Writing things down is an effective way to process emotions and understand where you might be getting stuck. I don’t care if you are a terrible writer, if your handwriting is illegible and your grammar is questionable. If you find yourself writing below your standards, lower your standards. No one else ever needs to read what you write. Set a timer for five, ten, twenty minutes — whatever feels reasonable, and free write with zero judgment.

Writing prompts:

• What are the ways that you have picked up the broken pieces in the past? In what ways have those experiences made you stronger? Can you find the beauty in the resilience? Can you see the uniqueness that comes from the imperfection?

• Have you seen other people overcome difficulties in their lives? How did they do it? What do you respect about their path?

• What is going well in your life right now? It’s so easy to focus on the challenges, but what is working?

• What is one thing you can do in this moment to work towards the life you would like to have? It is going for a walk to improve your physical health? Texting a friend to improve your relationship? Doing a breathing exercise to practice mindfulness? Write about that one thing you can do, and commit to a schedule. Write about your purpose for sticking with that one thing. Don’t worry about motivation! Look to purpose and scheduling instead.

This writing prompt originally appeared with the article entitled Broken: How We Pick Up the Pieces.

About this Photo
We took this photo in 2009 on a trip to Cape Town, South Africa. The highlight of the trip was touring Robben Island. The Island is about four miles off the coast of Cape Town, and home to a former maximum-security prison that housed Nelson Mandela for 18 years. The former prison is now a UNESCO World Heritage. This is a photo of an old dock on the shore. If you look closely you can see Table Mountain in the distance.