The Winter Solstice is a great time to dedicate yourself to some serious reflection and journal writing. To do so, use winter solstice journal prompts to sharpen and guide your personal development plans for the coming year. Here’s why.

Winter Solstice is the Time For Reflection and Introspection

To start with, in the northern hemisphere the solstice is the first day of winter, traditionally a time for introspection and spiritual inner work. This is also the midpoint of winter as well as the day of the year with the longest night. And, darkness is typically associated with the subconscious, dreams, and mysticism.

From the solstice onward through the spring, the sunlight hours grow. And, as the light grows, the focus shifts away from introspection and spiritual work toward ordinary waking-life activities. In other words, put illuminations into practice. Finally, occurring just 10 days before New Year’s, the solstice is a convenient and energetically auspicious time to reflect on the past year, gain perspective, and identify resolutions.

9 Journal Prompts For the Winter Solstice

These 9 journal prompts help you tap into the energy of the winter solstice and create a fresh start for the new year. They’re grouped into 3 sets:

• Taking stock of the past year,
• Clearing space for something new,
• Moving into praxis.

You may already be working on established goals. Alternatively, this may be a fresh new effort. Either way, the prompts should work well.

Taking Stock of the Past Year Journal Prompts

1. What are you grateful for over the past year and why?
2. How are the things you’re grateful for related to your personal plans?
3. How do they support your overall life aspirations?

Clearing Space For Something New Journal Prompts

1. What do you need to let go of to continue to progress on the fulfillment of your plan or life aspirations and why?
2. What actions or measures will you take to let them go (this can include spiritual practices such as smudging and detoxing)?
3. Are there opportunities you foresee as a result of letting them go and creating more space?

Moving Into Praxis Journal Prompts

1. Do you need to revise or create new goals, alter your personal plan, or reconsider your life aspirations, and why? Recommit to yourself.
2. What will you do immediately toward the fulfillment of these goals? Are there steps and goalposts you can use to measure your progress?
3. How will you celebrate meeting these milestones?

Moving into praxis is likely the most important part of change or transformation. It’s easy enough to identify resolutions: what we want or behaviors we want to change. It’s doing the work, celebrating small successes, and staying the course that will ultimately lead to fulfillment.

To Learn More about the Winter Solstice and Journaling, see:

My mind-body-spirit blog, and, in particular:

• Spiritual Inner Work and the Winter Solstice
• 7 Self-Discovery Journal Prompts to Help Transform You
• 7 Benefits of Using Writing For Self-Discovery