Journal Story Prompt

Here is a prompt I created that was inspired by Matt Ragland's video, If You Think Life Is Boring, Try This Notebook Trick.

Prompt

Review the following journal transcript(s). For each entry, identify and highlight any stories that meet these three criteria:

1. Moment of Change:

• Look for a specific event or realization where something shifted for the writer (e.g., expectations vs. reality, a turning point, or a new insight).

3. Emotional Hook:

• Note the emotional response or feelings associated with the moment of change (e.g., surprise, frustration, joy, relief).

5. Lesson or Takeaway:

• Summarize the main lesson, insight, or takeaway the writer gained from the experience.

For each story you find, present your output in this format:

• Story Excerpt: [Quote or paraphrase the relevant section]
• Moment of Change: [Describe the turning point]
• Emotional Hook: [Describe the emotion(s) involved]
• Lesson/Takeaway: [Summarize the insight or lesson]

If an entry does not contain all three elements, skip it.

Example Output:

• Story Excerpt: “I thought the meeting would be easy, but it turned out to be challenging.”
• Moment of Change: Realized the meeting was harder than expected.
• Emotional Hook: Felt unprepared and anxious.
• Lesson/Takeaway: Learned to prepare more thoroughly for future meetings.