Resilience is the ability to adapt and recover when stress, challenges, or adversity arises. And unless you live a very small life, these things will arise. Your ability to deal with life’s struggles, failures, and curveballs will have a huge influence on the happiness in your life. They can make or break your willingness to be happy! They can impact whether or not you will go after what you really want in life or live a small, unhappy life. Resilience is an ultra-important characteristic to work on building up so that you don’t get stuck in mind, body, or spirit. Use the following journal prompts to reflect on how you have handled issues in the past, how you handle them now, and how you can better handle them in the future.
1. How Have I Moved Through Tough Experiences Before?
It’s important to reflect on the resilience you’ve shown in your life. It will help you see that you CAN be resilient and gain insight into how you cope and move through issues.
2. How Have My Struggles Shaped Me?
Are you bitter?
Are you stronger?
Are you happier?
Are you more miserable?
Take some time to reflect on how your past struggles have shaped you into the person you are today.
3. How Can I Use Challenges To Further My Own Personal Growth?
Can you take the lessons out of challenges and use them to make you stronger, smart, kinder, or something else?
For instance, can you go through a breakup and reflect on what when wrong on their end, and on yours, and work out how you can use that information in the future for better relationships?
4. Do I Accept Failure? Why Or Why Not?
To be more resilient, you need to be able to accept failure because it’s going to happen. You will need to accept it in order to move through it.
Have you been taught that failure is bad?
Have you been taught that once you fail, you can’t keep going forward?
What are your core beliefs around failure?
5. Is It Reasonable To Not Accept That Failure And Setbacks Are A Part Of Life?
Think about this question. Is it reasonable to expect that life will never give you a setback or failure? What is life but a series of lessons, trials, and achievements?
6. How Can I Co-Exist With Difficulties?
How can you stop resisting difficulties that come up in your life?
- Acceptance may help.
- Allowing may help.
- Praying may help.
How can you co-exist with the struggles that come up so that you can move through them?
7. Does Success Come With More Failure?
Think about people who don’t fail often. Is this because they are geniuses and master everything they do instantly? Or is it because they don’t actually do anything that could result in failure?
Go out and ask anyone who is successful how much effort they’ve put forth in life to get to where they are.
Is putting forth effort towards success something you are willing to do?
8. How Do You Think People Become Masters At Something?
Hint: They make a lot of mistakes and have a lot of failures.
Are you willing to become a master at something?
9. What Lessons Have I Learn From Failure, Setbacks, And Hard Times?
Every struggle in life can teach you a lesson. Reflect on the lessons you’ve learned.
For instance:
- Did you learn not to date people who aren’t willing to work?
- Did you learn what path to avoid in life?
- Did you learn how to tweak your plans in life to make things work better?
10. How Can I Avoid Getting Stuck In My Comfort Zone?
Your comfort zone is a safe place. And it’s so easy to get stuck in your comfort zone so that you don’t have to go through the hard times. But it keeps your life very small.
Many people live with a lot of regrets when they live a life stuck in their comfort zone.
How can you step out of your comfort zone more?
11. How Can I Fail More Often?
The more you fail, the more comfortable you will be with it. And the more success you will have.
How can you fail more? Can you put yourself out there more? Can you challenge yourself more?
12. How Can I Optimize My Relationship With Issues That Arise?
I would suggest that you consider self-talk for this journal question. For instance, if you can affirm that you LOVE failure because it teaches you how to be better, then you will have a better relationship with failure.
13. Who Do I Want To Be In Life?
Do you want to be someone who takes risks and moves through hard times or someone who hides in their shell and avoids as many hard times as possible? It’s your choice. Just remember that in the end, you have to live with it.
14. How Would The Ideal Me Act In Life?
Would you be brave?
Would you constantly be striving to become better?
Would you start a business or organization of some sort?
15. How Can I Act With More Courage?
Note: The way you act will influence the way you feel. So how will you act with more courage in order to feel more courage in life?
16. What Have I Been Denying Myself Because Of Fear?
Take a look at the things you have been putting off or avoiding due to fear.
17. How Can I Be Who I Want To Be In Life?
Look back at journal prompt number 13 and then answer this question.
Do you need to take more action?
Do you need to branch out more?
Do you need to grow your skills?
18. Who Can Do The Most Harm To Me?
Hint: It’s yourself. The limitations you put on yourself, your reactions, your thoughts, and your characteristics will do more harm to you (or good) than anyone else can.
19. How Can I Master Myself?
How can you stop doing so much harm to yourself? How can you develop characteristics that you want to develop?
For me, it’s being aware of my weak spots and constantly working to improve those weak spots.
20. Who Can Make Me The Happiest? How?
Again, it’s you. Your willingness to go out and take action and choose your reactions play a big part in your happiness.
Nobody can make you as happy as you can. How can you start to make yourself happier today?
Hint: Think of something you do that makes you sad and then do the opposite.
21. What Obstacles Am I Creating?
Are you sabotaging yourself from being more resilient? How? Why?
For instance, maybe you talk to yourself in a way that keeps you from moving forward. Or maybe you let someone else talk to you in a way that keeps you from moving forward.
22. Are There Any Addictions That Are Keeping Me From Dealing With Life?
Can you admit to any addictions that are keeping you from being resilient? How are they holding you back?
23. Are There Any Bad Habits That Are Keeping Me From Dealing With Life?
Are you in the habit of not starting what you finish, or stopping as soon as an obstacle gets in your way?
What are the habits that keep you from dealing with life’s struggles? In other words, what do you need to stop doing to help you be more resilient?
24. What Practices Will Help Me Be More Resilient?
Maybe you can flip the script when issues arise. Instead of talking negatively about how they are holding you back, you can talk about how they are making you stronger.
Maybe you can go after what you want even if you are scared.
Maybe you can develop more self-compassion.
25. How Can I Pursue Excellence In Life?
Do you need to boost your self-confidence?
Do you need to create some goals in all areas of your life?
26. What Am I Good At And How Can I Use It In Times Of Distress?
Are you able to see the bigger picture? Or do you have a talent that you can implement when something goes wrong?
For instance, are you a good listener? How can you use that to your advantage during times of distress?
27. Am I a Perfectionist?
Do you want things to go a certain way when you want them to?
Perfectionism will keep you from being resilient because you will resist what happens outside of your plans.
28. How Can I Avoid Perfectionism In The Future?
It’s important to strive for progress, not perfectionism.
How can you loosen up your beliefs and plans and leave room for things out of your control? Reflect on how that plays out in your own life with this journal prompt for resilience.
29. What Can I Tell Myself About My Ability To Cope?
It’s very important to start talking to yourself differently when it comes to your ability to cope. Affirmations are great for this.
For instance:
- I am stronger than I think.
- I have survived many struggles in my life.
- I AM resilient!
30. Where Can I Find Support When I Need it?
Do you know who to turn to in tough times? Support can help you be more resilient by giving you a shoulder to cry on as well as a sounding board as you work through issues. Moreover, advice from other people can help shift your thoughts and beliefs and carry you through tough times.
31. How Can I Cultivate More Gratitude In My Life To Help Me In Difficult Times?
Practicing gratitude is essential for resilience. It helps you see the rainbow through the clouds. It helps you shift your thoughts and reactions and be more resilient in tough times. It’s essential and non-negotiable.
How can you cultivate more gratitude in your life?
You can download this PDF for these journal prompts by clicking here.
