Have you ever wanted to change a habit, the way you think, or how you respond in certain situations—only to find yourself ending up in the same place?
If you’re anything like me, those moments can quickly lead to thoughts that sound something like this:
- Why can’t I do this?
- Why is this so hard?
- What’s wrong with me?
- Why do I keep doing this?
A few years ago, I came across a practice called Future Self Journaling, created by Dr. Nicole LePera, also known as The Holistic Psychologist. At first glance, it seemed almost too simple to make much of a difference. Still, I committed to it for about a year, and it became one of the most impactful daily practices I’ve ever developed.
It didn’t magically solve my problems, but it did help me recognize the conditioned and patterned ways of thinking, behaving, and responding that were automatic and largely outside my conscious awareness. Recognizing those patterns didn’t change them, but it was a necessary part of shifting them.
I don’t practice it consistently anymore. Like many good habits, it gradually faded as life became busier. Writing this article reminded me how much I gained from it—and, honestly, it has inspired me to start again.
So, what exactly is Future Self Journaling, and why did such a simple practice have such a lasting impact on me?
What Is Future Self Journaling?
Future Self Journaling is a simple daily journaling practice built around five prompts. Rather than trying to improve every area of your life at once, you choose one pattern you would like to shift and keep that same focus for at least 30 days.
The practice usually took me about five minutes or less each day. That short time commitment made it easier for me to stay consistent, even on busy days.
At first, I wondered how answering the same prompts every day could make much of a difference. To be honest, there were days when I found myself writing the same answers over and over. But that repetition became an important part of the practice. Returning to the same focus each day made it easier for me to recognize the patterns I was trying to shift.
Before beginning the daily prompts, Dr. LePera encourages you to spend some time observing the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that keep you stuck. From there, you identify one small area you would like to work on and commit to that single focus for at least 30 days.
She emphasizes starting small. In hindsight, I could have started way smaller than I did. The areas I chose were meaningful, but they also involved deeply established patterns. Beginning with something narrower and more concrete might have made it easier to see what I was practicing from day to day.
Over the course of the year, I focused on three related areas:
- becoming a curious, neutral observer of my thoughts
- speaking to myself more kindly
- learning to pause and take a breath before reacting
These were not three separate goals. They often overlapped. Learning to observe my thoughts without immediately judging or believing them made it easier to notice how I was speaking to myself. Pausing before reacting gave me a moment to recognize what was happening internally rather than respond automatically.
If you’d like to learn more or try the practice yourself, I encourage you to read Dr. Nicole LePera’s explanation of Future Self Journaling and download her free workbook.
What follows are the five daily prompts and what I learned from answering them nearly every day for about a year.
The Five Daily Prompts
Prompt 1: Today I Am Practicing…
Each day, you identify the one thing you are intentionally practicing. The goal is not to master it or do it perfectly. It is simply to bring it into your conscious awareness.
Doing it in the morning or early in the day puts the practice on your radar as you move through the day. If you prefer to journal at night, you can use the prompts to set an intention for the following day.
This is not about forcing change. It is about keeping the practice in mind so you are more likely to notice when the pattern appears and recognize an opportunity to respond differently.
With repetition, you may begin noticing those moments sooner.
Prompt 2: I Am Grateful For…
Do not overthink this one—it does not have to be profound. This prompt is about building your capacity to notice the good things already present in your life.
Your answer could be something that feels significant, like a spouse or a fur baby, but it can also be something as simple as the breath in your lungs, the sun on your face, or your favorite beverage.
Returning to this prompt gives you a regular opportunity to practice noticing what you appreciate rather than waiting for gratitude to arise on its own. I found that, over time, the more intentionally I looked for those things, the easier they became to notice—both big and small.
Prompt 3: Today, I Am…
This prompt asks you to intentionally choose a thought that reflects the person you are becoming.
Much of our self-talk happens outside our conscious awareness. We may repeat the same beliefs about ourselves without stopping to question whether they are true, helpful, or even our own.
This prompt allows you to practice a different narrative.
For example:
- Today, I am capable.
- Today, I am learning to trust myself.
- Today, I am allowed to take up space.
- Today, I am responding to myself with kindness.
You may not fully believe what you write at first, and that’s okay. You are introducing another way of thinking and giving yourself repeated opportunities to practice it.
Prompt 4: Change in This Area Allows Me to Feel…
This prompt asks you to think beyond what you want to stop doing and consider what you want to experience more of.
Maybe that’s feeling calmer, more confident, or more connected to yourself or to the people around you.
Identifying the feeling beneath the goal can help clarify why the change matters to you and connect the pattern you are working to shift with the larger experience you want to create in your life.
Prompt 5: Today I Am Practicing When…
This prompt asks you to identify specific situations in which you may have an opportunity to practice your intention.
If you are working on becoming less reactive, you might identify difficult conversations. If you are working on speaking more kindly to yourself, you might identify moments when you make a mistake.
Being specific gives you something concrete to watch for during the day.
Sometimes you may recognize the moment as it happens. Sometimes you may notice it only afterward. Either way, noticing the pattern is part of the practice.
A Few Things That Helped Me
Remember: You are going to fall back into old patterns sometimes. I certainly did. That is part of practicing something new.
Try not to turn those moments into more evidence that something is wrong with you. Noticing afterward is still part of the practice.
The goal is to become more aware of the pattern, respond to yourself with some kindness, and keep practicing a different response.
Finally, start smaller than you think you need to. A smaller, more specific goal might make it easier to notice when the pattern appears and identify what practicing a different response looks like in that moment.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, what I appreciated most about the practice was how it helped expand my self-awareness and allowed me to become more intentional about how I moved through the world.
It gave me a structured way to recognize patterns that had been shaping my thoughts, behaviors, and responses for years, largely outside my conscious awareness.
Once those patterns became visible, I had an opportunity to practice something different.
I still slip into old habits. I suspect I always will.
The difference is that I notice them sooner.
Sometimes I notice while the pattern is happening. Sometimes I recognize it afterward. Either way, noticing creates another opportunity to respond differently.
If Future Self Journaling sounds like something you would like to explore, try it for yourself and see what you notice.
Written by Richard Cordova
