Diary of a Happy Goth

Describe, in detail, what your life looks like in five years

I love this because it acts as a textual vision board, a written exploration of my optimism for the future. I’d recommend keeping it feasibly ambitious, exciting but without the risk of disappointment.

Think about the areas you’re most optimistic about, be that hobbies, friendships or career, and create a positive image of these. For example, in five years I’ll be 25, I’d like to be overdraft-free and steadily building a savings fund. I wouldn’t want to have kids or a mortgage at this point, because I’d like to still have the same explorative mindset I have now. Ideally I’d have studied for a master’s degree in Ireland and hopefully spent a summer in Spain working.

If your body could speak to you, what would it say?

This is a really open-ended prompt that had my thoughts flowing, because you could respond from many directions. My first thought was about gratitude: I’m able-bodied and I think my body would thank me for loving it.

I think it would then go on to warn me about some of my lifestyle choices. Nothing terrible, but it would definitely remind me that it would feel so much better if I made some adjustments. Reflecting as though your body could communicate is a powerful tool to assess your lifestyle and work towards making changes in a judgement-free way.

What is something unexpected that happened to you recently?

If this one really doesn’t resonate, don’t force it! I’ve included it because it came to me when something genuinely shocking happened, in a positive way. A close family member ended a toxic and miserable long-term relationship, and it sparked a lot of reflection in me.

I considered what I knew about love and worth. I thought about freedom and removing things from my life that no longer serve me. I realised that life is way too short to fester in discomfort and unhappiness.

What are five small moments that you were grateful for in the past week?

This is a fantastic prompt to repeat daily. If you struggle to find time for daily journaling, even just thinking about this sentiment is powerful for becoming an optimistic, grateful person more generally.

Amidst the bad, there will always be something to be grateful for. The smallest things like a sunny day, a roof over your head and a loving friend are so important to notice and celebrate.

How have your current habits been serving you?

I love the phrasing of this prompt because it’s tone is neutral and doesn’t force negativity or positivity. It allows you to be in control and guide your thoughts. I found it most helpful to explore three positive and three negative habits to make sure I’m celebrating my progress as well as highlighting what needs improvement.

What is a personal project you’re apprehensive to begin, and why?

Again, I appreciate this is a specific one, so if it doesn’t resonate, don’t claim! For me, I’ve always got a creative idea floating around my brain or my notes. Most of them get put on the backburner, and I found it helpful for me to consider why.

Am I scared to begin? Am I worried about not having the time? Do I not have confidence in myself that it’s a worthwhile project? Why do I feel this way, which limiting belief does it stem from?

Tarot journaling

I discovered this recently and found it incredible. Tarot journaling involves picking a random tarot card, or asking Google to give you one, and considering how you feel about its upright meaning. How close are you to feeling this way? What could you do to make this happen? What does the meaning feel like to you?

For example, I’ve just pulled the High Priestess, a card related to inner knowledge. It’s a sign that I need to focus on my intuition and open to my spirituality, which definitely resonates with me. I’d like to work more on reaching my inner voice and taking part in some spiritual activities like meditation.

If I could go back and tell my 8 year old self something, I’d say…

This one is a great way to reflect on childhood experiences, which I know can be a difficult one, but now and again I think it’s crucial to tap into tough prompts to heal. You can change the age to best fit your experiences, especially if there’s a certain event you want to work through.

Write down an entire list of what you’re worried about

Put a star next to the things you know to be absolutely true. For everything starred, consider some practical solutions to ease the worry. For the unstarred, share them with friends and challenge any untruths you might be telling yourself.

Write a love letter to yourself

An unapologetic, unashamed outpour of love for yourself. Don’t downplay any of your attributes and forget about humility.