Edited Rough Draft of Journal

Section One – Beta Edition of the Learn True Health Journal
Welcome to the Learn True Health Journal!

The next 30 days are going to be an adventure in achievement and personal growth. Holistic health is
gaining success and balance in all aspects of life. So, over the next 90 days, you will be prompted to set
goals around the areas of your life that will most benefit from creating balance, focus, and attention.
You will create daily habits, introspection, gratitude, and joy through a series of techniques that you’ll
practice daily.
Before jumping into the daily habits in Section Two, let’s take a moment to go within and gain a personal
inventory of your life. Through the exercises in Section One, you’ll gain clarity for your goal setting.
You can use this journal to improve all areas of your life including finances, (career, business, school),
relationships (family, friends, love), personal growth, and health (mental, emotional, physical, spiritual),
And since you bought the “Learn True Health” Journal you no doubt are interested in gaining physical
health in addition to establishing overall health, success, balance, and joy in your life.
The first exercise is the Symptom Inventory Checklist. I recommend you complete this checklist once a
month because it will give you insight into what is working and not working in your life and health. And,
it will help you stay on track by not going unconscious around your health routines.
Symptom Inventory Checklist:

I ask all my clients to make a list of their symptoms before working with me. That way, we can check
back in with their Symptom Inventory Checklist each month to see their progress. Sometimes progress
happens slowly. Going from five headaches a week down to one headache a week in one month might
not seem like that big of a deal until we look back at our Symptom Inventory Checklist and see progress
across the board! Even small improvements will help us to stay on track by affirming that we are getting
positive results.
Without tracking progress, I have seen people become discouraged and give up even though they were
making headway! It is like wanting to see significant weight drop when stepping on the scale while
dieting but not paying attention to the other improvements, like waist size and energy.
You wouldn’t start a savings account at your bank only to close it a month later because you had not
earned enough interest! Our body, like a savings account, requires consistency and patience. The
Symptom Inventory Checklist will help you to stay consistent and steer you in the right direction because
you can see what is working and what still needs attention to improve.
Copyright © 2019, Ashley James, Learn True Health. All rights reserved.
This edition is not for print, sale or distribution.
How to fill out your Symptom Inventory Checklist

There are four columns — Symptom, Frequency, Duration, and Intensity.
Start by thinking about all of the symptoms, big and small, that you have experienced within
the last three months. Make a list as long as you can in the space provided below. I will provide
extra space, but if you run out of space, visit LearnTrueHealth.com/journalpages to download a
printout as well as other great resources. You will want to return to your Symptom Inventory
Checklist once a month to fill it out again and then compare to see how you are progressing.
Be sure to mark the date you filled out the checklist.
Example:
Date: 6/30/2019
SYMPTOM FREQUENCY DURATION INTENSITY

Headaches 3 times a week 5 hours 7/10
Under frequency, fill out how many times does that symptom happen, per day, week or month.
Under Duration, how long does it last?
Under Intensity, on a scale from 1 to 10, one being a little and 10 being a lot, how bad is it?
Use the list of example symptoms below to jog your memory as you think about your
symptoms:
Sleep (falling asleep, waking up in the night, waking up in the morning)

Energy (tired, hyper)
Digestion (heartburn, nausea, gas, bloating, pain, constipation, diarrhea)
Sex Hormones (Women: irregular period, heavy flow, PMS, cramps, cravings, sex drive. Men:
stamina, sex drive, ED)
Food (cravings, sensitivities)
Headaches (dehydration, muscle tension, migraines)
Muscles (twitching, pain, tension, stiff)
Joints (pain, stiff)
Dizzy
Skin (acne, dry, cracking, rash)
Sinuses (stuffy, pain, dry)
Eyes (dry, blurry, burning)
Heart (pain, fast heartbeat, palpitation)

Lungs (hard to breathe, pain, shortness of breath)
Immune system (infections, colds, flu)
Pain (muscle, nerve, joint, organs)
Emotions (fear, anger, sadness, hurt, guilt, shame, anxiety, loss)
Now, take a moment to think about and write out the symptoms you have experienced in the last 90
days. Come back to this page over the next few days to add more symptoms as you remember or
experience them. If you can, also write down what the date was when the symptoms occurred.
Date:
CIRCLE OF LIFE
Next, we will take a personal inventory of the areas of your life to assess where you are out of balance
and where you would most befit from establishing some goals and healthy habits.
Rate them according to how happy, fulfilled, or satisfied you are with that area of your life right now.
One is very dissatisfied or frustrated, and ten is completely fulfilled!
EXAMPLE:
Date: 4/30/19
MY LIFE RIGHT NOW 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

LOOKS LIKE… 😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
Joy X
Finances X
Career/Schooling X
Purpose X
Spirituality X
Creativity X
Education/Growth X
Physical Health X
Mental Health X
Emotional Health X
Play X
Motivation X
Sleep X
Physical Activity X
Home Cooking X
Relaxation X
Healthy Eating X
Home Environment X
Freedom X
Social Life X
Self-Care X
Digestive Health X
Energy Level X
Mental Clarity X
Family X
Personal Development X
Love X
Self Esteem X
Complete the form below without comparing yourself to others or judging yourself.
Be honest and loving towards yourself when scoring each aspect of your life. If you feel there is an
important area of your life that is not covered by the list below, use the blank spaces to add your own.
Remember, this is a snapshot in time that will help you gauge your growth as well as give you an idea as
to what areas of your life you would like to focus on growing during and after you complete this book.
Date:
MY LIFE RIGHT NOW 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

LOOKS LIKE… 😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
Joy
Finances
Career/Schooling
Purpose
Spirituality
Creativity
Education/Growth
Physical Health
Mental Health
Emotional Health
Play
Motivation
Sleep
Physical Activity
Home Cooking
Relaxation
Healthy Eating
Home Environment
Freedom
Social Life
Self-Care
Digestive Health
Energy Level
Mental Clarity
Family
Personal Development
Love
Self Esteem
Take a moment to write down what thoughts and feelings arose after completing the last exercise:
Balance:
It is worth considering that our life and all areas within are balancing like a tight rope walker. Spend too
much time at work and our health suffers. Focus on school or learning, and we forget to spend time with
family and friends. Spend time pursuing a fun hobby, and our home environment suffers because our
chores were ignored.
Sometimes it takes sacrificing one aspect of our life temporarily to progress in the others.
However, when we go unconscious in life, without stepping back to analyze it all, we can sacrifice too
much, and the greater the imbalance, the unhealthier and unhappier we become.
Now, look back at the last two exercises. Where is the imbalance in your life? What have you ignored,
put off, or sacrificed? What are the Key Focus Areas you would like to work on now?
Where do I want to be in the long term?

Seeing the results of the last two exercises, imagine you have a magic wand that can grant you the
ability to optimize all areas of your life and health gradually over the next five years. Describe what your
life looks like in five years, now having optimal health, love, finances, and joy:
Going Deeper
Now let’s take a deeper dive into the past year to learn from it.
The questions you will answer are designed in a specific way to bring information to the surface. They
will help you to break through old patterns that have been holding you back, to bring in new insights
and create a strong motivation to accomplish your goals.
So, when a question seems strange or similar to something you have already answered, remember to
trust the process and be authentic.
Get in the mindset of being really curious. Quieten your mind and listen to your answers. Reflect on your
gut feeling and the answers you write down.
Set a timer on your phone for 90-seconds. Then, close your eyes and think about last year.
What WORKED last year?
Think about what habits, boundaries, behaviors, routines, and beliefs helped you to become or
stay healthy? When the timer beeps write down what you saw/thought about:
Think about each area of your life listed below and make notes on what WORKED.
What habits, boundaries, behaviors, routines, and beliefs HELPED support you these last 12
months? Regardless of how successful, or unsuccessful you felt, write down what habits did
work.
Exercise and moving your body in a way that brings you joy:
Food, eating healthy, home-cooked meals:
Hydration, drinking healthy beverages:
Career or finances:
Rest and relaxation:
Fun, fulfillment and joy:
Personal growth:
Spiritual growth:
What DIDN'T work about last year?
Career or finances:
Personal growth:
Spiritual growth:
What do you want to CHANGE about these areas?
Write them down. State it in the positive, as in, what do you want to see, do, feel, and be?
An example: “I want to exercise by taking dance classes and walking daily. I want to meal prep
healthy home-cooked meals five days a week. I want to get a raise, I want to learn and do
meditation, I want to take up dance classes.”
Career or finances:
Personal growth:
Spiritual growth:
Now you can see the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
What do you want to achieve in these areas?
Be specific and state in the positive for each area. An example: “I want to run a half marathon
by the end of this summer, I want to fit into a size 8 dress before my next birthday, I want to
complete my degree online by 2021.”
Career or finances:
Personal growth:
Spiritual growth:
Close your eyes. Imagine yourself a year from now.
See yourself having achieved your one-year goals around:
Exercise/moving your body

Food, eating home-cooked meals,
Hydration, drinking healthy beverages
Career or finances
Rest and relaxation
Fun, fulfillment and joy
Personal growth
Spiritual growth
Write down what your life looks like a year from now, having achieved your goals. What do you
feel? How do you look? What do you have? Who are you?
Now, go five years from now, close your eyes and actively imagine what your life now looks like
in these areas of your life after continuing to achieve your goals:
Exercise/moving your body

Food, eating home-cooked meals,
Hydration, drinking healthy beverages
Career or finances
Rest and relaxation
Fun, fulfillment and joy
Personal growth
Spiritual growth
Write down what your life looks like five years from now, having continued to achieve your
goals. What do you feel? How do you look? What do you have? Who are you?
Now close your eyes and imagine 25 years from now. Imagine you continued building upon all
of your goals. What does your life look like now? What does it feel like?
Please write down what you see 25 years from now:
Having completed the last exercise, what are you most motivated to focus on and change?
SMART GOAL SUCCESS
Goal setting can be a powerful tool that is often overlooked. Do not let this simple exercise fool you.
Setting your SMART GOAL can make your efforts laser focused, decreasing the amount of energy and
time you expend to accomplish your goals.
Think of an airplane and a sailboat. They have a goal to reach their destination. Like you, their captains
see there is a gap between where they are, and where they want to be, where they intend to be once
they arrive.
And much like flying or sailing, working towards a goal is never an easy straight line. The best journeys,
the ones worth taking, all have obstacles and bumps or waves along the way.
When you map out your goals to navigate your path by always knowing where you are in relationship to
your destination will keep you on target and give you the cutting edge need to get there in record time.
Think of your SMART GOAL like the big X on a map. Once you know where you want to go, your daily
actions will become clear. Without clear goals or a clear destination, you float aimlessly through life.
Sure, it can be fun, but you might end up feeling lost at sea, realizing you have no sense of purpose or
direction.
If you currently feel like you are not deeply in touch with your life purpose, then creating a SMART GOAL
can help to reconnect you with your life’s direction.
Over the years, many acronyms have been made for SMART GOALS. All of which can be very helpful in
showing you how to formulate yours correctly.
While you read through these questions, consider your Symptom Inventory Checklist, Circle of Life, and
the Deep Dive questions you have completed. What areas would most benefit from setting and
accomplishing a goal? What sparks you with joy and gets you excited?
S.M.A.R.T. Goal Stands For:

Specific & Simple
- What specifically will you have accomplished?

- When will you work on this goal?
- What actionable steps will you take?
Measurable & Meaningful to You
- How will you track your progress?
Achievable, As If Now & All Areas of Your Life
- Is this goal realistic?

- Write down what doubts may come up in order to face them head-on.
Relevant / Resources
- Why does it make sense to accomplish this goal?

- What resources are needed?
- “What do you have now, and what do you need to get your outcome?”
- “Have you ever had or done this before?”
- “Do you know anyone who has?”
- “Can you act as if you have it?”
-
Timed & Towards What You Want (stated in the positive)
- State when you’ll get it done.

- Is the timing close enough to be motivating?
- If the goal is too big, break it into smaller milestones, so your timing is short enough to motivate
you.
It is only when you set a goal that you can objectively measure your performance and outcomes and
determine how well you did.
WHY WE FAIL
Without goals to help measure our outcomes, you may fall into the trap of living in your head, where
you let negative self-talk tell you that you're doing a lousy job. When you live in your head and listen to
the judgments from your negative self-talk, you cannot see your progress, only your short-comings. This
often is demotivating and leads to us giving up.
GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD
The best way to beat the negative self-talk is to journal. When you write down your goal, in the
S.M.A.R.T. format, you can clearly see your measured outcomes. You can create timed milestones and
set daily actions to work towards your goal.
When the negative self-talk comes in to beat you up, you can revert back to your journal, look at your
progress, pour gratitude and positive self-reflection into your day and allow yourself to relish in the
sense of accomplishment rather than dwelling on all you haven’t done yet.
Over time, this habit will make the neural pathway of the negative self-talk weaker, and your new habit
of focusing on your accomplishments, gratitude, and goals stronger.
This habit will increase your motivation, self-trust, and self-worth.
HOW TO WRITE YOUR S.M.A.R.T GOAL
Start by closing your eyes and imagine having completed your goal. What do you see, hear, smell, feel?
Look through your own eyes and see the vivid experience of having completed your goal. How do you
know you have achieved it? What will you see around you? What will you say to yourself? What will
others around you see or say to you?
Now, with your eyes still closed and imagining having accomplished your goal, float above your body.
Look around you and look at you. What is different? Are you smiling? Healthier? Happier? What can you
see is now different because you have achieved your goal?
Open your eyes. Write down; :WHY do you want to achieve this goal? What will meeting this goal
provide for yourself, your future, your family?
As you write your goal, state it in the POSITIVE and in the NOW (present-tense).
For example, “It is August 1st, 2019, and I have completed running my first marathon.”
You state it as if you have just accomplished it. And you state it in the positive.
This is an example of what NOT to do: “My goal is I don’t want any more debt.”
Here is how you can state this in the positive and as-if now: “It is November 30th, 2021 and I am now
financially free with zero debt, and I have $15,000 in my savings account.
Which one felt more compelling to you?
Here is my example of a S.M.A.R.T Goal:
Specific
What specifically will you have accomplished?
“I will publish this Journal on Amazon.”
When will you work on this goal?
“Monday and Friday mornings between 10am and 2pm.”
*What actionable steps will you take?
“I will sit down at my computer twice a week to write while listening to Wholetones or binaural beats
for concentration. I will reach out to the Learn True Health listener community in our Facebook group
and ask for beta testers. I will work with the beta testers, utilize their feedback to edit and improve. I
will hire professionals to create cover art and to convert the book into the needed format for Amazon. I
will promote the launch of the book to my listeners through the podcast, social media, and email as well
as announce it on other podcasts.”
*Note: You do not need to write out all 100+ actions you may need to take to accomplish your goal, but
listing the major actions right off the bat will help you to formulate your daily action steps. You can
always add to this list.
Measurable
How will you track your progress?
“I will create weekly milestones to have a specific number of pages completed and set up milestones for
each major actionable step listed above. I will check in with myself on each Friday to see how far along I
am, to mark my progress and see what else needs to be completed.”
Achievable
Is this goal realistic? Write down what doubts may come up so you can face them head-on. This is
automatic writing, so write whatever comes up for you as you think about accomplishing this goal. Only
you will read this, so let your heart pour out so you can clear what is in your way.
“Yes, even though there is a part of me that is scared to do this, I know it is achievable and
realistic! I see now this part of me isn’t afraid I won’t do it; it is afraid I WILL do it! It is afraid of
putting myself out there, the vulnerability of it. It feels like I am 8 years old in the playground;
this part of me wants to protect me from being bullied. I acknowledge and thank this part of me
that wants to keep me safe, and I see that by playing it safe in life I won’t be able to fulfill my life
purpose, so I must put myself out there and be OK with feeling vulnerable. My 8 years old self
wants to keep me safe by staying small, and I can work on that without letting it stop me.”
Relevant
Why does it make sense to accomplish this goal?
“It makes sense for me to publish this journal so I can help and reach more people. I have
reached tens of thousands of people with the Learn True Health Podcast and so branching out
into creating impactful books, transformational online workshops and educational videos is all
part of my mission to help as many people as possible to achieve their True Health, to grow my
brand/business and to fulfill my life purpose.”
Timely
State when you’ll get it done.
“September 1st, 2019”
Is the timing close enough to be motivating?
“YES!”
If the goal is too big, break it into smaller 10-day milestones, so your timing is short enough to
motivate you.
“June 23rd: I will have completed the beta version.
June 30th: I will have the final cover art chosen.
July 10th: Completed the tasks needed to launch the pre-sale of the journal on Amazon.
July 20th: I have begun to promote the pre-sale of the journal to my listeners and on other shows.
July 30th: I will have implemented all feedback from the beta testers and my health coaching clients.
August 15th: I will have the final format of the book back from the coder and upload it to Amazon.
August 26th: The day the journal is submitted to Amazon for approval!
September 1st: LAUNCH DAY! The journal has gone live!
Now that you have clarified your goal write it out as a positive statement that is written in the now.
MY S.M.A.R.T. GOAL
"It is July 26th, 2019 and I have successfully published The Learn True Health Journal on Amazon. The
pre-sale was a success with over 1,000 sales and my community is excited to have this new powerful
resource to support them in their success!"
Time to write your SMART GOAL!

Specific
What specifically will you have accomplished?
When will you work on this goal?
What actionable steps will you take? You do not need to write out all 100+ actions you may need to
take to accomplish your goal but listing the major actions right off the bat will help you to formulate
your daily action steps. You can always add to this list later.
Measurable
How will you track your progress?
Achievable
Is this goal realistic? Write down what doubts may come up so you can face them head-on. This is
automatic writing, so write whatever comes up for you as you think about accomplishing this goal. Only
you will read this, so let your heart pour out so you can clear what is in your way.
Relevant
Why does it make sense to accomplish this goal?
Timely
State when you’ll get it done.
Is the timing close enough to be motivating? YES / NO
Milestones: Breakdown your GOAL into bite-size milestones as a way of marking your progress over
time while avoiding overwhelm. You can choose to break it into smaller weekly milestones, so your
timing is short enough to stay motivated. It is important that your milestones are clear, measurable and
straightforward, so you know when you have achieved them and what needs to get done in order the
achieve the next one.
Now that you have clarified your goal, write it out as a positive statement that is written in the present
tense.
MY S.M.A.R.T. GOAL:
Now that you have written down your goal think about the bigger picture.
My Example:
“It is now a year after I launched the Learn True Health Journal. I’ve sold over 10,000 copies so far, got
over 1,000 five-star reviews and made it to the list of top Journals recommended by Amazon.
(And now for the WHY)
Because of the success of my first journal, and all the lives it has helped, I have gone on to publish a
second Journal, focusing on Plant-Based eating.
The success of both journals, both in how many people they have helped and the income they have
provided, has increased the Learn True Health podcast’s listenership, increased my business by 20% and
through that income it has allowed my family the resources to fulfill our dream of traveling the US and
Canada in an RV.”
Bigger Picture:
Ask yourself, after accomplishing this goal, what’s next? What does my life look like a year from now
having continued on this path? Be sure to include why you want this to happen so that you see the long-
term positive impact.
After writing out the details of what your life will look like a year after accomplishing your goal, and the
greater impact your positive actions have had on your life and those you love, take a moment to close
your eyes and visualize being there a year from now.
Set a 90-second timer on your cell phone. Picture yourself a year from now, what do you see, hear,
smell, feel? See the ripple effect that your positive goals have spread. See the impact you have on your
life and your community. Take this time to bring in color and vibrancy, breathe deep breaths of life and
energy into your goal. Feel the feelings of accomplishment, gratitude, and self-love. You did it! And you
disserve this success.
Float down inside your body.
See what you see.
Hear what you hear
Feel the feelings of this positive future.
Now, having seen your successful future with your SMART GOAL accomplished, look back to now and
write down your answers to the following questions:
What new opportunities have come my way because I accomplished my goal?
What are the most positive and impactful changes I made in order to accomplish my goal?
What doubts, self-imposed limitations, negative beliefs, and other illusions tried to block my path to
success?
What does life free from these imagined blocks look like? What do I now do differently without them?
What does a life full of empowerment, confidence, and self-trust look like?
Specifically, how do I think, feel, and behave at work, in relationships and with myself now?
When thinking about personal growth, what are some key development areas you can identify? These
are the important skills and attributes you will need to foster or tap into to reach your goals.
Going Deep
Get in the mindset of being really curious. Quieten your mind and listen to your answers. Reflect on your
gut feeling and the answers you write down.
What would you like to achieve from using this journal over the next 90 days?
How will you know you are successful? What will you see, do or have?
Who have you been blaming or giving away your personal power to change it?
What, if anything, have you let stop you from accomplishing your goal?
When it comes to your health and well-being, write down three times where you were successful in your
past.
Who can help you achieve this? List your allies!
What progress have you made so far?
Why has this been an issue for you? As you write listen for the self-imposed limitations you have placed
on your life.
What would it mean to achieve success?
Quiz Time!
You will do this quiz again at the end of using this journal. After spending three months being intentional
and introspective, you will enjoy seeing the difference in your answers and the power that the structure
of this journal has brought to your life!
Self-Reflection Quiz:
Score yourself between 0 (very false) and 10 (very true) for the following statements by circling the
number that best matches each statement.
I have a strong and clear sense of purpose in my life. I am connected to something bigger. My life has
meaning.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I have a strong sense of ambition and a desire to achieve what I set out to do in my professional life.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I have a strong sense of ambition and a desire to achieve what I set out to do in my personal life.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I know what is important to me. I am clear on what my values and beliefs are and how they motivate my
choices.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
My life is filled with joy.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I feel loved by those close to me.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I love myself.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I have a simple and clear plan to move towards achieving my purpose.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I have planned out goals, actionable steps and milestones to help me enrich my life and fill it with
purpose and achievement.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I appreciate what I have now, regardless of where I am in life. I feel a sense of gratitude daily.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I can speak my mind without hesitation, make my own decisions and act on them without resistance.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I connect with myself and those people important to me often.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I like the person I see in the mirror.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I am happy with the time I invest in myself.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I dedicate time and energy on a regular basis towards building and maintaining my health and resilience.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I am aware of my capabilities, my skills, and my ability to strategize to accomplish my goals.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I am flexible in my behavior and can pivot when needed to accomplish my objectives.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I know what I need to do to fulfill my definition of success.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
I have set up my environment, both my time and my surroundings to support me in my success.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
😩 😥 😞 😒 😌 🙂 😊 😃 🤗 😀
PURPOSE
How does the word ‘purpose’ make you feel? What thoughts and “self-talk” come up? Write out what
comes up for you when you think of the word purpose as it relates to you and your life.
Direction & Planning

Over the next 90 days, you will notice a stronger sense of accomplishment and control over your life
because you created a plan and acted upon it daily. In section two, you will track your progress each day
and answer fun questions to stay on track, learning, and growing as you go.
A surprisingly large number of people don’t plan – or at least, their plans are only limited to a small
portion of their lives. CEOs, for example, will make plans for their companies but fail to create a plan for
their whole life.
Our business/career/school plan should fit into our life plan, not the other way around. Just like your
health goals should fit into the plan you create for your whole life, for all aspects of your life.
When it comes to achieving your goals, planning them is as crucial as executing them. The old
carpenter’s saying is “measure twice, cut once.” Your planning, routine, and discipline are all muscles
you will strengthen as you work towards achieving your goals with the help of this book.
It is OK if you feel your strengths do not lie in planning, creating a routine, or utilizing discipline...YET.
It is through using this journal that you will strengthen these skills! Imagine this book as a sharpening
stone to enhance your blade of achievement.
Setting goals, milestones, and focus areas, as well as regular reviews and daily questions, are powerful
ways to make the journey much easier and more enjoyable.
To most effectively use your resources – your attention, time, and energy – and achieve the results you
want, you need a simple plan and review structure. And you need to make using them a habit.
That is why section two of this workbook is where the rubber really hits the road! By carving out 15min
each morning and 15min each evening to complete your journaling, you will see your results amplify!
The D-Word
Write down what comes up for you when you think of the word discipline as it relates to you and your
life. What are your beliefs about yourself and your ability to be disciplined when it comes to follow
through?
You write down your answers to get them out of the shadows. Dust them off and examine them as your
adult self. You can begin to loosen that old, stuck model of the world you built as a child. These limiting
decisions you made in youth have been dictating the lenses you use to judge yourself and others.
By writing and thinking about what has been stopping you, you start to take away its power over you.
Only YOU get to dictate your future! Take control by understanding the belief system that you have in
order to change it.
Plan x Action + Commitment = Success
You need a plan and structure together with the discipline to stick to it. This helps you avoid the
distractions that would otherwise take you off course and help you not to make reactionary changes.
Yes, as you put your plan into action, you will need to make well- thought- out changes. The trouble is, if
you don’t have a map to follow, you often will go through life reacting instead of being strategic.
I keep bringing up discipline. This word can be quite negative for some people. In the past, the word was
used against them, as if to say they were lacking in some way. Not many people can positively identify as
being well disciplined. If you are, that is fantastic! A skill that will come in handy over the next 90 days.
But, if you are like most people, feelings of inadequacy come up when faced with the word discipline. If
you fall into this category, rejoice in knowing that I’m taking you to the discipline gym for the next 90
days.
I will start you off, gently stretching and warming up your “discipline muscle” and ease you into a
strength program to build your endurance. By the end of this journal, you will be able to pat yourself on
the back and see that you DO really have discipline!
Because discipline is your ability to stay focused, on task, and on track to where you want to go! And,
with each day, you will slowly get there.
But What If I Fall?

Even before launching into action, the thought comes to mind…What if I fall off the bandwagon? What if
I fall behind, cheat on my diet, skip a few days here and there? What if something comes up and I think I
have failed? What then?
Planning for bumps in the road is how you will succeed.
Now, I said PLANNING, not fretting. You always want to visualize and focus on the successful completion
of your goals and milestones. You see yourself at the finish line.
But, without planning for the bumps in the road, you head out unprepared for what lies ahead. And,
should a bump occur I give you this metaphor to visualize.
If you had a flat tire tomorrow while driving, would you pull over and slash the other three tires?
Think about it.
That would be the most illogical thing to do, and yet people metaphorically do it all the time. One little
bump in the road and they throw in the towel.
Didn’t lose weight one week on a diet plan? Complete failure! Giving up!
Didn’t get the grade on a test? Why bother studying at all?!
Didn’t get the promotion? Why even try?!
I know, when you see it now it seems silly, but people do it all too often.
So, here is your chance to make your future different from your past.
Think about your goal, your milestones, and the next 90 days.
What traps are there? What hidden temptations? What could go wrong within reason? What are the
challenges you may face? Putting it another way, if everything goes wrong, what realistically will
happen?
Now that you have identified the traps. Answer this. If the worst-case scenarios (realistically) were to
happen, could I live with that? Would you be ok, and would you be able to solve, fix or pivot to
accommodate for these worst-case scenarios while continuing to work towards your GOAL?
Now, here is the fun part, facing these potential challenges head-on, what can you plan for, what can
you strategize to prevent them or handle them, so you still succeed at accomplishing your goal with
joy and ease?
By identifying the scenarios that you are afraid might happen defuses the fear as you realize they hold
no power over you and you can see yourself creating a different and positive outcome.
Time, Energy and Focus

How is it that the most successful people in the world have the same 24 hours as the rest of us? You
can’t create time. However, you can invest in activities that improve your energy and focus. These
include exercise, supplements, rest and relaxation periods, meditation and hobbies, and what and when
you eat.
I highly recommend speaking with myself or our other True Health Coaches at
TakeYourSupplements.com to order the supplements that I take.
Everyone needs 16 vitamins, 12 amino acids, 60 minerals, and two essential fatty acids every day. If you
are not getting optimal levels from your food, it is best to supplement. How do you know if you need
supplements? If you are tired, have brain fog, trouble concentrating or poor sleep, these can all be
helped with excellent nutritional supplements.
Many top CEOs have been interviewed about the habits they use to stay focused. Meditation has been a
common tool among the smartest and most successful, as is exercise and nutrition.
Another critical factor in planning for success is considering our external environment. Both the people
and the things in it will influence you. I want to tell you that it is always 100% within you to create
success, and in a way, it is because you are the one choosing your external environment!
Learning how to enforce healthy boundaries, how to organize your space to decrease distractions and
increase motivation, and how to create an environment that saves you time rather than leaves you
feeling exhausted, are critical to your long-term success.
An excellent resource for learning how to enforce healthy boundaries with others is learning the system
of communication called “Nonviolent Communication.” Boundaries are how you train people how to
treat you, and how NOT to treat you. If they continue to treat you in a manner that you do not like,
Nonviolent Communication further gives you the tools you need to have them understand and respect
your boundaries.
You are not a victim of your life. You have the power to choose who to be around and how you should
be treated.
Think about your GOALS. If you know there is a person or people that will sabotage your efforts, than
learning Nonviolent Communication and strategically planning how to ensure they do not sabotage you
will significantly benefit you in the long run.
Likewise, our environment can deter our efforts by distracting us. My husband and I once sold our living
room TV because it was the thing in our environment that distracted us the most from our goals.
That is not to say that my husband and I don’t stream videos on our computer, but not having the TV in
our living room made it easier to choose the activities that propelled us forward.
Having clutter around your desk, laundry piled up, or a disorganized kitchen may feel overwhelming.
Everyone has that junk drawer or those boxes in the garage or attic they haven’t looked at in ages.
Everyone has some level of disorganization or clutter to improve.
I am not saying you need to stop everything and declutter your life till your house looks like Martha
Stewart lived there. Although, that would be really nice! What I am saying is clutter around your
activities that are associated with your goals will demotivate, distract, discourage, and suck away your
valuable goal achieving time!
So, if your goal is work-related, then clean up your work environment so that it is SO organized that you
would know where anything is on your desk or drawers blindfolded! That way, as you work in your
space, you will have zero distractions from your environment!
If your goal was to eat healthier, organize and clean your kitchen! Know where all the gadgets are. Clean
out that pantry, remove the junk food, do a full cleaning of your fridge. Then fill it with healthy, vibrant
food!
Make your kitchen become a beacon of health that motivates you each time you step into it!
If your goal is around fitness, organize your gym clothes and shoes. Make a drawer at the top of your
dresser just for them. Have two sets of gym bags with shoes, equipment, and clothing, one in your car
and one at home or your office. This way, you will always have the tools you need to get the job done
with no excuses about not having your workout gear to stop you.
See what I mean? Think about the environment around your goal and set yourself up for success!
Jot down a list of things you can prepare and organize to create an environment that supports your
GOALS:
Feedforward
Feedforward is an exceptionally effective way of getting useful suggestions for the future.
Feedforward is purely about suggestions for the future, whereas feedback is learning from the past to
apply to our present.
Assignment: Feedback for The Future

With your goal in mind, choose 5-10 critical people in your life that this goal will affect. They can be
colleagues, family, friends, teachers, or mentors. Ideally, the stakeholders need to have experience of
you in the context of that goal. Meaning if you have a professional goal, don’t go to a friend who has
never worked with you.
Ask each stakeholder for 15 minutes of their time to help you develop your approach to accomplishing
your goal. You can do the call over the phone, video chat, or face to face.
I would like for you to ask between 5 and ten stakeholders so you can gain different perspectives. You
are bound to find someone negative that might demotivate you. At that moment understand that some
people are threatened by change or by the potential of other peoples’ success. And so, by choosing
multiple stakeholders to speak with, you will no doubt find more positive, productive conversations than
negative.
You will also be able to weed out people who might sabotage your efforts early, and then you can make
a plan to ensure they do not affect you while you are working towards achieving your goals.
During your call ask each stakeholder to be straight with you. For example, ask, “My goal is to become a
successful Health Coach. I’m investing in an online program through the Institute for Integrative
Nutrition recommended by Ashley James to become a Health Coach. Right now, I’m creating my action
plan to accomplish my goal. I respect your judgment and business experience and would like your input.
For this exercise, please be straight and honest with me.” “Is that OK?”
Then ask: “If you were me, what would be the top two elements you would focus on to become a
great coach that adds real value?”. Then sit back quietly and listen!
Formulate other questions that pertain to your goals, questions that tap into the strengths and
experience of your stakeholder. You want to get the stakeholder in your shoes and have them share
ideas and knowledge that will help you advance you towards your goals.
As you listen to them, look for new insights, ideas, and strategies that you had not thought of before.
If it rings true to you, ask your stakeholder to be an accountability partner; someone you can report
back to along your journey to share your success, your frustrations, and your insights. The best
accountability partners are those that stay away from drama, can be a nonbiased sounding board and
can offer sage wisdom that comes from a place of love and respect for your autonomy.
Thank them and write whatever they say down, you’re thanking them for taking the time to think and
answer NOT for your opinion of their suggestions, evaluate their ideas later.
Check in with yourself as you review each suggestion and commit to what action you’re going to take.
Please note less is often more. Only use the tips you feel are best. There are many paths up the
mountain, each one gets you to your goal, and each one offers a different experience. It is up to you to
choose the actions that both get you to your goal and give you the expertise you will most enjoy!
Be sure to send a note to each stakeholder thanking them and outlining what you’re going to do, even if
you’re not actioning their specific suggestion this time.
A useful resource is to learn more about the Marshall Goldsmith stakeholder process: Ask, listen, thank,
think, respond, change, follow-up.
Make a list of stakeholders, and when you reach out to them:
Assignment: Vision Boards!

Set up a vision board with milestones and focus areas.
How To Create A Vision Board:

Digitally:
Find pictures that call you forward, that motivate and fill you with joy and excitement. These images
represent you accomplishing your goals. What will you be, do, have, and look like? What will your life
look like? Where will you be? What will you be doing? Who will you be doing it with?
Use Google or Bing image search.
Then make a collage out of these images. You can use a collage maker app or MS paint or Canva.
Make this vision board be your computers desktop image, print it out, and have it posted on your fridge,
your office, your bathroom.
Old School:
I love making vision boards with my hands. Collect magazines, ask your friends for their old magazines.
Then go through them and rip out pages with images that call to you. Once you have collected enough
photos, cut them all out and paste them onto a Bristol board. You can buy one at the Dollar Store or an
office supply store.
Hang your vision board in your bedroom, office, or bathroom. Somewhere where you can see it and use
it to stay focused, inspired, excited, and motivated.
Make a list of what kind of images your vision board will include:
Cause > Effect

When you begin to dive into the world of personal growth, you’ll quickly come upon a lesson in taking
back your personal power. The way our mainstream society is set up, through media and culture, the
majority of us are programmed to play the victim. Those who take personal responsibility for their lives
are few and far between. To be empowered, you must go against what is “normal.” They call this “being
at cause.”
And living like the masses, victims of their circumstances, is called “being at effect.”
This concept of “being at cause” vs. “being at effect” applies to the outside world as much as it applies
to your inner world, your self-talk, and beliefs you chose to hold on to about yourself and your life.
Beliefs that you are damaged, broken, “not good enough,” or simply “not enough” are all part of the
“being at effect” side of the equation. Lucky for you, this can change. You can change. And find yourself
living “at cause” no longer the victim of your internal or external world.
When you are at the effect of life, life is happening to you. When you are at cause in your world, you are
choosing to be 100% responsible for your life, including your reactions and attitudes.
This is not to condone evil actions done to people or place blame or fault with those who have had
unfortunate or violent experiences. But this lesson will benefit those warranted victims as well.
It is a mental exercise. One that leads you to see your world in a new, empowered way. A mind exercise
that will give you a new path and allow you to reclaim your power. Because, if no one is “doing anything
to you” and you are at cause in your world, then you have ALL of the power to change it…Starting with
your attitude and mindset.
Let’s get this out of the way. YES, bad things happened to you in our past. Yes, there were mean, unjust
things. Yes, even now, you can still be angry and want revenge for past digressions “done to you.” But
what does that give you? Does that make your life any better? Does holding on to your victimhood solve
the problems being victimized created?
Albert Ernestine said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we
created them.”
Likewise, you cannot change your life, and accomplish your goals, when you are stuck in the mindset of
victimhood.
Another great quote is, “Would you rather be right or happy?” That one has helped my marriage many
times. It feels so juicy to hold onto righteous indignation.
I was once so angry at someone for harming my family; I felt like my rage could start a fire. But after
months of this anger, I only saw that each time I thought of revenge and relived the pain, it was hurting
me. And no matter how bad I felt; my feelings were not getting back at that person. Revenge is like
shooting ourselves in the foot and expecting the perpetrator to bleed.
Yes, there is a lesson in forgiveness here. What is even more important is shifting from being at the
effect of life to being at cause.
Through my research in this matter I have found numerous studies showing that people who operate
their lives from the model of being at cause have an increased lifespan upwards of fifteen years, have
stronger friendships, smaller chance of depression, physically heal faster, are more generous and helpful
human beings, and are able to make desired life changes more easily than those who live with the
attitude of being at the effect of life.
Living “at cause” means you are decisive about creating what you want in life. You see opportunities
when problems arise. You take responsibility for all the difficult things in life, even if it seems like the
fault of others. At the very least, you take responsibility for how you react to those difficulties, be they
people or events.
You ask yourself, “what is there to learn here?” and “what is GOOD about this?” when faced with a
challenge.
If you are at ‘effect,’ there is always a reason why life has not worked out, and there is always someone
or something at fault, blocking you from what you want to achieve. You LOVE to blame others for why
you do not have what you want. This leads to a sense of powerlessness.
While being at effect, you will often say to yourself “if only they were different” or “why is this
happening to me?” You are, in effect, a victim of circumstances.
There is no way to prove how much choice you have in determining your future. However, there is
ample evidence to show that those people who take on the attitude of personal responsibility for
everything that happens in life are also the people that are most successful and happy.
The Brain Area Responsible for Responsibility

Chris Frith and colleagues at the Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology in London performed a
study where, when hooked up to a brain scan, individuals would move their left or right finger.
They would be told which one to lift, and then they would be told they could choose which finger to lift.
When the person made their own decision, the neurologists saw a particular area of the brain light up,
the area where autonomous decisions are made. This area is at the side of the frontal cortex.
They found that in clinical depression, this same area of the brain is chronically under-active meaning
the depressed person does not use this decision-making ability often. Conversely, abandoning decision-
making leads to a shutdown of this area and depression.
Therefore, to prevent depression (or help to get out of it), you must choose to be at cause in your world!
The frontal cortex of the brain is responsible for allowing you to live “at cause,” and when it is inactive
or damaged, depression and apathy or impulsive behavior result.
Being at cause is also correlated with successful outcomes in psychotherapy, with letting go of
unpleasant emotions, and with altruistic behavior.
Physiologically, being at cause has been proven in several studies even to boost the immune system,
enable faster healing, and extend our lifespan by 19%!
Famous Greek Stoic Epictetus (50 AD – 135 AD) wrote at length about being at cause.
“Make the best use of what is in your power and take the rest as it happens.” And “God has entrusted
me with myself.” But my favorite quote from his work is about being at cause when faced with a
physical limitation as it shows the power of mindset.
“Sickness is a hindrance to the body, but not to your ability to choose, unless that is your choice.
Lameness is a hindrance to the leg, but not to your ability to choose. Say this to yourself with regard to
everything that happens, then you will see such obstacles as hindrances to something else, but not to
yourself.”
Jordan B. Peterson, a Canadian clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology at the University of
Toronto, believes that taking a stance of personal responsibility and being at cause in your world is
taught by every religion.
Dr. Peterson points out that through many holy texts teachings are showing you how to live with the
attitude of being empowered, being at cause in your world and taking responsibility for your live,
outcomes and actions.
This includes forgiveness, compassion, and helping others, as well as helping yourself. When you are at
the effect, blaming others or circumstances for why you cannot have what you want, you are not taking
actions towards changing it, and you are not, at that moment, helping others or being productive.
You are only feeling sorry for yourself, complaining, nagging, and keeping you and everyone around you
in a state of lower vibration and helplessness.
One of my husband’s favorite stories is called Trust in God but Tie Your Camel. It is an Arab proverb. One
day Mohammed noticed a man leaving his camel without securing it’s harness to a post. He asked the
man, “Why ’don’t you tie down your camel?” The man answered, “I placed my trust in Allah.” At that,
Mohammed said, “Tie your camel AND place your trust in Allah.”
Growing up, I watched both of my parents run their own businesses. My Dad created a home
entertainment speaker company called Nuance, and my Mom was a rep for several prominent clothing
brands.
My Dad had an outstanding bookkeeper named Gordon. He was dedicated to his job and was
exceptional at it. As time went on, he began to lose his eyesight. My Dad urged Gordon to get help.
There was an easy eye surgery that could correct his vision, allowing him to continue earning an income
for his family.
The man sadly refused. He genuinely believed that God wanted him to go blind and that it must be
God’s will. Otherwise, why would God have given him this eye disease?
It is easy to see the solutions when you are outside of the problem. But, when you are stuck in your
thinking, in your belief system, you may find you rarely take the time to examine the mental prisons you
have built.
In working with this journal, my goal for you is that you can see what beliefs and attitudes you have
created that have imprisoned you. This journal can be your key to escape those mental prisons that no
longer serve you. And, your tool to transform your beliefs, mindset, and attitudes into ones that do!
In Buddhism, there is a great emphasis on personal growth and transforming your thoughts from being
at the effect of life, or suffering, to being at cause, to increase your skill in shifting your mindset.
In the Vitakkasaṇṭhāna Sutta, the Buddha identifies these negative thought patterns as they are akusala,
“unskill¬ful.” Meaning, thoughts coming from a place of victimhood are not conducive to liberation but
rather promotes suffering.
For the Hindu, being “at cause” is part of how they worship and serve God. The Hindu way of life means
living life as an aspect or manifestation of God and performing His duties upon the earth for the order
and regularity of the world as if they are your own (taking 100% responsibility).
It means stepping into His role as being God-like in your conduct, following His example and living
selflessly performing your actions as an offering. How beautiful is that?
For Christians, that would be becoming Christ-like. Asking ourselves, “What would Jesus do?”
For atheists that would mean choosing to embody the best in oneself for the good of all.
When you decided to be “at cause” you can accomplish this, but when you are giving in to thoughts of
unworthiness, you are letting being at effect stop you from truly living.
Those who are religious will find empowerment in being at cause as a way of strengthening their faith.
Those who are more spiritually inclined will discover that choosing to be at cause allows them to feel
more grounded, connected, and in touch with their intuition.
From the scientific perspective, people who adopt a more “optimistic” approach to life (being at cause)
live 19% longer, according to a 30-year study at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota (Maruta, Colligan,
Malinchoc, and Offord, 2000).
Mayo clinic doctor Toshihiko Maruta says, “It confirmed our common-sense belief. It tells us that mind
and body are linked and that attitude has an impact on the final outcome, death.”
PLAYING SMALL
As a symptom of being at effect, people often will “play small.” They also play small because there is a
payoff to staying this way, secondary gain.
Playing small means choosing to give into fears, insecurities, low self-worth, and the mindset of scarcity.
Those who are playing small will find excuses not to do the things they want to do in life, including the
victimhood of blaming others, lack of resources, or their circumstances before even trying.
It appears like a safety net. If I never try, then I can never get hurt from failure. For some, playing small is
a survival mechanism set up in early childhood. The person experienced rejection, emotional, or physical
pain from trying something new or putting themselves out there and that pain created a “protective
negative belief” about themselves or life in general.
Life is not safe. You have been hurt in your past when trying or learning something new. You fell or
failed. Someone bullied you, or a teacher or parent was over critical of your shortcomings.
You might not even be aware of the memories; these small painful events might be long gone and
buried in the recesses of your unconscious mind. And yet the limiting decision that has been running
your life remains intact to “protect” you from doing that again.
You want to learn from your mistakes to survive. You found out early on that the stove was hot and
could burn you. That knives were sharp and could cut you. However, hopefully, being burned or cut as a
child has not prevented you from entering a kitchen in your adulthood.
And yet, this is what playing small looks like, choosing to not even try for fear of the potential pain you
might experience should the past repeat itself.
Remember, this is a child’s decision that is still running the show. Your five-year-old self should not
dictate what you do with your life now!
Secondary Gain
The second reason one might choose to play small is Secondary Gain.
Secondary gain can be a raw and painful thing to discover about oneself. It is the choice to stay in a bad
situation because you get something out of it. Even though it is uncomfortable to stay stuck playing
small, you are getting a payoff.
An example could be staying in an unhealthy relationship because your spouse is the sole provider in the
family or staying at a job you hate because it pays well.
I have even met people who chose to stay sick because they finally got “love” and attention from their
family or spouse when they fell ill.
The best way to uncover and remove secondary gain is to see that you can figure out how to create a life
where you have what you want and need without the pain of what you do not want.
Those staying in an unhealthy relationship because it provides financial security could chose counseling
and to work on the marriage or decided to get a job either at home or out of the house to no longer let
money be the only reason why they stay stuck.
Those in a job they hate could figure out ways to enjoy it or chose to leave and pursue a career that is
more fulfilling even if they take a pay cut. At the end of the day, no amount of money will buy your
happiness and your sense of purpose and fulfillment in life.
Those who are choosing to stay ill because their family shows them more attention and “love” can
decide to seek family counseling and create healthy communication and relationships while building
back their health.
It is in the choice to take actions to better yourself, your relationships, and your environment that you
break free from secondary gain.
The Upside of Secondary Gain

Another excellent example of secondary gain is the story of Alexandria, a previous boss of mine that
tried to quit smoking. Because of her strict upbringing, she was the kind of person that would work from
morning till night without stopping to stretch, eat, or take a break. She would sacrifice her health to
advance her business.
When Alexandria was a child, she grew up in communist Romania, where her parents would make her
practice the violin for 6 hours a day, before and after school. There was very little to eat. When they ran
out of food, she would suck on ketchup packets and drink warm water.
She learned to go without food or comfort and push herself very hard because if she could compete as a
violinist, then she would be allowed to leave the country for competitions.
Alexandria’s family finally escaped their communist-ruled country, but she never escaped the old
survival behaviors.
When Alexandria moved to Germany and later Australia as a refugee, she took up smoking. It made her
feel so good, not because of the addictive and relaxing effects of tobacco but because it forced her to
take regular breaks!
Alexandria was hired by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as a concert violinist and was quite successful.
Later she pursued a career as a teacher and trainer in NLP and personal growth work.
Because smoking went against everything, Alexandria taught her students she tried to quit. Quitting was
easy! She used her tools of discipline she had developed as a child along with the personal growth tools
she had acquired as an NLP Master Trainer.
The moment Alexandria stopped smoking, she stopped taking breaks. Within a week, she felt exhausted
and miserable. A few weeks later and she was so run down from not taking breaks she went back to
smoking. Then, it finally dawned on her!
Smoking was the unwanted behavior; however, it had given Alexandria a positive secondary gain that
allowed her to have more balance in her life. It had forced her to get up every hour for 15 min and take
a break!
When Alexandria went for a cigarette, she always smoked outside so she would go and get a beverage
or snack and stand on their veranda, enjoying the beautiful view of Sydney’s harbor. She would relax
and breathe and take 15 min to enjoy life.
Without this break, Alexandria would go from morning till night without looking up from her computer
or phone. After she discovered why she felt so good when she smoked (because of the breaks), she
realized she could have the secondary gain without the harm of smoking.
Alexandria had to then work at installing mandatory breaks for herself to step away from her desk and
practice self-care without the cigarette.
Think about your life as you look at your unwanted habits. Think about the habits or behaviors you are
ashamed of, feel guilty doing, or have trouble changing.
Ask yourself, “what good comes from this behavior?” This question is not meant to justify the behavior!
Just like you wouldn’t expect Alexandria to continue smoking after she realized it was helping her take
breaks.
By getting clear on what the negative behavior provides you, you can then formulate a plan to remove
the old behavior and create a new positive behavior that gives you what you are really needing.
Write down your three biggest negative habits/behaviors:
What would happen to your life if you kept doing this unwanted behavior?
What is the cost?
Write down what positive benefits come out of these behaviors? Examine your payoffs. What are you
getting out of continuing this behavior?
Now, thinking about the positive benefits, how can you remove the negative behavior and create a new
positive behavior that gives you the same helpful benefits?
Payoffs & Other People’s Secondary Gain

What are people around you getting out of your negative behaviors? Who would benefit from keeping
you in this behavior?
Sometimes people create relationships that enable them to stay stuck in their unwanted behaviors. The
enablers often get something out of helping that person stay stuck.
Enablers are often those closest to you. Keeping you in your negative behavior, keeping you stuck gives
them something. Often, they get to ensure that you will not leave them for fear of being unlovable if
they didn’t control the situation or others.
A great way to see what an enabler looks like is by watching the TV show My 600LB Life where
extremely overweight men and women seek the help of an expert doctor in weight loss surgery.
Most of these individuals are so overweight that they are unable to move without assistance. When
they first come in to see Dr. Nowzaradan, he faces their family head on and asks who has been enabling
this? To gain that much weight, someone needs to eat four or six times the average person’s daily
calories.
For those who are immobile, their closest family members have been their enablers bringing them
upwards of 20,000 calories a day! What would compel a loved one to do this to their family member?
During the show as they follow this family for a year often, the truth comes out. The enablers are
terrified they will not be loved if their spouse or child loses the weight and has the freedom to leave.
This example of enabling is self-evident. The enablers in your life will be more subtle. Especially since
there isn’t a TV producer behind you filming and editing the show of your life. You will need to sit with
this question for a few days and observe your interactions with your loved ones.
Are they supportive of your goals and then try to thwart them or distract you? Do they feel threatened
by your success?
What can you do instead to gain the benefits without the consequence? Follow the example of quitting
smoking but still taking breaks. Becoming conscious of your payoffs and other people’s payoffs (or
secondary gain) is the first step to ending that unwanted behavior.
Write down the answers:
What are you getting out of holding onto this problem?
1. Who are you doing this for?
2. What has this old behavior of playing small cost you?
3. What will continuing to play small cost you?
3. What will you have in your life when procrastination/playing small is no longer an issue / is no longer
running your life?
4. Do you feel genuinely motivated to make changes?
5. What’s missing?
6. Now that you are at cause, what habit can you create to keep yourself motivated and on track
towards your goals?
PAYOFF:
What do I get to keep having, doing, or being by failing or staying the same?
COST:
What will I lose or miss out on by failing or staying the same?
Perspective:
Five years from now, what will my life be like if I stay stuck/ the same?
Other perspective:
What if I succeed?
What will I do, have, be if I succeed?
What will my life look like? How will I feel?
Five years from now what will my life look like and feel like having succeeded at this goal?
Is it worth it to succeed?
BUT, I’M AFRAID… (because you are here, reading these words, it means you are willing to face
this and triumph!)
If you have worries, anxiety or fear around making changes and working towards your goals, take a
moment to complete this exercise. Please be sure to read the next section on FOCUS.
1 - Consider something you have been avoiding doing for fear of failure. Write out as many “risks” in
your life that you can think of.
2 - Write out as many new opportunities that you could proactively pursue that would be considered a
“risk”.
Example: Asking that girl out, calling a new client, open lines of communication with a family member
that you have been avoiding, resolve an argument, ask your boss for a promotion, seek out and attend
networking opportunities, join new Meetup.com groups and attend their meetings.
3 - Imagine a year from now, what would your life look like if you continue to do nothing and take no
risks. How would you feel? Where would you be? What has inaction cost you?
4 - Now, look at your list of risks that you wrote down and imagine a year from now what your life would
look like if you pursued them all and they all worked out. How do you feel? What other opportunities
came your way as a result? Are you closer to achieving your major SMART goals?
Limiting Decisions That Hold You Back

As you begin to grow your desire for positive change in your life, you will feel more hope. Conversely,
you may feel a tug of conflict within you.
If you do not feel 100% congruent when you think about achieving your goals, then you might have an
unconscious limiting decision holding you back.
You develop these limiting decisions out of a need for survival in your early and most formative years.
These negative beliefs that form about yourself, about others and your world seem to serve no positive
purpose and only hold you back until you understand why your brain created them.
When the root cause, the first event occurs, you create a limiting decision. Then as time goes on and
more events occur, you validate your limiting decision and form a lasting negative belief that you use
unconsciously to navigate life.
Look back at the first few exercises you did, and you will see which areas of your life you are most
dissatisfied. You will likely uncover some limiting decisions that have been causing conflict.
If your sibling or a friend betrayed you, you might have decided that you cannot trust people. If you
were yelled at for doing something you didn’t do, you might have decided you cannot trust authority or
that you are not good enough. If you were bullied for not being able to do something the other kids
could do, you might have felt betrayed by your body and decided that you cannot trust yourself.
Later in life, if you had a painful relationship, you might have created a limiting decision that
relationships are too hard, not worth it, or love equals pain.
These decisions were meant to protect you by having you learn to avoid painful experiences.
In ancient times cavemen and cavewomen would quickly learn that fire burns, so don’t touch it. They
would learn to avoid the parts of the jungle that contained poison ivy or deadly snakes. Pain taught our
ancestors to avoid it for their survival. And this instinct has been passed down for centuries.
Now, in our modern day, the pain in your past has taught you to limit the possibilities that arise in the
now.
This ancient survival mechanism once used to keep you alive, is now keeping you stuck in your “safe
zone.”
You need to see the invisible barriers that you unconsciously created to stop them from controlling your
decisions!
The following list includes the most common limiting decisions I have seen in my 20 years of working
with people. I have included space for you to take notes while reading down the list. Should something
ring true for you write down what comes up so you can better examine it. By bringing it to the surface to
explore it, you can begin to loosen its grip on you.
#1 “I am not ______ enough” (fill in the blank with “good,” “smart,” pretty,” “rich,” etc.). This limiting
belief is damaging because it impedes your ability to prosper, create meaningful relationships, to
problem solve, and live with self-confidence!
#2 "I am______" (fill this in with a negative and limiting statement such as "ugly", "stupid", "broken",
"worthless", etc.) Creating a belief about who you are and who you are not creates a glass ceiling on
your potential, creates inner turmoil, lowers your self-worth, and drains you of energy and joy.
#3 "I don't have enough... (time, energy, money)" which is related to "I am not enough"
#4 "I'm not loved" or "I'm unlovable" Most commonly is formed as a child when someone is hurt or
rejected by one of their parents. Divorce, death, abuse, harsh punishment, or abandonment may result
in forming this limiting decision.
Also, sibling rivalry where one sibling is seen as more loved by their parents than the other can trigger
the development of this limiting decision.
#5 "I can't do it till I am perfect," but when they really mean is "I can't do it because I am not perfect."
This idea that everyone else reaches perfection except you. A related negative belief is "I am broken," "I
am flawed" or "There is something wrong with me."
#6 "I don't want to feel emotions." When the fear of being hurt again is too great to bare this limiting
decision has the person dissociate from their emotions and withdraw from meaningful relationships.
Other variations of this limiting decision can be "Love is dangerous," "love is pain" or "If I feel/love/care,
I will get hurt again."
#7 "It is dangerous to stick out" or "It is dangerous to be better than everyone else." Sometimes people
develop a fear of success because culturally, it is unacceptable to stick out, get ahead, or be a "tall
poppy." In Australia, the "tall poppy" is cut down.
The conflict that this limiting decision creates inside you makes it so, at your core, you feel like you
cannot be yourself for fear of upsetting others, being punished, or being ostracized.
In the workplace, someone who does their job better and faster than the others may end up being
resented and hated by their co-workers. At home, the child that behaves the best might be bullied by
their siblings for making them look bad.
In school, the prettiest girl is resented by the others. To be the best might come with consequences. If
you experienced them as a child, you might have developed a fear of being WHO YOU ARE because you
were "punished" or had a painful experience when you let yourself shine!
This negative belief makes you feel perpetually trapped and unhappy. Because you are caught in a
conflict of wanting those around you to know who you are, but your fear of their rejection or the
consequences that would occur if you let yourself shine might lead to losing those people.
So, stay small and don't let those around you become close to you and know your greatness or risk
losing them.
Much like being Superwoman or Superman and feeling like you cannot truly be yourself around others.
How lonely and limiting that must be for those who are held back from this belief.
#8 "Life is too hard" or "Life is easier for everyone else." This idea that other people have gifts, talent, or,
and you do not. This allows us to blame others and not fully try.
#9 "______ is the blame for my life" or "____ is the blame for what is happening to me now." Similar to
#7, you can create a belief that someone else's action in our past has caused our current situation. A
parent, a partner, sibling, boss, a friend or teacher can be individuals you chose to blame. You can also
blame the economy, school, or even blame our past.
This comes back to CAUSE and EFFECT. Are you going to let your limiting decisions run your life? Or will
you take ownership of your life and stop blaming _____ for why you cannot have what you want, do
what you want, or be who you want.
#10 If you find that relationships are your most significant problem area, you may have developed
unconscious limiting beliefs around creating and being in a loving and healthy relationship. Maybe you
decided you don't deserve one. Perhaps you decided "Relationships are too painful" or that you "can't
be happy when you are single."
Unfulfilled Expectations Lead To Upset

Whatever your limiting decisions are around love, as you examine them, look at what was the real cause
of pain. People often confuse the pain of lost love with what really caused the relationship to fall apart,
which is expectations. When you create expectations of yourself or your partner, and they are
unfulfilled, you become upset.
Carl Jung, the founder of Analytical Psychology, taught that we never really know someone else. Only
the identity that we project onto them. We can only see what we interpret and what we believe to be
true. He teaches that we marry our unconscious mind and project onto our partner all of our unresolved
unconscious material.
So, from this point of view, when you are dissatisfied in any relationship, you have an opportunity for
growth and to heal the part of yourself that projected onto the person you are in conflict with.
If instead of being reactionary in your relationships, look inward, and reflect on your feelings, thoughts,
and decisions. You may come to realize that most arguments are like an iceberg. What you are yelling
about has nothing to do with what is really going on. And when you uncover what lies beneath the
surface, you can get to the root. Ask yourself, "What am I really upset about? What started this? Where
is this coming from?" This healing will allow you to transform all of your relationships as you transform
what you project onto others.
#11 "I don't know what my life purpose is.", "I can't find my life purpose." or "I don't know who I am."
This last major negative belief creates an existential crisis inside of you. It makes you feel disconnected
from the world, worthless and useless. It feels very real. It does not feel like a negative belief that you
created until you realize how much it has been holding you back.
If you do not believe that you know who you are or what your purpose is, then you have no sense of
direction. It becomes a catch 22, a cycle that goes over and over. Maybe you have looked into different
religions or communities in order to "find yourself" when the truth is, you will never find YOU outside of
YOU!
You find your calling in life by experiencing life and discovering what you’re passionate about; however,
who you are is your choice. And what you decide to dedicate your life to pursuing is also your choice.
God gave us free will, for those who are religious, know that when you do something that brings you joy
and helps yourself and others, you are finding your passion and that may lead to you choosing your
calling.
When I was 19, I lived at a Yoga residential center in the Berkshires of Massachusetts called Kripalu.
There I learned the Sanskrit word “Seva,” which means selfless service.
Seva is used in Yoga, is found in Sikh scripture and practiced in Hinduism. This idea of providing selfless
service to others, a community, or the planet allows your ego to drop away.
Studies have been done on the correlation between volunteering and depression. Those who are
clinically depressed and volunteer (practicing Seva) become less depressed. It has also been cited that
volunteers have a greater quality of life!
When you join a community that comes together for a common goal, and you practice giving yourself
selflessly to that cause, you gain more than you give. When the ego drops away, you can know who you
are without the cloud of greed, judgment, or ambition.
You do need your ego, and it has its place in your life. Unfortunately, people often find that they are out
of balance with their ego. This leads to dissatisfaction and often to the belief that we do not know who
we are, or we do not know what our path is in life!
If you find that you are called to buy things for happiness, they call it “retail therapy,” then you likely are
out of balance with your ego. When you’re out of balance, you crave owning more physical items in
order to fulfill you and experience temporary happiness. Materialism is trying to fill the emptiness inside
with external objects that you collect or dream about owning.
Return to balance with your ego and find a way to practice Seva, and you will find yourself once again.
As you do this, please remember to catch yourself when you hear your inner dialog try to convince you
that your limiting decisions are real and are real barriers. They are illusions that you can break free from;
the first step is seeing them for what they are, a paper tiger, a false prison of your own making.
PROBLEM SOLVING
If you feel like something has been stopping you from taking action towards accomplishing what you
want, then do this written exercise. If you think something is holding you back, this is a good exercise to
do, and you may skip this exercise if you feel free from constraints or barriers towards accomplishing
your goal. You can always come back to do this exercise if you do find you're faced with a problem you
cannot resolve. These are NLP questions designed to help you see the solution from a new angle.
1. What problem has been holding you back from accomplishing this goal?
2. What caused this problem?
3. How have you failed to resolve this?
4. What prevents you?
5. Is that limitation a negative belief that you created?
6. How can you overcome the solution to your problem?
7. What would you like to change?
8. When will you STOP IT from being a limitation?
9. How many ways do you know you have solved this?
10. What would happen if you didn't?
11. What would happen if you did?
12. What wouldn't happen if you didn’t?
13. What wouldn’t happen if you did?

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Section One – Beta Edition of the Learn True Health Journal

Welcome to the Learn True Health Journal!

Symptom Inventory Checklist:

How to fill out your Symptom Inventory Checklist

SYMPTOM FREQUENCY DURATION INTENSITY

Under Duration, how long does it last?

Sleep (falling asleep, waking up in the night, waking up in the morning)

Heart (pain, fast heartbeat, palpitation)

SYMPTOM FREQUENCY DURATION INTENSITY

SYMPTOM FREQUENCY DURATION INTENSITY

MY LIFE RIGHT NOW 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

MY LIFE RIGHT NOW 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Where do I want to be in the long term?

Food, eating healthy, home-cooked meals:

Hydration, drinking healthy beverages:

Rest and relaxation:

Fun, fulfillment and joy:

What DIDN'T work about last year?

Food, eating healthy, home-cooked meals:

Hydration, drinking healthy beverages:

Rest and relaxation:

Fun, fulfillment and joy:

What do you want to CHANGE about these areas?

Food, eating healthy, home-cooked meals:

Hydration, drinking healthy beverages:

Rest and relaxation:

Fun, fulfillment and joy:

What do you want to achieve in these areas?

Food, eating healthy, home-cooked meals:

Hydration, drinking healthy beverages:

Rest and relaxation:

Fun, fulfillment and joy:

Close your eyes. Imagine yourself a year from now.

See yourself having achieved your one-year goals around:

Exercise/moving your body

Exercise/moving your body

Please write down what you see 25 years from now:

SMART GOAL SUCCESS

S.M.A.R.T. Goal Stands For:

- What specifically will you have accomplished?

Measurable & Meaningful to You

- How will you track your progress?

Achievable, As If Now & All Areas of Your Life

- Is this goal realistic?

- Why does it make sense to accomplish this goal?

Timed & Towards What You Want (stated in the positive)

- State when you’ll get it done.

GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD

This habit will increase your motivation, self-trust, and self-worth.

HOW TO WRITE YOUR S.M.A.R.T GOAL

Which one felt more compelling to you?

Here is my example of a S.M.A.R.T Goal:

“I will publish this Journal on Amazon.”

When will you work on this goal?

“Monday and Friday mornings between 10am and 2pm.”

*What actionable steps will you take?

“September 1st, 2019”

Is the timing close enough to be motivating?

“June 23rd: I will have completed the beta version.

June 30th: I will have the final cover art chosen.

September 1st: LAUNCH DAY! The journal has gone live!

Time to write your SMART GOAL!

When will you work on this goal?

Is the timing close enough to be motivating? YES / NO