The Productivity Trick Hiding in Your Journal

Journaling doesn’t have to be just about feelings—it can be a surprisingly powerful productivity tool. Here’s a simple way to use journaling and easy prompts to get focused, move faster, and build real momentum in your day. It’s easy to try—and even easier to adjust once you get started.

Why I Changed How I Journal

When I began, journaling was a good brain dump and emotional sorting ground. It helped me clear my head, but it wasn’t doing much for my day-to-day activities. And to be clear—if that’s what you need, that’s great!

Things changed when I started using prompts that helped me focus. Writing about what I needed to do—and how I was going to do it—made my journal a tool, not just a diary.

But don’t throw out the diary side—being able to look back over time is a superpower. More on that in a minute.

This Week’s Favorite

Simple Prompts, Big Impact

You don’t need to write pages to get value from journaling. Just start with a question.

Here are a few that helped me the most:

• Morning prompts like:

  • “What would make today a win?”

  • “What can I get off my plate today?”
    These help me focus and feel in control at the start of the day.

• Evening prompts like:

  • “What went well and why?”

  • “Where did I get stuck?”

These give me a chance to reflect, learn, and spot patterns.

Keep it short.

One sentence is often enough if it moves you forward.

If you use digital tools like Google Forms or apps, you can reuse prompts easily and even review trends later with AI tools or during your own monthly or quarterly review.

I also recommend stacking this habit with something you already do — like your morning coffee or calendar review. It makes journaling more automatic. And if a prompt isn’t working? Change it. You’re not locked in.

Extra Extra

• Reflection Centered is a quick tool that can generate a few prompts at a time.

One quick question 👋

I love hearing from readers, and I’m always happy to hear feedback from active subscribers. How am I doing with the Productivity Academy newsletter? Is there any content you’d like to see more or less of? Which parts of the newsletter (or articles, or podcast) do you enjoy the most?

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P.S. Looking for resources to improve your productivity? Check out the tools I use right here.