I’m in desperate need of some journaling prompts for self-discovery. Yes, even at my big age of 45, I am still trying to figure out who I am and what I want.

Major Life Update

Recently on Instagram, I shared a major life update: I’ve been named interim editor of The Birmingham Times. Barnett Wright, who has been executive editor of the paper and my mentor for the past 10 years, is moving on to work on something new, and I’ve been tapped to take over.

This was definitely not on my bingo card for 2026, but I am so honored and humbled to have this opportunity. The Birmingham Times is a special publication. Launched in 1964, it was created to cover Birmingham’s Black community at a time when mainstream papers ignored our stories. Today, BT is all about amplifying Black excellence and showcasing the best of Birmingham, while also providing the news local residents need most.

Fun fact— my first byline ever was in The Birmingham Times when I was only 19 years old. So this is a full circle moment, indeed.

What do you want — ultimately?

My new title has the word interim affixed to it for two very good reasons: 1) I need to make sure I can actually do this job 2) I need to make sure I actually want this job.

I had breakfast with a friend recently, and she asked me why I wanted this position. I went on and on about the paper’s legacy and all the ideas I have to increase the paper’s visibility and impact. She listened and even offered to help me with one of my ideas. But then she asked, “But what do you hope to get out of this? What do you ultimately want for your professional life?”

Crickets. I had no answer.

Since May 24, 2019 — my last day as an English teacher at the Alabama School of Fine Arts — I’ve been a full-time freelance writer. But I didn’t leave the classroom nearly 7 years ago to freelance. I left because I wanted See Jane Write — the website and the community— to be my full-time job, and I thought it would be easier to make that happen as a freelancer than as an educator. But here I am several years later, and I still haven’t made that dream a reality. In fact, I recently started to think it’s simply not meant to be. Don’t get me wrong, See Jane Write isn’t going anywhere, but maybe this was always meant to be a passion project, not my career.

This means I need a new life vision.

The Business of You

As soon as I was presented this opportunity at The Times, I turned to my journal, of course. And I wrote that the past seven years as a freelancer have taught me that what matters more to me than a title and even a salary is being the CEO of my life. So during this interim period, I must determine if I can take care of the business of the paper and still make time to take care of the business of me.

Just two weeks after writing this in my journal, my favorite podcast, She’s So Lucky by Les Alfred, launched a series on being the CEO of your life! It felt like a gift from God Herself.

In the first episode, Les asked a lot of questions that I instantly knew I needed to turn into journal prompts.

Journal Prompts for Being the CEO of Your Life

What are your assets (skills, talents, etc.), and how can you protect and invest in them?
What are your liabilities— what’s costing you happiness, health or success?
Who or what in your life do you need to hire, fire, promote or demote? This includes beliefs and behaviors.
What’s the next best play you can make with the cards you’ve been dealt?
How can you have better executive presence?
What executive decisions do you need to make?

What feels best in your soul to focus on offering to the world?

More Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery

Every successful business — even the business of you — is built on a firm foundation of a clear mission, vision and values.

With this major life change, I need to revisit all these things. Here are the journal prompts I’m using to work through this process.

What are your top five core values, and what does it look like to live out these values?

What’s “the why” at the heart of your old dream? How can you hold onto this as you pursue a new vision?
What is your new vision? Reimagine who you could be in five years.
What does a well-balanced life look like for you?