It’s 100% normal for 30-something girlies to lose their spark for life.
I mean let’s face it, we’ve spent years deep in hustle culture, feeling the pressure of societal norms, and hitting burnout far too many times.
We chase the things we’re supposed to want — the career, the relationship, the house — but when we have all of that, we still wonder why we feel empty inside.
So we chase other things instead like the designer bag, the luxury car, the next big promotion, hoping that one day it’ll finally feel like enough.
But it never feels like enough.
And honestly, that’s probably because we lose sight of ourselves somewhere along the way without even realising it.
I lost my spark at 27 after giving way too much of myself to a toxic job. I didn’t know who I was as a person, struggled to get excited by anything, and had zero clue what I actually enjoyed.
It took me way longer than I’d like to admit to feel like myself again. And it all came down to rediscovering my passions and reconnecting with what lights me up.
Here are the exact prompts I used to do just that.
P.S. If you’re new here, hey! I’m Thalia. I help 30-something girlies beat burnout and unf*ck their life through 1:1 coaching and self-paced tools. Every week(ish), I share content on burnout recovery, self-development, finding joy, and career growth. Subscribe here so you never miss a debrief.
51 journal prompts to reconnect with what lights you up
Before you dive in, let’s keep things really simple.
Because the last thing you need right now is another thing on your todo list that feels like a chore. (Trust me, overwhelm ain’t pretty, especially when you’re burnt TF out.)
Journaling doesn’t have to be complicated.
All you need is to grab a notebook, carve out a little space for yourself, and choose 2-3 prompts that feel right for where you’re currently at.
Think of this as a self-paced tool, rather than another pointless work task. You don’t need to answer all 51 questions at once. Take it slow, save this post, screenshot the prompts that hit you the hardest, and come back to it whenever you’re feeling stuck.
This is about giving yourself space to actually hear and make sense of your thoughts.
P.S. I encourage you to save this post (like now!!) so you can come back to it whenever you need to.
1 | Get back to your roots
- What 5 things do you value above anything else?
- What did you love doing as a kid that just kind of faded out?
- What did you always want to be when you grew up?
- What did a good weekend look like for you five years ago?
- What’s something you used to do just for fun?
- What hobby did you quietly drop when life got busy?
- What used to make you lose track of time completely?
- What subject in school actually excited you?
- What would your teenage self be surprised you stopped doing?
- Is there something you stopped doing after someone made a comment about it?
- What’s something you used to make, build, or create?
- What did a really happy day look like before you had so many responsibilities?
- Where did you feel most like yourself growing up?
- What skill were you building that you eventually let go of?
- What did you do purely for the joy of it that you’d never put on a resume?
- What were you into that you’d call a “phase” but actually loved?
- Who did you look up to as a kid, and what did you love about them?
2 | Get honest about what still feels good
- What do you still do that makes you feel like yourself?
- When was the last time you laughed really hard? (I’m talking piss-your-pants kinda laughter)
- What do you find yourself watching or reading when you have nothing to do?
- What topic could you talk about for hours without getting bored?
- What do people ask for your help with that you don’t actually mind?
- What small thing always puts you in a better mood?
- What do you actually want to do when you have a free hour and no obligations?
- What do you do just for fun that you never think to mention when someone asks about your hobbies?
- What are you usually doing when you feel like your best self?
- What’s something you’re proud of that has nothing to do with work?
- What kind of people leave you feeling energised after spending time with them?
- What compliment have you received that you actually accepted without dismissing?
- What does a really good day feel like? What are you doing?
- What do you do for others that you wish you did more of for yourself?
- What’s a place you’ve been recently where you felt at peace with yourself?
- What’s something small you already do that you could simply do more of?
- What hobbies make you feel fulfilled?
3 | Get curious about what’s next
- If you had one free day a week with no guilt, what would you fill it with?
- What have you always wanted to try?
- What would you try if you weren’t worried about being bad at it?
- What’s something a friend does that you quietly envy?
- Is there a class or skill you’ve thought about and then talked yourself out of?
- What would a fulfilling Tuesday afternoon look like if time and money weren’t a factor?
- What do you want more of that isn’t a thing, it’s a feeling?
- Is there a creative outlet you’ve never tried but feel drawn to?
- What are you genuinely curious about trying out?
- What’s something you’ve been putting off that you actually want to do?
- What would you do if no one you knew would ever find out?
- What would you start tomorrow if you knew you couldn’t fail?
- What would you do more of if you stopped needing to justify it?
- What would you regret never making time for?
- What would you do more of if you had more energy?
- What does a life that genuinely excites you look like day to day?
- What would your week look like if you actually designed it around what you enjoy?
Final thoughts
Losing your spark isn’t something that happens because you did something wrong.
It happens because you kept showing up for everything and everyone else and quietly stopped showing up for yourself. And after a while, you just forget about what lights you up in the first place.
These prompts aren’t going to give you all the answers. But they will help you start asking the right questions, which is where it all begins.
So grab a notebook, pick a few that resonate, and just see what comes up. You might surprise yourself.
You’ve got this.
Thalia xx
