1. Art of Manliness Journal Challenge
30 days of writing and growing as a person

2. Journaling Challenge Day 1
Start with answering the question of why you want to journal, and beyond that, why you decided to embark on this 30-day experience. Have you ever kept a journal before? Why or why not?
Write out what you’d like to get from journaling.

3. Journaling Challenge Day 2
Decide on one positive habit you’d like to implement in your life.
Whether seemingly simple (like flossing) or perhaps life-altering (exercising every day), think of something you’d like to add to your life that will be beneficial.
Think about the steps you’ll take to get there, and how you’ll keep yourself accountable.

4. Journaling Challenge Day 3
Today, pick a habit that you’d like to eliminate from your life. Bad habits are like armpits, we all have ‘em and they all stink.
Even if it’s as simple as cutting soda out of your life, as with yesterday, think about the steps you’ll take in order to put the stop on that negative habit.
And again, also think about how you’ll keep yourself accountable to that goal.

5. Journaling Challenge Day 4
Famous writer, Ernest Hemingway, wrote a six word autobiography.
His was: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn!”
Other examples are:
Cursed with cancer, blessed with friends.
I still make coffee for two.
Write a six word autobiography. Explain why you chose each word.

6. Journaling Challenge Day 5
Write a letter to a loved one. Chances are high that there is someone in your life that you’d like to say something important to. Maybe it’s a wife, a parent, a grandparent you never really got to say goodbye to…take the time today to write that out.
It can be positive, negative, or anywhere in between. The beauty of this letter is that you aren’t sending it in the mail, you’re simply “voicing” something that needs to be said. Should you choose to share it later, that’s okay, but you don’t have to.

7. Journaling Challenge Day 6
Pick one of the quotes from this slide.
Which quote is most important in your life?
How does the quote reflect on your life? How can you use this in your every day life?

8. Journaling Challenge Day 7
What’s your plan for your future??
Jot down a timeline of it, including all the steps that will get you to your plan.
With this career and plan, what would your future look like? How can you promise to achieve your goals?

9. Journaling Challenge Day 8
Simply write about your day. What has happened so far? What emotions are you feeling so far?
It can seem relatively boring, but writing about your day can help relieve stress.

10. Journaling Challenge Day 9
Look at the Hero’s Journey Below.
Identify where you are along the hero’s journey. How do you think identifying where you are in your journey can help you now and in the future?

11. Journaling Challenge Day 10
“Remember that you will die.” Admittedly, this isn’t the most pleasant topic. There is, however, great benefit in meditating on the reality that at some point, you will in fact die.
Meditate on this, and write out your thoughts. Does death scare you? Does it motivate you? It’s okay to be honest.
Thinking about this topic can motivate you to live wisely now. What can you do right now to live life to the fullest?

12. Journaling Challenge Day 11
Give stream-of-consciousness writing a try.
This is where you basically just write out whatever comes into your head at the moment it comes into your head. It can feel bizarre, and it’s certainly not structured, but it can lead to some valuable insights into what’s going on in your mind.
So, write whatever comes to your mind for the next ten minutes.

13. Journaling Challenge Day 12
Perform a mind dump of everything you’re worried about. From the leaky dishwasher to your family member’s poor health — get it all out.
President Eisenhower did it, and it significantly helped him manage his stress. Just as your body needs to…cleanse itself of waste, so does your mind every once in a while.

14. Journaling Challenge Day 13
Write a review of some form of entertainment you recently took in. Whether book or movie or TV show or a song, write out what you liked and didn’t like about it.
Was the acting/writing good? Could you follow the story? Is there anything you can take from it about life, or was it purely entertainment?
This is often one of the most enjoyable entries to write, as it’s especially fun to go back and read these in the future.

15. Journaling Challenge Day 14
Come up with a list of invisible counselors. These are people who could give you advice in real life who you don’t actually know in real life.
Your invisible counselors can be famous people, living or dead. You must explain who you are choosing and why.

16. Journaling Challenge Day 15
Imagine that someone has decided to write a book about your life, just up to this point.
What would the back cover blurb say? Be honest here. Is it kind of boring? Are you happy with it?
Now imagine what you’d like that blurb to say at the end of your life. What changes need to made for that to happen?

17. Journaling Challenge Day 16
Identify one project you’d like to complete with your hands. There’s something special about a person doing work with his or her bare hands. Yet, most people choose to buy something instead.
So, what’s one thing you would make right now to help you in your life? Remember it has to be something that you make yourself.

18. Journaling Challenge Day 17
Reflect on your friendships. Who are you friends with and why?
What areas of your friendships do you think you need to improve on? For example, do you need to work on being more trustworthy? Less judgmental? Why do you say that?

19. Journaling Challenge Day 18
Think of a time of your life that you are most nostalgic about. Nostalgia = A missing or longing for a time in your past.
Write about the time of your life that you miss the most. What parts of it do you miss? Obviously this is not as easy for someone who is young, but you all can do it!

20. Journaling Challenge Day 19
Imagine that you have been given the opportunity to have a LIVEABLE income for the rest of your life without having a job. This does not mean you are a millionaire, but that you can live comfortably in a house for the rest of your life.
If you were given this kind of income, what would you do with your time? What you say about this will really show what your life is without money.

21. Journaling Challenge Day 20
Make a list of all of the things that distract you. Be honest! Knowing what distracts you can help you recognize when you need to focus.
Why do these things distract you so much? When is it ok to be distracted and when is it not? Why?

22. Journaling Challenge Day 21
In modern times, kids have become consumers instead of doers. Yet one of the marks of a mature person is being someone who doesn’t just observe the culture around him, but actually helps create it.
Think about all the ways you consume the world around you, and the time you spend doing it. How can you become someone who doesn’t simply watch life go by, but contributes to it?

23. Journaling Challenge Day 22
Below is a list of the five “switches” of manliness. Think of them as light switches. By turning one of these up in your life, your life will be brighter. Which of these do you think is your switch and why?
Nature- Getting outside and enjoying the natural world
Provide for Others- Helping anyone whenever you can
Legacy- Leaving something behind to be remembered by
Challenge- Facing hardships with respect and stability
Physicality- Being physical fit and exercising a lot

24. Journaling Challenge Day 23
Look at the picture that describes different personality types. Which one do you think you are? Why?
Now think about your friends. Do they match you or are they different?

25. Journaling Challenge Day 24
The importance of where you live…
Think about your home. Describe it in detail- what does it make you feel when you are there? Is it inviting or is it stressful?
If you could live somewhere different, where would you live? Why?

26. Journaling Challenge Day 25
Time machines have not been invented yet. However, if they’d been invented, what is one thing you wish you could go back and change?
To choose a time to go back to, it might help to think of something you regret that you wish you’d done differently. Or maybe it’s something you would like to relive. As always, use a lot of details!

27. Journaling Challenge Day 26
Write your own personal manifesto.
Manifesto = declaring what your aims and morals are.
Essentially, what are you most passionate about in your life? What is most important to you and how will you continue to hold on to these things as you get older?

28. Journaling Challenge Day 27
Make a list of all of the things you are grateful for. ALL of the things. It can be simple or complicated.
Maybe one day you will gain the courage to thank the people who have provided you with these things.

29. Journaling Challenge Day 28
With the holidays coming up, let’s consider something fun!
Create your own holiday. What would your holiday be celebrating? Why is that something you think deserves celebration?
Also, what traditions would your holiday have?

30. Journaling Challenge Day 29
Write about one thing that your parents/guardians always tell you. What is it?
Look from your parents’ point of view…
Why do you think they tell you this all the time?
Do you think this thing they tell you will help you in the future?

31. Journaling Challenge Day 30
Reflect on these last 30 days of writing. Look through the different journal topics.
Which journal day was your favorite?
What have you learned about yourself?
Do you think you’ll continue writing in a journal after this is over?