When you don't know what you want to write about in your submissive journal but have an obligation to write something, one of the best tool is journaling prompts. Since the beginning of Submissive Guide I have curated a long, long list of introspective questions, thoughts, and quotes to help you develop as a person and as a submissive in a power exchange relationship. But I've seen what people do with this prompts and it's not always conducive to the personal growth that you could get out of it if you learned how to use them effectively. Using them right should give you some tidbit about yourself that you might not have known.

What are journal prompts?

Journal prompts are suggested topics, questions, quotes and lists you can use to help you journal and work through writer's blocks. Often used by submissives who have to journal regularly so that posts have some variety or when someone just doesn't know what to say. Yes, some of the prompts are meant to be fun and I intentionally mix up the fun ones with the ones meant for deep introspection. Head over to Submissive Journal Prompts and browse the collection.

What makes a good journal prompt to respond to?

A good journal prompt is one that speaks to you or will help you learn and grow internally. The best prompts will open up a dialogue with yourself and reveal something you may not have known about how you think, feel or express yourself. An ineffective journal prompt is one that you have a one-word answer for or  all you can say is, "I like this."

How do you learn about yourself from prompts?

Once you've chosen a good journal prompt for you to respond to think about it for a moment. Let is simmer in your mind.  Think about what your first thoughts where when you read the prompts. Write about them. Expand on those thoughts. Try to figure out what the purpose of the prompt is. Then go back to your reporting logic. Use the five W's.

Who, what, when, where, why and how. Ask yourself these questions as they pertain to the prompt and as they pertain to your responses to the prompt. Just keep digging in your thoughts until you feel confident you've thoroughly answered the prompt and learned something about yourself by answering it. Building your confidence in not only yourself but your problem-solving abilities will go a long way in personal improvement and when challenges come up in your relationships. You'll be able to use problem-solving techniques and deeper thinking that you learned answering journal prompts. Trust me, using prompts the right way builds you up!

Your Turn to Practice

Take what you've learned so far about journaling this month and about journal prompts in this article and use it. Head over to Submissive Journal prompts and pick a prompt that is NOT a quote (we'll talk about how to use quotes in journaling later this week). Spend ten minutes writing about it, use your inquisitive child to constantly ask questions and see how far you can go.

If you feel comfortable sharing, copy and paste the prompt and your response in the comments below! I'd love to see how you use prompts to delve deeper into yourself and your submission!