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by MindJournal - 7 min read
If you're sitting in front of your shiny new MindJournal, congratulations – you're about to start your journey to a happier, healthier you.
Two hundred and sixty-four pages of science-backed guided exercises, self-care prompts and mood trackers that are going to help you revolutionise your health and wellbeing.
Today, we're looking at the second entry (and one of our most popular) in the MindJournal, The Pie of Life.
Let's dig in.
Sometimes called the ‘Wheel of Life’, the Pie of Life exercise is a popular tool in psychology, coaching, and self-help, and with good reason (but more on that later).
We introduce the Pie of Life early on in the MindJournal as it’s a fantastic tool for offering insight into which aspects of your day-to-day are thriving and which areas could do with a bit more nurturing.
The idea originated from motivational and spiritual leader Paul J. Meyer, who landed on the Pie of Life in the 1960s as a way to help people realise their goals, and transform their mindset to achieve them.
Widely used across the globe, the Pie of Life helps users reassess their core values, asking them to focus on ten different categories, ranking their sense of fulfilment in each one.
Essentially, all of the ten segments in your pie should be balanced; that’s how you’re going to lead the happiest, most harmonious life.
The good thing is, this diagram doesn’t just give you a snapshot of what’s going on; it guides you on how to move forward too.
The circular shape of the Pie of Life is vital, because the exercise – like life – is all about balance. In a fairly-portioned pie, no one slice should be larger than another. But of course, there's always a fight for the larger slice, just as in life, we tend to focus more on certain areas (work, money, maybe) than others (family, adventure, for instance).
By scoring each area, the Pie of Life exercise will help you identify where additional focus might be needed, likely to be ones that are leaving you feeling dissatisfied or a bit fed-up.
Writing down and assessing your results will allow you to set clear and focused goals, thinking about what would benefit you in a simple and accessible way - leading to a greater sense of balance.
This is important as (according to one study) a greater sense of balance will make you feel more motivated, less stressed and more productive. Essentially leading to higher levels of psychological wellbeing.
And who doesn't want that?
The Pie of Life focuses on the following categories: finances; health; wellbeing; fitness; family; friends; relationships; career; work; fun, and adventure.
Having said that, we’ve all got different aspects of life that are important to us. And that means this exercise will look a little different for everyone. If you’ve just started a family, that will likely sit pretty high on your priorities. But if you’re laser-focused on your career or looking to travel, work or financial freedom might be at the top of the list.
It can look a bit daunting at first, but trust us; it's easy once you know how.
Pick ten categories from the list above (or add your own) and place each one onto a slice of the pie.
Then give each one a score from zero to ten, with zero being 'least satisfied' and ten being 'most satisfied', marking with a cross on the axis. Now join up the crosses.
Take a moment to look at your pie. Then turn the page and assess your scores.
As you answer the questions, think about how you could improve each score, starting with the lowest. You might come up with a few different ideas, and it can help to note down some simple, actionable steps you could take to move towards that ultimate goal - balance.
The Pie of Life is just the beginning of your MindJournal journey. And just one of 30 science-backed guided exercises that will walk you through every area of your life, examining the building blocks of who you are - helping you to discover what you really want.
These exercises will give you the space to explore your thoughts and feelings further and set new goals for the future. Completing the Pie of Life early on will give you an awareness of where you are - and where you want to be.
If you want to take your goals to the next level, we highly recommend using the Balance Planner alongside your MindJournal.
"I use the Balance Planner and MindJournal together, and both have helped me immensely. They have helped bring back motivation for work and for hobbies. They have helped me free up more time and helped me to understand me a bit better"
Campbell, UK
Designed to be the perfect accompaniment to your MindJournal, the Balance Planner will transform your day-to-day life with smart schedules, productivity toolkits and self-care systems. If you want to level up your wellbeing or become the master of your own time, then it's for you.
However you choose to utilise the Pie of Life, it can be an invaluable tool in discovering what makes you tick – and what doesn't. Consider this your guide for the rest of your MindJournal journey.