We live with ourselves, but why does it seem so challenging to know who we really are? We’ve all experienced moments of asking ourselves questions like: What am I doing with my life? Am I really happy? Usually, these questions are so overwhelming to us that we dismiss them entirely.

If you really want to know who you are, it’ll require that you open up and be honest with yourself. An effective way to do so is through journaling. That’s why we’re here to help you by offering 3 powerful journal prompts for self-discovery to get you started. Take a break from scheduling your bunionectomy, and let’s get into it.

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Who is one person I need to forgive?

This journal prompt invites you to let go of unprocessed emotions. When we hold on to grievances with others, it only damages ourselves. Letting go of the past requires that we acknowledge it and forgive it, and it is certainly not an easy feat.

It’s important for this journal prompt that you allow yourself to be completely honest. Although you may not want to forgive someone, it’s important that you do it for yourself. Take them out of the picture if you must and pay more attention to letting go of the emotion you associate with them.

What is holding me back from ultimate happiness?

Some journal prompts are loaded with different answers, and this is one of them. There can be countless things in your life that you feel are holding you back from happiness, and that’s precisely why this is a journal prompt you should do regularly.

When you take time to focus on areas in your life that aren’t helping you but instead further delaying you from being the person you want to be, you’re much closer to removing these burdens. It’s all too easy for us to unconsciously engage in behaviors or associate with people we know aren’t good for us, as bringing awareness to it seems frightening.

Only when we consciously face what’s not right for ourselves can we take the steps to remove them from our life.

What are some microshifts I can do today to help me grow as a person?

A large reason people never reach their true potential in life is that they expect change to come to them immediately. This is why people give up working out after a few weeks or why they never bring that business idea they had to life. It requires work to get what we want in life, and that also means that it takes time.

Instead of thinking about the big picture and what you want from life, focus on what little changes you can do today. We call these microshifts. Don’t expect to go to the gym one day and instantly lose weight or gain muscle. Stop thinking that you have to write a complete business plan in one setting. Focus on the little things you can do today that will help you move forward in life, and write those down.