I still remember opening a brand new journal, pen in hand, ready to write about myself… and then completely freezing.
It sounds easy enough, right? Write about yourself.
Except when you’re actually sitting there looking at a blank page, you suddenly can’t think of anything. I think I wrote, “My name is Abby,” and then stared at the page for about ten minutes.
If you’ve ever done something similar, you’re definitely not alone.
These about me journal ideas doesn’t have to be a collection of impressive facts about you. For me, it can be something much simpler: a place to slow down and notice who you are, what you like, what you’ve been through, and what matters to you right now. And you don’t have to figure all of that out in one sitting.
Sometimes, answering one little question can tell you more about yourself than you expected.
Table of Contents
Why Keep an About Me Journal?
We know a lot of basic things about ourselves. Our favorite food. Where we grew up. The music we like. The people we spend time with.
But how often do we actually stop and think about the bigger questions?
- What am I proud of?
- What do I really enjoy?
- What makes me feel like myself?
- What have I changed my mind about?
- What would I tell my younger self?
Those are harder to answer because we don’t usually take the time to sit with them.
Writing your answers down gives you something you can come back to later. You might notice things about yourself that you hadn’t really thought about before. And honestly, there’s something pretty special about being able to read your own answers years from now.
You’ll get to see what you cared about, what made you laugh, what you were worried about, and how much you’ve changed.
You may want to partner About Me Journaling with Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery.
How to Start When You Don’t Know What to Write
The hardest part of an about me journal is often the first page. So don’t make yourself start with the “perfect” question.
Here are a few about me journal ideas that can help if you’re stuck.
Pick one prompt.
Don’t look at the entire list and convince yourself you have to answer everything. Just find one question that makes you think, Oh, I actually have something to say about that.
Start there.
Give yourself five minutes.
Set a timer and write whatever comes to mind. Your answer doesn’t have to be deep or beautifully written. You’re just getting something onto the page. You can always come back to it later.
Skip the questions you don’t like.
Some prompts will make you think, while others will leave you completely blank. That’s okay. Skip them.You don’t have to answer every question just because it’s on the list.
Come back to the harder questions.
Some questions need a little more time.
You might not know how you feel about a fear, an insecurity, or something from your past until you’ve had time to think about it. You can write a sentence today and come back to it months later. Your answer might be completely different.
Don’t worry about making it sound good.
This is your journal. Your sentences can be messy, but you can change your mind halfway through. You can write one word, a whole page, or a list of random thoughts.
You’re not writing this for a grade.
About Me Journal Ideas to Get You Started
You don’t need to work through these in order. Just pick the ones that catch your attention.
The Basics
- What is my full name, and what does it mean?
- Why did my parents choose my name?
- Where was I born and where did I grow up?
- How old am I right now?
- What has this year of my life been like so far?
- What are three words I’d use to describe myself right now?
- What is one thing about me that I hope never changes?
- Add a photo of yourself and write about why you chose it.
My Favorites
- What is my favorite food, and what memory do I associate with it?
- What song can I never seem to get tired of?
- What is my favorite season?
- What book or movie could I watch or read over and over?
- What is my favorite place I’ve ever been?
- What is my comfort food?
- What is something small that always makes me happy?
- What is something I love that other people might not understand?
My Personality
- Am I more introverted, extroverted, or somewhere in between?
- What makes me laugh the hardest?
- What do people usually notice about me?
- What is one habit I have that most people don’t know about?
- What do I do when I’m stressed?
- What makes me feel comfortable around someone?
- What kind of people do I naturally get along with?
- What is something about my personality that I’ve learned to appreciate?
Writing about yourself can also be a simple way to practice mindfulness and become more aware of what’s happening inside your head
Memories
- What is my earliest memory?
- What childhood memory still makes me smile?
- What did I love doing as a child?
- What is something I did as a kid that I’m still proud of?
- What is one of the happiest moments I’ve experienced?
- Who has had a big influence on the person I’ve become?
- What is a place from my childhood that I still remember clearly?
- What is something I wish I could experience again?
Goals and Dreams
- What is something I want to learn this year?
- Where would I love to travel someday?
- What does success mean to me right now?
- What is something I’ve always wanted to try?
- What is one goal I’m currently working toward?
- Is there a goal I gave up on that I still think about?
- Where do I hope to be five years from now?
- What kind of life do I actually want to build?
The More Honest Questions
- What am I insecure about?
- What is something I’m afraid of?
- What is something I rarely talk about?
- What is something I need to forgive myself for?
- What am I most proud of about the person I’ve become?
- What is something I’ve learned the hard way?
- What is something I wish I could tell my younger self?
- What part of myself am I still trying to understand?
- What do I want to let go of?
- What would I want my future self to remember about me?
If you want to explore some of the harder parts of yourself, you may also enjoy these shadow work journal prompts.
About Me Journal Ideas for Kids
An about me journal can be really fun for kids, too.
If you’re helping a child with a school project or making a simple journal together, keep the questions easy enough that they can answer without needing a lot of help.
Try questions like:
- What is my name?
- How old am I?
- What is my favorite animal?
- What is my favorite food?
- Who is in my family?
- What do I like to do after school?
- What is my favorite toy?
- What is my favorite place?
- What do I want to be when I grow up?
- What makes me happy?
- What is something I’m really good at?
- Can I draw a picture of myself?
You can also let them draw their answers instead of writing everything down.
For younger kids especially, an about me journal doesn’t have to be full of long answers. A drawing, a few words, or even a picture can tell you a lot about them.
Make Your About Me Journal Feel Like You
You can keep your About Me Journal simple. Add a few photos. Draw little pictures. Use stickers. Write with different colored pens. Tape in a movie ticket or a little piece of paper you’ve kept for years.
You could even leave a little space underneath some questions so you can answer them again next year.And I actually love that idea because you might answer a question completely differently a year from now.
You don’t have to decorate every page, either.
A Few Things to Avoid
There are a few things that can make an about me journal feel more like homework than something you actually want to keep.
Writing what sounds good instead of what is true.
It’s easy to write the answer that sounds impressive. But years from now, you’re probably going to be much more interested in what you actually thought and felt.
Always write the honest answer.
Trying to finish everything at once.
You don’t have to complete all 50 prompts today. In fact, I wouldn’t.
Leave some questions unanswered. Come back when you have something to say.You might even find that an answer changes as you get older.
Comparing your journal to someone else’s.
If you’ve seen gorgeous journal spreads online and yours is just a notebook with your handwriting in it, that’s perfectly fine.
Your journal doesn’t need to be Pinterest-worthy. It needs to feel like you.
Only answering the easy questions.
The fun questions are usually the easiest. What’s your favorite food? What’s your favorite movie? What color do you like?
But don’t completely ignore the questions that make you pause. Sometimes those are the ones you’ll be happiest you answered.
Final Thoughts on About Me Journal Ideas You Can Try
An about me journal doesn’t have to become another project you need to finish. Start with one question. Maybe it’s one of the silly ones. Maybe it’s something you’ve been thinking about for years. Maybe it’s a question you don’t know how to answer yet.
Write what you know today. You can always come back and change your answer later. And if you’re still wondering where to start, try this one:
If someone opened this journal ten years from now, what is the one thing I’d want them to know about who I am today?
Love and Light,
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