13 Wabi Sabi-Inspired Journal Prompts to Let Go of Perfection
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Somewhere along the way, I got really tired of trying to make everything look perfect. My home, my routine, my goals… even my journaling started feeling like another chore. Which kind of defeats the point, am I right?
That’s when I stumbled across the Japanese philosophy of wabi sabi.
Wabi sabi is all about finding beauty in imperfection and letting things be a little unfinished, a little messy, a little real. It’s a way of seeing the world (and yourself) with more softness and less pressure.
In this post, I’m sharing a set of journal prompts inspired by wabi sabi to help you let go of the “perfect version” of everything and reconnect with what’s actually meaningful.
1. The Beauty of Imperfection
We’re so used to hiding the chipped mugs and fluffing the pillows just right that we forget how comforting the real stuff is. The cracked, the cozy, the little-worn-in. There’s a different kind of beauty in the things we actually live with.
Prompt: What’s something imperfect in my life or home that actually brings me comfort?
2. Embracing the Unfinished
You don’t have to have it all figured out. Sometimes the most meaningful things in life are still in progress. Unfinished doesn’t mean unworthy.
Prompt: Where in my life am I waiting to feel “ready”? What would it feel like to begin anyway, exactly as I am?
3. Worn-Out Things Hold Meaning
The things we use often don’t look pristine, but they’re full of life. Wabi sabi teaches us that those marks of use are what make something real. Lived-in is a compliment.
Prompt: What’s something worn-out, used, or slightly broken that feels even more beautiful to me because of its history?
4. Letting Go of “Perfect Days”
It’s easy to chase the idea of the perfect day, but real days rarely look like that. Life gets loud, messy, off-track. Wabi sabi invites you to find peace in the day you actually had, not the one you imagined.
Prompt: What would a peaceful day look like if I didn’t try to do it all or get it all right?
5. Seasons of Change
Life moves in seasons. The transitions aren’t always comfortable, but they’re where the growth happens. Wabi sabi reminds you to honor each phase, even the in-between ones.
Prompt: What’s something that’s changing in my life right now? How can I move through this season with more acceptance and less pressure?
6. Hidden Beauty in the Mess
We’re quick to clean things up. But sometimes, the messy parts hold the most insight. The unwashed dishes after a great meal, the days that didn’t go to plan but still taught you something.
Prompt: What’s something messy in my life (literal or emotional) that has unexpectedly brought me clarity, growth, or meaning?
7. Savoring the Present
Wabi sabi asks you to pay attention… to the way light falls through a window, to the smell of something baking, to the quiet between conversations. The present moment doesn’t last forever, but that’s what makes it beautiful.
Prompt: What are five small things I’m grateful for right now, in this exact moment?
8. Kintsugi for the Soul
In Japan, broken pottery is often repaired with gold, turning the cracks into part of the story, not something to hide. That same idea applies to us. The parts of you that feel “broken” might be the most beautiful
Prompt: When in my life did I feel cracked or broken, and how have I grown stronger or more whole because of it?
9. The Art of Less
More isn’t always better. Slowing down, clearing space, and choosing simplicity creates room to actually feel your life. Letting go doesn’t have to always be dramatic. It can be quiet, intentional, and just for you.
Prompt: What’s one thing I could gently let go of today to create more ease or clarity?
10. Finding Peace in Quiet Moments
Not every moment needs to be productive or profound. Some of the most grounding ones are the quietest. Wabi sabi lives in those tiny moments.
Prompt: When was the last time I felt truly still or at peace? What was happening around me, and how can I create more of that feeling?
11. Joy in the Ordinary
There’s something comforting about the little things in life. Ordinary doesn’t mean boring. It means familiar, grounding, and yours.
Prompt: What’s one small, ordinary thing that brought me joy this week, and what did it make me feel?
12. Writing Your Flawed Self with Kindness
It’s easy to be your own harshest critic. But wabi sabi isn’t about fixing yourself, it’s about seeing yourself as already enough, cracks and all. You don’t have to earn softness. You just have to practice it.
Prompt: What’s a part of myself I usually criticize, and how can I speak to it with more kindness, like I would to someone I love?
13. Living with the Scars
We all carry things. But healing doesn’t mean erasing them, but learning to live alongside them with more grace. Like kintsugi, those gold-lined cracks are part of the story now.
Prompt: What’s something I’ve healed from, or am still healing from, and how has it shaped who I am today?
