Activation Exercise

Take some time to journal on this. You can repeat this exercise for as many categories of your life as you need.

One area of my life where I’d like to develop more self-discipline is:

The reason this category is important to me is:

The areas where I see the most room for growth are:

Complete success in this area looks like this to me:

When I succeed here, I will enjoy the following benefits:

If I don’t take a disciplined approach here, I will risk the following:

A great first step here is:

A small habit that I can start to build daily is:

My daily affirmation for this area is:

I’ve populated an example for you below. I’ve also duplicated this exercise for Chapter 5, Fuelling Up for the Journey, so you’ll get a chance to consider how self-discipline can drive your health goals then.

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One area of my life where I’d like to develop more self-discipline is:

My mental and emotional health

The reason this area is important to me is:

I’ve suffered from severe anxiety in the past and it’s debilitating. Also, as my entire perception of life stems from how I feel inside, this is a critical area to address. I want not just to find tools for coping with anxiety but tools for discovering true happiness

The areas where I see the most room for growth are:

I get triggered too easily by so many things; I lose perspective easily and spiral into negativity. Fending off anxiety can take up a lot of my bandwidth. Meanwhile, I’m still lacking a real daily discipline around treating these issues. I’m prioritising productivity and ‘busyness’ and procrastinating on the daily pauses and practices that I need to make space for.

Complete success in this area looks like this to me:

My default state is happiness, peace, and wellbeing. I don’t get triggered easily. I have a great toolbox at my disposal to diffuse any potential triggers quickly. I am hormonally well-balanced. My mind is in homeostasis. I feel in tune with the universe.

When I succeed here, I will enjoy the following benefits:

I’ll be able to truly enjoy and get the best out of life. I’ll be present and relaxed. I’ll be able to live in the moment and really appreciate the wonders that surround me at every moment. Through elevating my emotional and mental state, I’ll also vastly improve the quality of my relationships as I treat others with more compassion and empathy, and elevate them in turn.

If I don’t take a disciplined approach here, I will risk the following:

I risk letting the daily stresses of life get the better of me, of my stress response causing illness and inflammation which will, in turn, lead to physical dis-ease, and above all I risk unhappiness and the inability to enjoy the incredible blessings that are around me because I have allowed myself to become trapped in a mental prison.

A great first step here is:

To join a Facebook group that is focused on spiritual growth and wellbeing, for example Gabby Bernstein’s groups The Universe Has Your Back or Super Attractor. Being part of a like-minded community will provide support and accountability as I invest in myself.

A small habit that I can start to build daily is:

A ten minute guided meditation practice every morning when I wake up, so that I start the day in the right frame of mind. I love this morning meditation by Abraham Hicks.

My daily affirmation for this area is:

I am committed to my mental, emotional and spiritual wellness. I know that growth in these areas will bring me great happiness and peace and I am committed to investing in them daily.

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Resources for Chapter 3

Awaken The Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Life – Tony Robbins. Fantastic advice on how to charge up your motivation so that self-discipline is easy

The Miracle Morning – Hal Elrod – This will whip you into shape. It’s changed my life.

The Miracle Equation – Hal Elrod – A brilliantly action-oriented guide to taking the growth you see from the Miracle Morning and embedding it into your goal-setting strategies

Atomic Habits: The life-changing million copy bestseller – James Clear – When discipline turns to habits, it changes your life. This book shows you how

Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action – Simon Sinek – Having a clear Why will transform your personal and business life.

Lifebook Online – digital course

https://www.mindvalley.com/lifebook/

I completed the six-week Lifebook course in August 2019, and in my view it’s the best life-design programme that I’ve ever encountered. It’s fabulous, comprehensive, clarifying, and utterly inspiring. Lifebook and its subsequent course, Lifebook Mastery, give you the vision, the purpose and the goal-setting framework needed to ground your self-discipline in a ton of motivation.

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