How The PIE Journal Optimizes My Creativity And Self-Awareness
By: Barry Davret
Tags: Self Improvement, Mental Health, Writing, Creativity, Life Lessons

Prompts

Begin each session by selecting five of the eight prompts below. Choose the ones most relevant to your experiences of the day.

Prompt 1: I keep saying I’m going to [fill in the blank], but I haven’t done it because [fill in the blank]

There’s a reason we put things off for days, weeks, or months. Some to-do items lack priority or urgency — there’s no reason to waste time on them. Other tasks might cause discomfort, so you delay taking action in an attempt to avoid the pain.

Putting it on paper day after day creates a sense of angst. The frustration builds, nudging you to act to relieve the tension.

Prompt 2: I keep worrying about [fill in the blank] Here’s what I’m going to do about it.

When you put your worries on paper, they seem to diminish in importance. Take it a step further by employing classic risk-avoidance and risk-mitigation strategies.

Jot down an idea to reduce the likelihood of your worry becoming a reality. Then sketch out a backup plan should your worry materialize; this mitigates its potential effect, bringing you peace of mind.

Prompt 3: I let fear get in the way of [fill in the blank]. The worst that could have happened was [fill in the blank]

Fear interferes with your life in subtle, non-obvious ways. You will notice these situations as you develop your observational skills.

Take a situation as simple as not asserting yourself when someone cuts in line at the grocery store. It passes through your consciousness never to be remembered. Journaling about it obliges you to confront your inaction.

The results from this prompt spawned my experimental mindset, a tool for dealing with fear.

Prompt 4: I regretted the way I behaved when [fill in the blank]

In the heat of an argument, you said something you wish you hadn’t. Perhaps an acquaintance of yours needed to get something off their chest. You didn’t want to deal with it, so you lied about a work thing.

Even the best of us experience regrettable moments when life overwhelms. We forget courtesy and kindness. We tend to beat ourselves up later, but neglect to examine the experience. Writing about it brings awareness and learning.

Prompts from my journal

Prompt 5: What was my most important decision?

Pick one decision you expect to impact your life in a measurable way. Or, pick a decision you put off and write why you failed to decide. What does your decision-making process (or indecision) reveal about what you value?

Prompt 6: What am I grateful for?

Making your entire journal about gratitude is a bit much. That’s why my attempt at the gratitude journal failed. It felt disingenuous.

I included gratitude as a prompt in the PIE journal because everyone can think of one thing they’re grateful for each day. It’s not that hard.

Prompt 7: What am I most proud of?

This prompt comes with a powerful side effect. If you know you’re going to answer this each night, you’ll make sure you do something worthy of self-praise.

Your achievement need not be monumental. Consider an act as simple as saying a kind word to someone who needs it.

Prompt 8: Today’s random memory is [fill in the blank]

I don’t recall how this prompt nudged its way into my journal process, but it’s my favorite part of journaling. Pick a year and a season and write about the first memory that pops into your head.

What did it mean to you?

How have you changed since then?

What lesson-learned can you share?

So many story ideas have launched from this prompt. It’s a staple of my routine.