
Writing can be a profound spiritual practice. In the days of Elul, leading up to the High Holy Days, these questions can help prompt the soul accounting essential to teshuvah.
- What do you hope for in the New Year?
- What is forgiveness and how do we forgive?
- What makes a good apology?
- What do you regret?
- What does teshuvah mean to you?
- Have you ever changed for the better? If so, how?
- What are your bad habits?
- What’s one good habit you aspire to embrace? When will you start?
- Imagine High Holy Days three years into the future … 20 years …
- Pick your favorite prayer, story, or practice of the season and interpret it.
- What have you learned since last Rosh Hashanah? About yourself? About the world around you?
- What sustains you in times of challenge?
- What does it mean to be good?
- Which virtue do you value most and why?
- Who inspires you and why?
- What is one thing you are ashamed of? One thing you are proud of?
- If your soul could speak, what would it say?
- What can you do if your loved ones make a mistake?
- Who do you yearn to be?
- What do you need to release or embrace in order to shine more brightly?
- Who are you remembering this year?
- What are your mistakes? transgressions?
- Write your own eulogy.
- How are you being called to take responsibility?
- Where do you need to heal?
- What are you turning away from and what are you turning toward?
- What are your strengtths?
- What activity (or activities) are you currently doing that utilize your strengths?
- Is there a way to build upon these current strengths and activities? If so, how?
- Are you interested in putting these strengths into practice with a new initiative/project? If so, how?
- How do these strengths/activities help your relationship with others?
- How do these strengths/activities help your relationship with G-d?
- Write a letter — perhaps to G-d or perhaps to yourself — about what you would like to get out of life, how you would like G-d’s blessings for yourself and others in the coming year and beyond.
With thanks to Ritualwell and Chabad.org. For more Elul journaling prompts, check out this blog post on RebekahLowin.com.