Evening Journal Template: Three Questions Before Bed

Most days don't end. They just stop. This template closes the day on purpose: one thing that went well, one that was hard, and one you're putting down before you sleep.

The template's own note: Close the day on paper so your mind can stop carrying it.

The questions

1. What went well today?
2. What challenged me?
3. What am I letting go of before sleep?

How to answer them

• "Went well" can be tiny. Leaving on time. A good lunch. Not snapping at someone.
• For "challenged me", describe, don't judge. What happened, not what it says about you.
• The last question is the point. Name the thing, and decide it can wait until morning.

Example

An example of a filled-in entry:

What went well today?
Finished the budget sheet and actually took a lunch break.

What challenged me?
The call with the client ran long and I felt defensive.

What am I letting go of before sleep?
Replaying the call. I'll send the follow-up at 9 tomorrow. That's all I can do.

Pair it with an evening reminder in Daykept. Pick Evening or your own time, and the reminder arrives with a question.

Use it in Daykept

1. Open Daykept and tap Settings in the bottom bar, then Templates.
2. On the Gallery tab, find Evening Wind-Down (it's in Daily Reflection) and tap Use now. A new entry opens with the questions in place.
3. Want it one tap away? Tap Save to keep it in My Templates. Daykept also suggests the templates you used most recently at the top of a blank new entry.

It's one of the 14 free templates in the Gallery. You can also edit your own copy (reword a question, drop one, add one) and save it as your own template.

Frequently asked questions

How long should an evening entry be?

Three answers, a sentence or two each. Two to five minutes.

What if I'm too tired?

Answer only the last question. Naming what you're setting down is the part that helps most at night.

More templates like this

Weekly Review · Brain Dump · 5-Minute Journal.

Want the bigger picture? Read the evening wind-down entry, or see everything else Daykept does.