How do I journal on this prompt without mixing up “perks” with basic needs or fairness?

Try a quick sort before you write. 1) List what you value—job, friendships, hobbies, routines. 2) Next to each, mark B for basic need/fairness (e.g., enough pay to live, safety, respect) and P for perk (e.g., status, free snacks, praise). 3) Now free-write for 5 minutes on the items you’d keep even if only the core activity remained. Ask: Would I do this if no one saw? Would I still choose it if it never advanced my status? What feeling or virtue does it nourish (learning, kindness, craftsmanship, presence)? In Stoic, capture a short entry focusing on the why beneath each choice—keep it to 3–5 lines per item to stay clear.

I’m stressed about career status and money. How can this prompt help me figure out what I’d keep if titles and pay disappeared?

Use a “role vs. work” split. 1) Write your role/title on one side and the actual tasks you do on the other. 2) Circle the tasks you’d do for their own sake (e.g., mentoring, solving puzzles, building tools). 3) Note the intrinsic values they express—wisdom, courage, service, creativity. 4) Journal one paragraph on how you can do more of those tasks within your current reality, without chasing recognition. A Stoic angle: focus on what’s within your control—showing up to practice the craft—even when outcomes (titles, raises) are uncertain. Capture one small, repeatable action aligned with that value for the week.

I overthink outcomes and worry about missing perks. Any Stoic-inspired way to identify what I truly choose for its own sake?

Try the “veil of outcomes” exercise. 1) Imagine the result is fixed: no promotion, no likes, no perks—only the doing. 2) Write for 3 minutes: Would I still do this? Why? 3) Name the virtue it trains (patience, justice, temperance, courage) and the feeling during—not after—the activity. 4) If you still feel torn, run a one-week experiment: pick one activity you suspect is intrinsically meaningful and do it quietly, without telling anyone. Journal daily in Stoic about how you felt before, during, and after. Patterns across days will show what nourishes you beyond rewards.

Journaling Idea - On Perks and Benefits.

When you strip away all the perks, what are the things in your life you’d choose anyway?

When you forget about all the convenience, the comfort, and other extras, what are the things you’d keep even if there was nothing in it for you beyond the thing itself?

Journal in Stoic

Written by

Natalia Łobodzińska

Published on

Apr 19, 2026

Journal in Stoic

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Natalia Łobodzińska

Head of Content at stoic.

Natalia oversees all content inside the Stoic app — from guided journals to daily prompts. She works closely with therapists and writers to make sure every word helps users reflect and grow. She also manages translations to keep the experience thoughtful and consistent across languages.

When you strip away all the perks, what are the things in your life you’d choose anyway?

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