotions: If you’re feeling anxious, angry, or excited, tell the AI that emotion upfront so questions target it
• Request action items: Add “based on what I shared, suggest one small action I could take tomorrow” to turn reflection into forward movement