Journaling is one of the most powerful tools for transformation during your 75 Medium Challenge. According to research published by the APA, expressive writing significantly reduces stress, improves immune function, and enhances self-awareness. This comprehensive template gives you structured prompts to maximize your journaling practice.
Why Journaling Matters
The 75 Medium Challenge is about mental transformation as much as physical. A study from the Harvard Business Review found that employees who spent 15 minutes journaling at the end of the day performed 23% better than those who didn't.
Benefits of Challenge Journaling
- Process emotions: Work through frustrations and celebrate wins
- Track patterns: Identify what helps and hinders your progress
- Build self-awareness: Understand your triggers and motivations
- Create accountability: Daily writing reinforces commitment
- Document your journey: A record you'll treasure forever
- Fulfill mindfulness requirement: Journaling counts toward your daily practice
⏰ Time Investment
Effective journaling takes just 5-10 minutes daily—the same as your required mindfulness practice. You can use journaling to fulfill this requirement while gaining all the benefits of written reflection.
Daily Journal Template
Use this complete template each day of your challenge. Print it or copy into your journal/app.
📝 75 Medium Daily Journal Entry
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— 75 MEDIUM DAILY JOURNAL —
—------------------------------------------------------------—
— Day #: ______ Date: ____/____/______ —
— Weather: ____________ Sleep (hrs): ______ —
—------------------------------------------------------------—
— —
— ☀️ MORNING CHECK-IN (Complete before 9am) —
— ------------------------------------------ —
— How did I sleep? (1-10): ____ —
— Energy level right now (1-10): ____ —
— One word to describe my mood: _______________ —
— —
— Today I'm grateful for: —
— 1. _____________________________________________ —
— 2. _____________________________________________ —
— 3. _____________________________________________ —
— —
— My intention for today: —
— _____________________________________________________ —
— —
— The ONE thing that will make today a success: —
— _____________________________________________________ —
— —
—------------------------------------------------------------—
— —
— 📋 DAILY TASK LOG —
— ------------------------------------------ —
— [ ] Workout: _____________ for ____ min —
— How did it feel? ________________________________ —
— —
— [ ] Diet: On-plan / Flex meal used —
— What I ate: _____________________________________ —
— —
— [ ] Water: ____ L / oz consumed —
— —
— [ ] Reading: ____ pages of ___________________ —
— Key insight: ____________________________________ —
— —
— [ ] Mindfulness: ____ min of _______________ —
— —
— [ ] Progress photo taken —
— —
—------------------------------------------------------------—
— —
— 🌙 EVENING REFLECTION (Complete before bed) —
— ------------------------------------------ —
— Today's biggest win: —
— _____________________________________________________ —
— —
— What challenged me today: —
— _____________________________________________________ —
— —
— How I overcame (or plan to overcome) it: —
— _____________________________________________________ —
— —
— What I learned about myself: —
— _____________________________________________________ —
— —
— Tomorrow I will focus on: —
— _____________________________________________________ —
— —
— End-of-day mood (1-10): ____ —
— —
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Morning Pages
Start your day with focused intention-setting. Complete this section within an hour of waking.
Morning Routine Questions
- Sleep Quality Check
- How many hours did I sleep?
- How rested do I feel (1-10)?
- Any dreams or thoughts I woke up with?
- Gratitude Priming
- Three specific things I'm grateful for today
- One person I appreciate and why
- Something about my body I'm thankful for
- Intention Setting
- What is my ONE priority today?
- How will I feel when I complete all 6 tasks?
- What's my plan if obstacles arise?
5-Minute Morning Journal Prompt
If short on time, answer just this:
"If today goes exactly as planned, what will I have accomplished and how will I feel by bedtime?"
Evening Reflection
End each day with conscious reflection. This cements lessons and prepares you for tomorrow.
Evening Review Questions
- Task Assessment
- Did I complete all 6 tasks? If not, which and why?
- Which task felt easiest today?
- Which task was most challenging?
- Wins & Lessons
- What was my biggest win today?
- What would I do differently?
- What did I learn about myself?
- Tomorrow Prep
- When will I work out tomorrow?
- What meals am I planning?
- Any adjustments needed to my routine?
The 3-2-1 Evening Method
- 3 things that went well today
- 2 things I'm looking forward to tomorrow
- 1 thing I'll improve tomorrow
Gratitude Practice
Research from Harvard Health shows that gratitude practices improve mental health, sleep quality, and resilience—all essential for completing your challenge.
Daily Gratitude Prompts
Rotate through these prompts to keep your practice fresh:
| Day | Gratitude Focus |
|---|---|
| Monday | Something about my body that works well |
| Tuesday | A relationship I value |
| Wednesday | Something I often take for granted |
| Thursday | A recent challenge that taught me something |
| Friday | Something beautiful I noticed this week |
| Saturday | An opportunity I have |
| Sunday | Progress I've made in any area of life |
Going Deeper with Gratitude
Instead of writing "I'm grateful for my family," try:
- Be specific: "I'm grateful my sister texted to check on me yesterday"
- Explain why: "...because it reminded me I'm not alone in this challenge"
- Notice novelty: Find something NEW to appreciate each day
Weekly Review Template
Every Sunday (or your preferred day), complete this comprehensive review.
📋 Weekly Review Template
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— 75 MEDIUM WEEKLY REVIEW —
—------------------------------------------------------------—
— Week #: ____ Days ____-____ —
— Date: ____/____/______ —
—------------------------------------------------------------—
— —
— 📊 STATS THIS WEEK —
— ---------------------------------- —
— Days completed 6/6: ____ / 7 —
— Total workouts: ____ —
— Flex meals used: ____ (Total: ____/22) —
— Pages read: ____ —
— Books completed: ____ —
— —
— ⚡ ENERGY & MOOD AVERAGE —
— ---------------------------------- —
— Morning energy avg: ____ / 10 —
— Evening mood avg: ____ / 10 —
— Best day this week: ____________ —
— Toughest day this week: ____________ —
— —
— 🏆 WINS THIS WEEK —
— ---------------------------------- —
— 1. _________________________________________________ —
— 2. _________________________________________________ —
— 3. _________________________________________________ —
— —
— 💪 CHALLENGES FACED —
— ---------------------------------- —
— 1. _________________________________________________ —
— How I handled it: _______________________________ —
— —
— 2. _________________________________________________ —
— How I handled it: _______________________________ —
— —
— 💡 INSIGHTS & LEARNINGS —
— ---------------------------------- —
— About my body: _____________________________________ —
— About my mind: _____________________________________ —
— About my habits: ___________________________________ —
— —
— 🎯 NEXT WEEK'S FOCUS —
— ---------------------------------- —
— One area to improve: _______________________________ —
— One thing to maintain: ______________________________ —
— One experiment to try: ______________________________ —
— —
— 📈 PROGRESS CHECK —
— ---------------------------------- —
— Physical changes noticed: ___________________________ —
— Mental/emotional changes: ___________________________ —
— —
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Milestone Entries
At key milestones, write more expansive journal entries to capture your transformation.
Day 1: The Beginning
- Why am I starting this challenge?
- What do I hope to achieve in 75 days?
- What am I most nervous about?
- What does my life look like right now?
- Letter to Day 75 version of myself
Day 21: First Milestone
- How has my routine changed?
- What habits are becoming automatic?
- What's still challenging?
- How do I feel compared to Day 1?
Day 45: Halfway Point
- What transformations have I noticed?
- Compare current self to Day 1
- What would I tell someone just starting?
- What adjustments have I made?
- Renewed commitment statement for the final 30 days
Day 60: Final Stretch
- What has this challenge taught me about myself?
- Which habits will I keep forever?
- How has my mindset shifted?
- What am I most proud of?
Day 75: Completion
- I did it! How do I feel?
- Complete before/after comparison
- Top 10 lessons from this journey
- Letter to future self when struggling
- What's my plan for Day 76 and beyond?
Reading Notes Template
Capture insights from your daily reading with this structured template.
📖 READING NOTES
═══════════════════════════════
Date: ____/____/______
Book: _________________________________
Author: _________________________________
Pages read today: ____ - ____
KEY QUOTES:
"________________________________________"
- My thoughts: _________________________
MAIN IDEAS:
1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
HOW THIS APPLIES TO MY CHALLENGE:
________________________________________
________________________________________
ACTION ITEM FROM TODAY'S READING:
________________________________________
See our complete journaling prompts guide ?
Mood & Energy Tracking
Track patterns in your mental and physical state throughout the challenge.
Daily Mood Scale
| Rating | Mood | Energy |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Exceptional, unstoppable | Peak performance |
| 8-9 | Great, motivated | High energy, focused |
| 6-7 | Good, content | Normal, steady |
| 4-5 | Okay, neutral | Slightly tired |
| 2-3 | Low, struggling | Fatigued |
| 1 | Very difficult day | Exhausted |
What to Track
- Morning mood: How you feel upon waking
- Morning energy: Physical vitality level
- Pre-workout energy: Before exercise
- Post-workout mood: After exercise
- Evening mood: End of day reflection
- Sleep quality: How rested you feel
Patterns to Watch For
- Does workout timing affect your energy?
- Which foods correlate with better moods?
- How does sleep impact the next day?
- Are certain days of the week consistently harder?
- When do you feel most motivated?
Digital vs Paper Journaling
Choose the format that works best for your lifestyle.
Paper Journal Benefits
- ✅ No screen time (healthier for evenings)
- ✅ Better memory retention through handwriting
- ✅ No distractions from notifications
- ✅ Physical artifact of your journey
- ✅ More personal, intimate feel
- ❌ Can't search or organize easily
- ❌ Need to carry it with you
Digital Journal Benefits
- ✅ Always accessible on your phone
- ✅ Searchable and organizable
- ✅ Can include photos and links
- ✅ Easy to backup and never lose
- ✅ Templates auto-fill dates and structure
- ❌ More distractions on devices
- ❌ Blue light before bed
Recommended Apps for Digital Journaling
- Day One: Best dedicated journaling app
- Notion: Most customizable (see our Notion template)
- Apple Notes / Google Keep: Simple and free
- Obsidian: For power users who love markdown
- Journey: Beautiful interface with prompts
🌟 Best of Both Worlds
Consider doing morning pages on paper (no screens when you wake up) and evening reflection digitally (easier when tired). This combines the benefits of both approaches.
Getting Started Today
- Choose your format: Paper notebook or digital app
- Print or copy the template: Have it ready for Day 1
- Set a journaling time: 5 minutes morning, 5 minutes evening
- Start with gratitude: The easiest and most impactful habit
- Be consistent: Imperfect entries are better than no entries