Discover You Now PDF

Discover
You Now
A Guide to Find Your Personal Mission &
Discover How to Make a Living Doing It.
Tina Su Discover your life purpose.

Get to know the real you.
Think Simple Now Overcome your fears.
Design your ideal work.
Achieve any goal.
Complete any project.
© Tina Su / Simple Life Media
Graphic Design: Tina Su
Editing: Jeremy & Fran
First Edition: July, 2011
www.thinksimplenow.com
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Made on a  with love.

This guide was made especially for you.
Thank you for being here.
6 Introduction
8 Prepare
16 Get Centered
22 Find Answers
34 Rocking Chair
You
40 Your Values
48 Core Values
58 Mission Statement
74 Your Vision
94 Your Project
Work
104 Freedom From Fear

118 Decision + Commitment
128 Achievement Formula
148 Follow Through Formula
Action
186 Parting Words

188 Resources
“ Millions of hearts yearn to make a
difference. Every one of us has the
potential to be something powerful,
a beautiful candle with the capacity
”
to illuminate an entire world.
Lenedra Carroll
Introduction
“ The most fundamental of journeys does
not begin in ambiguity. It begins in clarity.
And it begins with the acknowledgement
that the most beautiful, the most incredible
resides within you.
”
Prem Rawat
I know that each of us has the capacity to do great

things and that within each of us there exists the
ability to provide significant value and a unique con-
tribution to the world.
As you read this, you may not believe this about

yourself. You may feel, or have always felt, uncer-
tain as to what you want to do with your life. You
may feel that you have little to offer. Or even if you
feel that you have a lot to offer, fear has stopped
you from taking any action.
In any event, here we are. Something attracted you

here.
As curious and intelligent souls, we want a deeper

understanding of the mysterious questions about
life. Why am I here? What is my life’s purpose?
What am I passionate about? How can I turn that
passion into a full time living?
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Ultimately, we want answers. We want to under-
stand. We want to live meaningfully. We want fulfill-
ment. In essence, we want to be happy.
In this guide, we are going to take a journey togeth-

er. A journey inside the most important person in
the world: you.
With a set of tools and simple processes, we’re go-

ing to drill deep and gain useful insights. Specifi-
cally, we will learn about your deepest desires, your
passions, your values, and seal it with a personal
mission.
Later in the guide, we will design your ideal work,

examine and calm your fears, and walk through the
achievement formula, which creates a plan for how
to make your dreams a reality.
Lastly, the guide ends with a set of practical and

proven tips for how to follow through on your plan.
Juicy stuff.
Let’s get started.
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How to Use
This Guide
This guide was designed to help you gain clarity
in your own life. Since I can’t answer these impor-
tant questions for you, I will sit next to you, as your
friend, and we will walk through this exciting pro-
cess together.
This guide is a self-directed, life-enrichment work-

shop. It contains the exact process I personally use
to discover my deepest values, to create my per-
sonal mission statement, to design my dream work,
to overcome fear, and to make my dreams a real-
ity.
As a home-study workshop, it is not meant to be

read passively like a book but to be worked through
actively. The energy and sincerity you put into doing
the exercises are in direct proportion to the amount
of value you will get out of it.
Are you ready for a transformation?
If yes, then commit several evenings or an entire

weekend to going through this guide. If you do, and
work through each step diligently and deliberately,
I promise that you will witness and experience in-
credible inner shifts taking place within yourself.
Here are a few things I want to quickly cover so that

you can make the most out of this experience.
1. Supplies
Here are some things you will need before proceed-
ing to the next module:
• Something to Write On - A notebook or a stack

of paper. My latest preference is to use large
hardbound sketchbooks as a journal and for self-
reflective exercises like these. Here is the one
I use.
• Pens – Anything will do, but if you have the op-

tion, pick a pen that writes well and makes you
feel good. Here is the one I use.
• Uninterrupted Time – Block out an hour for

each module where you won’t be interrupted.
Turn off your phone, close your laptop, get help
to watch your kids and go somewhere comfort-
able. My favorite spot is my reading chair. Some
of my past favorite spots: peaceful coffee shop,
dinning room table, sitting outside on a sunny
day, sitting up in bed (with lots of pillows).
• (Optional) Printer – Unless you have a portable

device where you can easily reference this digi-
tal guide as you work through the exercises, it
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might be helpful to print this guide out on paper,
and put it in a nice binder. If you are in North
America, the store Target carries some attrac-
tive, eco friendly, soy inked binders: Greenroom
and Green Inspired.
• (Optional) Something Warm to Drink – There

is something magical about a warm drink that
seems to unravel me into a blissful state of re-
laxation. [I like a cup of Chai, green tea or cof-
fee.]
2. Honest Writing
Given that this guide is heavy on action, it is im-
portant that you have a pen and paper/notebook
handy as you work through it. Here are a few things
to keep in mind:
• Actually Write – It is important to actually write

out your answers rather than just thinking about
them in your head. There is power in putting
words down on paper.
• Free Writing - For each question write out the

first answers that come to mind. List the answers
in bullet points so you can quickly jot them down.
Write as quickly as possible, and write without
editing. Don’t over think it. Don’t think too much

at all. Just trust that you already know, relax, and
write down the first things that come to mind, in
the order that the thoughts come.
• Honesty – The goal is to write the most candid

and honest answer. This means write answers
down even if they sound bad. Remember that
nobody will read this. Write without judging the
answers.
• Enjoy - Remember to smile and to breath as

you write out your answers. Enjoy the process
of self-discovery. Treat it as a playful game. If
you find yourself feeling tense and/or drawing a
blank, take a few deep breaths.
One small thing before we get started. Will you

pause for a second and say—out loud, if possible—
the following, “I Love Worksheets!” and repeat it
several times with a smile.
Did you do it? Okay, good.
3. Fear of Change
Some of you may feel a slight resistance towards
doing the exercises and will want to procrastinate.
It is because we are scared of the unknown. This is
perfectly normal.
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Here is one comment from a reader, which summa-
rized this point so perfectly:
“I have been avoiding doing this exercise because

I was scared. I was scared of potentially not having
answers, but also scared of what I might uncover.
To my surprise, the answers came freely and eas-
ily.”
So if you feel hesitation or resistance, know that it

is perfectly normal. Your brain is just trying to pro-
tect you. I promise that the feeling will pass as you
start doing it. In the end, you will be glad that you
acted.
One thing that may calm our fear of the unknown

is to think of this process as a fun game instead of
a ‘life altering process’. With this perspective, we
take the edge off and will feel less pressured. When
we are being playful, life flows through us, and we
relax.
You can say to yourself, “Let me play this game

and see what I will find.” After all, what’s the harm
in playing a game? Nothing.
See you in the next module.

“ Many people have a wrong idea of what
constitutes true happiness. It is not
attained through self-gratification but
through fidelity to a worthy purpose.
”
Helen Keller
1
Module 1:
Discover You
“ The Purpose of Life is a Life of Purpose.”
Robert Ryrne
In this module, we will walk through a series of ex-

ercises to gain insight into your life’s purpose, and
lastly, to create your mission statement.
If you have done the 15-questions exercise from

the original Life on Purpose article, I recommend
going through this module anyway—the questions
and their order are different.
Even if you’ve done similar exercises in the past,

going through this series of exercises will contribute
new insights and solidify your existing understand-
ing of yourself.
If you asked yourself, “What is my life purpose?”

the answer will likely be “I don’t know.” As such, the
exercises in this module were designed to short-
circuit your mind’s reactive conclusion to “I don’t
know.” These steps will help you get into a frame of
mind, which will be conducive to drawing out your
own truth.

Session 1: Get Centered
“ Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while

first. Ask questions, then feel the answers.
Learn to trust your heart.
”
Anonymous
Within every one of us lies a vast space of wisdom,

and this wisdom and knowingness can only be ac-
cessed through the silent opening of this moment.
We are most creative and expressive when we are
centered and present.
The fastest way to access this space of presence is

through meditation. If the word ‘meditation’ makes
you nervous, give it a different label, think of it as
‘just sitting’.
The purpose of this meditation is to give us a mo-

ment to pause, to re-group, to calm the movement
in our mind and to center ourselves.
Only in the stillness of our being can we hear the

gentle whispers of our inner selves. This exercise
is designed to bring us back to that space of still-
ness.
In this session, we will dwell in silence for at least

a few minutes before continuing onto the next ses-
sion.

The basic steps to meditation are as follows:
• Sit Upright - Sit somewhere comfortable where

you won’t be interrupted. Sit upright: no lying
down. I like sitting in my reading chair, or on the
floor. You can sit cross-legged or feet on the
ground or however you are comfortable.
• Hands – Relax both hands, and rest them wher-

ever that feels natural to you. For example, you
can rest each hand on each knee with palms fac-
ing up. Or place one palm over the other where
the two hands join. The details are not important.
Do what feels natural for your body.
• Straight Back – Try to sit with your back straight,

but not so straight that you feel and appear stiff.
The point here is to avoid overt slouching, such
that you look like a big ‘C’ shape. You can relax
your back, but try not to slouch too much. If you
find this suggestion to be too distracting, just ig-
nore it.
• Close Your Eyes
• Start with Your Breath – Notice the inhale and

exhale of your breath. Take a deep inhale fol-
lowed by a slow exhale. Do this a few times be-
fore relaxing into a natural breathing rhythm.

• Thoughts – Before starting, decide on one thing
you will focus on during the meditation. You can
focus on anything, but make sure to pick just
one thing. The most common thing to focus on
is your breath. Alternatively, you can focus on
sound, bodily sensations, or a mantra (repeated
words). I’ll cover these in more detail below.
• Focus on One Point of Focus – Put all your

focus on the thing you’ve decided to focus on.
As you proceed, your mind will produce random
thoughts to distract you. Whenever you notice
that you have a thought or that your mind has
started to wander, bring your whole awareness
back to your point of focus. Repeat this by gen-
tly bringing your attention back to the point of
focus.
If this is your first time meditating, or if you haven’t

meditated in awhile, you’ll find that your mind has a
lot to say, and that the distractions can be frustrat-
ing. This is common. Just be gentle on yourself.
For the purpose of this process, I recommend sit-

ting for at least 5 minutes. If you have the time, or
would like to incorporate meditation into your daily
morning routine, 20 minutes is the optimal.
As a side note, if you can incorporate 5-20 minutes

of sitting silently every morning before starting your

day, you will experience phenomenal shifts of clar-
ity, awareness and peace. I cannot stress this point
enough. The most transformative period of my life
happened when I adapted this practice.
Whenever someone emails me with a personal

problem, this is the first thing I tell them is: sit silent-
ly for 5-20 minutes a day; repeat for 7 days, then
14 days, then 21 days, then everyday. Before you
realize it, a permanent shift will take place within
you, such that even without morning meditation,
the clarity and inner peace will be there.
I’ve explored a lot of meditation techniques (from

various traditions), and my favorite technique is the
simplest: focus on my breath and think about noth-
ing. I’ve outlined it here under the label “Breathing
Meditation.”
Breathing Meditation
In breathing meditation, put your focus and aware-
ness on your breath. Notice the inhale and exhale
of each breath. Notice the rhythm, speed and sen-
sation of your breathing.
Notice how your body responds to each breath.

Notice the rising and falling of your chest as you
breath. Which detail you focus on is up to you. The

essence is to place all your awareness on breath-
ing.
Whenever you find your mind wandering off or when

you catch yourself lost in a thought, gently drop the
thought by guiding your focus back to your breath.
I say ‘gently’ because the tendency is to mentally

‘kick’ ourselves in frustration when we’ve noticed
that we are lost in thought, again. When this hap-
pens, don’t beat yourself up. Just simply shift your
focus back to your breath.
Action Time:
• Let’s get centered: Sitting where you are right
now, close your eyes, and focus on just your
breath. When you notice a thought, or that
you’re already following a thought, gently bring
your awareness back to your breath. Do this for
5 minutes or more.

“ Our job in this lifetime is not to shape
ourselves into some ideal we imagine we
ought to be, but to find out who we already
are and become it.
”
Steven Pressfield
Session 2:
Find Answers
“ Ask and you shall receive.
You must, yourself, do the asking. ”
Walther Russell
First, let me lay one simple fact on the table: you

know more than you realize.
And more often than not, we already have the an-

swers that we seek. Yet, we refuse to trust our-
selves, and instead we seek answers from outside
of ourselves.
Other times, because we believe that we don’t have

the answers, we continue to tell ourselves that we
don’t know. And the telling of this story to ourselves
keeps us rooted in uncertainty and ambiguity. It be-
comes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
So, instead of dwelling on the story that we don’t

know, let’s shift our thinking to that of possibilities.
One of the coolest tricks I’ve learned to make this

mental shift is from Lenedra J Carroll’s wonderful
book The Architect of Abundance. Using a tech-
nique she called “The 12 What Else’s”.
The concept is simple. Basically, if you feel that you

are stuck with a problem, ask yourself a question
about it, and brainstorm 12 possible answers to that
problem. After answering the question with one an-
swer, you continue to ask “What else?” until you
have 12 answers.
Initially, we will feel that we don’t have the solution

to our problem, but if we have a simple goal to come
up with 12 answers, the pressure we feel to meet
this goal will go beyond the limitations of our mind,
which convinces us that we don’t know.
For the purpose of this section, let’s modify this rule

to 10 answers, and call it “The 10 What Else’s”. And
instead of solving a problem, we are using this tech-
nique to discover things that are important to us.
Additionally, I have discovered that it’s a lot easier

for our brains to complete a sentence than it is for
us to answer a question. So as much as possible,
we will ask you to complete a sentence instead of
a question—but the effects are the same.
For example, it’s easier for the brain to complete the

sentence “I am thankful for …” than it is to answer
the question “What am I thankful for?” because in
our minds, we just convert the question to a sen-
tence anyway.
In a moment, we will play the game of “10 What

Else’s” in completing a series of sentences. For
each sentence, we’ll write down the first answer
that comes to mind to complete the sentence. Then
we’ll repeatedly ask “What else?” until we have 10
or more answers.
For example, playing 10 What Else’s with the sen-

tence “I am happy when …” might look like this:
• I am happy when I am rested.
• What else?
• I am happy when I get hugs.
• What else?
• I am happy when I have ice-cream.
• … (repeat 10 or more times)
A few things to keep in mind:
• For each sentence, come up with as many an-

swers as possible. Write them down quickly.
• List the answers in a numbered list or bullet point.

Keep writing until you have no more answers.
• Do not judge or edit your answers. Write the first

thing that comes to mind.

• It’s okay that answers may overlap.
• It’s okay to find the same answers to several

questions.
• If you find yourself feeling stuck on a question

with your mind saying, “I don’t know”. Ask your-
self, “What would the answer be if I did know?”
Then write at least one answer down.
• Take breaks. If you feel tired of writing, stop writ-

ing, get up for a quick stretch, drink some water,
go for a quick walk, and/or close your eyes for a
few minutes of silence.
Action Time:
• Complete worksheet 1 – “10 What Else’s”
• Complete worksheet 2 – Short Answers

Worksheet 1 01/05
Complete each sentence with 10 or more answers.
Write the first things that come to mind.
1. Things that make me happy are:
2. My favorite things to do are:
3. Activities that make me lose track of time are:

Worksheet 1 02/05
4. What makes me feel great about myself?
5. People who inspire me are:
6. The qualities I admire about them are:

Worksheet 1 03/05
7. I am naturally good at:
8. People typically ask me for help in:
9. If I had to teach something, I would teach:

Worksheet 1 04/05
10. If I died today, I would regret not doing/being/having:
11. Challenges, difficulties and hardships I’ve overcome are:
12. If I wasn’t afraid, I would do:

Worksheet 1 05/05
13. If I were 5 million dollars wealthier, I would do the following with my time:

Worksheet 2 01/02
For each of the following statements, write the first thought that comes to
mind to complete the sentence.
You don’t need to come up with 10 answers for each statement, but keep
writing until you have nothing further to say.
1. If I could get a message across to a large group of people, I would tell them:

Worksheet 1 02/02
2. If I could influence and help a large group of people, these people would be
[of the following type]:
3. I feel connected or strongly believe in the following

[causes, groups, organizations, communities, types of people]:

“ The joy in life is to be used for a purpose.
I want to be used up when I die.
”
George Bernand Shaw
Session 3:
Rocking Chair Test
“ Many men go fishing all of their lives with-

out knowing that it is not fish they are after. ”
Henry David Thoreau
In the privacy of my own thoughts, one of my favor-

ite topics to ponder is life, death and living purpose-
fully—as you may have read in my essay “What is
the meaning of life?”
I’m intrigued with this topic, because when things

get busy--as they always do—it’s easy for us to get
trapped in the chasing of a better tomorrow. You
know how it is: we rush through our day racing from
one problem to another. We spend time on things
that are urgent but unimportant. We trade our time
for more money so we can buy more things that we
don’t need.
In essence, we get lost in the acquiring of things

that gives us an illusion that we will live forever:
knowledge, money, success, youth, beauty, admi-
ration, and legacy.
I love to ponder the topic of life and death—as odd

and morbid as that may seem--because it grounds
me to the naked truth of the impermanent nature
of my life. I mean, I could die at any moment, and
actually, death is the only thing that is for certain. As

such, why am I delaying my happiness now? Why
not live more fully with what is in front of me?
Additionally, the media and people surrounding us

affect our desires. Sometimes, our desires are not
our own, but are from other people—maybe we
heard someone talk about it, or we saw it on TV.
In advertising and when we browse through pictures

of other people’s lives, we see images of happy
people with a certain life style, or wearing a certain
brand of clothing, or having a certain prestigious
job, or having a certain educational degree. And we
say to ourselves, if I could have that, then I will be
happy (just like them). We end up putting in a lot of
hard work chasing after this illusion of happiness
that “someday” or “something” will bring.
Talk to anyone who’s been diagnosed with a termi-

nal illness or who is older and wiser, and they will
tell you that none of that matters. Over the years,
I’ve been in touch with several readers who were
diagnosed with terminal illnesses, and most of them
are actually living a more fulfilled and peaceful ex-
istence than before being diagnosed with their ill-
ness.
The pressure of death suddenly forces us to zoom

in on what matters.

Instead of living for an illusion of happiness, we
start living fully and appreciating the abundance of
goodness we already have.
Instead of blindly chasing acquired desires bor-

rowed from other people, we start to focus our en-
ergy on things that bring a lot of joy now.
Instead of working feverishly to make more money

so that we can buy a bigger house, we work pas-
sionately on meaningful projects so that we can ex-
perience the joy of doing, and being.
Death is a great teacher. It’s humbling to realize our

fragility. Yet, it is empowering to also recognize how
much impact we can make during our brief stay on
this planet.
But we don’t have to wait until we are diagnosed

with a terminal illness to shift our focus and to see
life more clearly. We can start now.
The Rocking Chair Experience

The rocking chair experience has been one of the
most valuable exercises I’ve done. I’ve done vari-
ous versions of it with different narratives, but each
time, I’m always surprised by how powerful and in-
sightful it is.

For our purpose, I will ask you to close your eyes
and visualize a scene, then open your eyes to an-
swer some questions.
Action Time:
• Follow steps 1-5 of the rocking chair experi-
ence outlined below.
• When you are done with the visualization, an-

swer the questions in worksheet 3.

Visualization Rocking Chair
• Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths. Fo-

cus on your inhale and exhale. Do this for a few
minutes.
• Visualize the following. See the details as viv-

idly as possible.
• You are now 90 years old. You are sitting on a

rocking chair on the front porch of your house.
You can feel the spring breeze gently brush-
ing against your face. You are blissful and very
content in this moment. You feel pleased with
the wonderful life you’ve been blessed with.
• Knowing you’re near the end of your life, you

think back on the life you’ve lead up to this
point. Think about all that you’ve achieved
and acquired. Think about all the relationships
you’ve developed and experiences you’ve been
blessed with.
• Looking back on your life, after 90 long years,

what were the memories and experiences that
mattered the most to you? What do you value
now knowing you’re at the end of life? Relive
these experiences.
• When you are ready. Slowly, open your eyes.

Worksheet 3 01/01
As your 90 year old self, answer the following questions
1. The things that were important to you are:

[What experiences, people, and accomplishments were most important?]
2. What did you learn from this visualization? What did you realize? Write down
your thoughts and insights from the exercise.

Session 4:
Discover Your Values
“ Values act as our compass to put us back

on course every single day, so that day
after day, we’re moving in the direction that
takes us closer and closer to our definition
of the ‘best’ life we could possibly live. ”
Steve Pavlina
As part of our quest toward self-understanding and

personal growth, the process of identifying our core
values is a useful one. Discovering and prioritiz-
ing our deepest values gives us insight and clarity.
And this clarity makes our life simple, by helping us
quickly decide how we should spend our (very lim-
ited) time.
Additionally, understanding our values builds our

confidence, gives us courage to take action in align-
ment with our values, and helps us define our pur-
pose—which provides guidance for us to lead a life
that feels whole and complete.
I’ve broken the process into two sessions. In this

session, we will elicit and brainstorm our values us-
ing various techniques. In the next session, we will
identify the most important ones—your essential
qualities or core values.

Action Time:
• Complete worksheet 4

Worksheet 4 01/02
For each of the following sentences, what are the first answers that come to
mind? List as many answers as you can. Write your answers in bullet points that
complete the sentence.
Keep answers down to one-word answers (if possible). It’s okay to have duplicate
answers between questions. [Example: honesty, love, freedom, awareness,
peace, prosperity, laughter, joy, empowerment, inspiration, ecstasy]
1. Qualities that are truly important to me are:
2. Qualities I value most in life are:
3. Qualities I value in other people are:

Worksheet 4 02/02
4. In an ideal life, qualities I would like to have are:
5. It makes me happy to see others experiencing:
6. If I could give the people I love any quality in the world, I would give them a
life of:

Worksheet 5 01/01
My Values
Take out the two pages of worksheet 4, transfer all the qualities over and write
them in the space below—for clarity. If you see reoccurring qualities, just write
them down once.

Worksheet 6 01/02
1. Review the list of qualities below--two pages. Circle any qualities that reso-
nate with you as something important to you, or something that you value.
2. Compare what you circled to what you wrote in worksheet 5. Transfer any
circled words to worksheet 5 that are not already there.
Abundance Calm Contentment Enlightenment

Acceptance Calmness Contribution Enthusiasm
Accepting Capable Control Enthusiastic
Accomplishment Centereded Courage Environment
Achievement Certainty Creativity Excellence
Acknowledgement Challenge Credibility Excited
Advancement Change Curiosity Excitement
Adventure Charity Decisiveness Expressive
Affection Charm Dedication Faith
Affluence Charming Delight Faithful
Ambition Children Democracy Fame
Analytical Clarity Devotion Family
Appreciation Cleanliness Direct Fearlessness
Arts Clear Discipline Financial
Independence
Attractiveness Clear-Mindedness Drive
Fitness
Audacity Closeness Education
Flexible
Authority Comfort Effectiveness
Focus
Awareness Commitment Efficiency
Forgiveness
Balance Community Efficient
Freedom
Beauty Compassion Elegance
Friendship
Being the Best Competence Empowerment
Frugality
Believe Competition Encouragement
Fulfilled
Belonging Compliments Encouraging
Fulfillment
Benevolence Concentration Endurance
Fun
Bliss Confidence Energetic
Funny
Boldness Connected Energy
Generosity
Bravery Connection Engaged
Giving
Brilliance Consciousness Enjoyment

Worksheet 6 02/02
Grace Interesting Personal Growth Sexuality
Gratitude Intimacy Persuasiveness Silence
Growth Intuition Physical Strength Silly
Happiness Intuitiveness Play Simplicity
Happy Joy Playfulness Sincerity
Hard Work Kind Pleasure Solitude
Harmony Knowledge Power Spiritual
Having a Family Laughter Present Spirituality
Health Leadership Privacy Spontaneity
Healthy Learning Productivity Stability
Helping Others Love Prosperity Status
Honesty Loyalty Purity Stillness
Honor Making a Difference Receptive Structure
Hope Meaningful Work Recognition Success
Hopeful Mindfulness Relaxation Supportive
Humor Money Reliability Synergy
Imagination Motivation Reputation Teaching
Impact Nature Resilient Team
Independence Nurturing Resourcefulness Thankfulness
Influencing Others Open Respect Time Freedom
Inner Harmony Openness Respectful Tranquility
Inner Peace Optimism Responsible Transcendence
Innocence Order Richness Trust
Innovation Organization Sacredness Understanding
Inspiration Passion Satisfaction Uniqueness
Inspired Passionate Satisfied Variety
Inspiring Patient Security Vision
Integrity Peace Self Improvement Vitality
Intellectual Perfection Self-Reliance Winning
Intelligence Performance Self-Respect Wisdom
Intensity Perseverance Selflessness Wittiness
Intentional Persistence Serenity Wonder
Interested Personal Development Service Youthfulness

“ The most fundamental of journeys does
not begin in ambiguity. It begins in clarity.
And it begins with the acknowledgement
that the most beautiful, the most incredible
resides within you.
”
Prem Rawat
Session 5:
Identify Your Core Values
“ We’re so engaged in doing things to

achieve purposes of outer value that we
forget that the inner value — the rapture
that is associated with being alive — is
what it is all about.
”
Joseph Campbell
In the last session, we identified a list of qualities

you value. In this session, first we will prioritize
and narrow the list down to 5 qualities that are the
most important to you—your core values. Then we
will spend a few minutes talking about what they
mean.
There are two methods to prioritizing your value

list:
• Elimination – you cross off qualities until you are

left with 4 qualities.
• Selection – Intuitively choose. Ask questions and

listen for answers. We will be using this method
of identifying your core values, in the worksheets
below.

Action Time:
• Take out worksheet 5 for reference.
• Complete worksheet 7. Make sure you com-

plete this before moving on.

Worksheet 7 01/02
1
For each of the steps below, review your list of values from worksheet 5. I will ask
you a question, while looking at worksheet 5, pick the first answer that comes to
mind. Write each answer down in the space below, in order from 1-5.
Note: when choosing qualities with similar meanings, pick the word that contains
the most energy and meaning for you. Pick the one that feels the best to you.
Step 1:
• If a genie popped out of a magic lantern and asked, “I will grant one qual-
ity to you and everyone you love, while giving up all the other qualities.
Which quality would you choose?”
• Look at qualities on worksheet 5. What’s the first answer that comes to

mind?
• Quickly write it down under #1 above.

Worksheet 7 02/02
Step 2:
• If the genie then says, “I can grant you just one more quality, in addition to
#1, while forgoing all other qualities. Which would you pick?”
• What’s the first answer that comes to mind? Decide quickly.
• Quickly write it down under #2 above.
Step 3:
• If the genie then says, “I can grant you just one more quality, in addition
to #1 and #2. Which would you pick?”
• Quickly pick and write it down under #3.
Step 4:
• If the genie then says, “I can grant you just one more quality, in addition
to #1, #2 and #3. Which would you pick?”
• Quickly pick and write it down under #4.
Step 5:
• Yes, you guessed it. If the genie can grant you a 5th and final quality to
you and everyone you love. Which quality would you pick?
• Quickly write down the first answer that comes up under #5 above.

Understanding
Your Values
Now that you have your 5 most valued qualities list-
ed in order of importance to you, spend a few min-
utes to appreciate these words.
These 5 words are your core values. Let them sink

in. Look at them and repeat them—out loud or in
your mind.
I like to call these 5 words your Essential Quali-

ties, because these are the qualities that make up
your essence. You value and resonate with these
qualities, because these are the very qualities that
you already embody from the core of your being.
They make up who you are from the foundation of
your soul.
If that doesn’t sound important, read the above para-

graphs a few more times. Although the exercise is
simple, the insight can be quite profound.
Together, these words summarize a description of

you – who you are, what you most value, and what
you can offer the world.
For example, if love is one quality on your list, then

I can say to you: you are love, love is one quality

you value most, and love is what you can offer the
world.
What I think is remarkable about these specific qual-

ities is that these are the very qualities you already
possess—even if you don’t yet realize or accept
them. You will see traces of these qualities through
out your life.
Reflecting On My
Essential Qualities
I’ve done this exercise several times over the past
few years and while certain words fall off, the list
has pretty much remained the same. Here are my
essential qualities from the last time I did this exer-
cise:
• Enlightenment
• Abundance
• Love
• Empowerment
• Clarity
For example, ‘empowerment’ is one quality from

my list. You can see this word show up in my life
consistently, both in my work and my hobbies.

I read (almost exclusively) books on personal em-
powerment, I have a quote site called “Empowered
Quotes”, I want to create a dating site called “Em-
powered Singles” and my blogs all focus on em-
powering people. It’s not a coincidence.
Empowering others and myself is what I am pas-

sionate about. It is who I am. It is my unique offer-
ing to the world—it is within me. Because it is within
me, I have the capacity to create a space that can
empower others.
I hope that makes sense.
Similarly, clarity, enlightenment, love, and abun-

dances also show up through out my life, my inter-
ests, and my work.
I still have a lot to learn, but more and more, I’m

learning to adapt and accept these qualities as
something within me, and aligning my work with
these qualities has been incredibly synergetic—
creating immense passion, fulfillment, and putting
something out there that is useful for other people.

Using Your Essential Qualities
“ People often say that motivation doesn’t
last. Well, neither does bathing—that’s why
we recommend it daily.
”
Zig Ziglar
In addition to helping us craft our personal mission

statement, your essential qualities can be used to
create intimate and powerful affirmations (custom-
ized just for you).
Affirmations, especially ones that contain meaning-

ful words personalized for you, can help to quiet the
chatter in your mind.
When our life gets hectic, and we start to feel dis-

connected and scattered, these words can help us
access our heart space. They can help to quickly
shift our outlook towards a positive one.
So, even if you don’t believe in affirmations, be open

to the possibilities of them being an effective tool
that can subconsciously raise our thought frequen-
cies.
Affirmations are most effective if they are reviewed

regularly. Look at them first thing in the morning, or
before you go to bed. Review them everyday if you

can. Recite them in your mind. Keep them in your
journal.
One of the simplest affirmations is “Thank you”.

Whenever, I feel moody or cranky, I’ll repeat “thank
you” over and over again, and I can’t help but to
feel better.
Next time you’re in a low mood, try repeating thank

you a hundred times, instead of regurgitating self-
defeating thoughts, and see how you will feel. Af-
firmations are powerful stuff.
Steps to convert your essential qualities into per-

sonalized affirmations:
• For each word from your list of essential quali-

ties, use it as a starting point.
• See what positive statements you can create out

of that word or a slight variation of the word. Fol-
low your heart and be playful. What feels right to
you? There are no wrong answers.
• Once you have gone through all your words, see

if there are any other positive statements you
want to add.
For example, here is a list of positive affirmations

created out of my essential qualities:

• I am enlightened
• I am surrounded by abundance.
• I am love.
• I am loving and loveable.
• I am empowered.
• I empower others.
• I live with clarity.
• I teach others to live with clarity.
• I am well. I am safe.
Repeat these statements as your daily affirmations

and they will serve as powerful anchors, reminding
you of who you are, your natural state of being, and
where you want to be.
Action Time:
• Go through your list of essential qualities (core
values) and convert them into positive affirma-
tions.

Session 6:
Your Personal Mission
“ Writing or reviewing a mission statement

changes you because it forces you
to think through your priorities deeply,
carefully, and to align your behavior with
your beliefs.
”
Stephen Covey
In the last few sessions, we dug deep and gained

insights into the areas of life that are important to
you, and we discovered your core values (essential
qualities).
In this session, we will combine all the wisdom and

insights we gained from the previous module to cre-
ate your personal mission statement.
A personal mission statement summarizes your

life’s purpose in a sentence. It doesn’t have to be
perfect. You can go back to tweak it at anytime.
However, the act and intent of creating a mission
statement ignites a sense of clarity and direction for
your life.
Additionally, a personal mission statement adds

meaning and creates order for our otherwise chaotic
thought patterns that drift aimlessly with us through
life.

The fact that you are taking the time to be here and
are working through the self-reflective exercises
means you’re already ahead of the game. Just the
understanding of your core values alone will set you
off in the right direction, because you know what is
truly important to you.
A mission statement should be clear, succinct, and

representative of a cause that feels good and feels
true to you. As such, a mission statement will often
incorporate parts of your core values.
Once we have your statement, it can be a source

of guidance--like an internal compass—to help you
make decisions.
A mission statement consists of 3 parts:
• What – What do you want to do?
• Who – Who do you want to do it for?
• Result – What is the end result?
Before continuing, I’m assuming that you’ve com-

pleted all the questions from the previous sessions.
If not, please go back to complete all the questions
before moving on.

Action Time:
• Review your answers from the previous
sessions.
• Complete worksheets 8-11, in order.

Worksheet 8 01/01
What do you want to do? In the space below, list out action words—action you
can take in order to produce some result—that can follow this pattern:
• I can...
• I want to...
Example action words:
educate, accomplish, empower, encourage, improve, help, give, guide,

inspire, integrate, master, motivate, nurture, organize, produce, promote,
travel, spread, share, satisfy, understand, teach, write, create.

Worksheet 9 01/01
Who do you want to help? List out the people, organizations, causes, groups,
environments, and “tribes” that are important to you.
To assist with brainstorming, ask yourself the following questions:

• Who do I want to help?
• Who would I help if I didn’t have any fear?
• Which group of people can I help?
• Which group of people do I want to help the most?
• Which group do I relate with?
• What difficulties did I overcome? What group of people can I share
my experience with?
• Which group or organization do I care deeply about?
Examples: • Teenage girls

• Women entrepreneurs • Single mothers
• Unhappy people • Men
• People recovering from breakups • The Acumen Fund (a charity)
• Stray dogs • Freelance Designers

Worksheet 10 01/01
What is the End Result? Now, we want to identify your end goal. Go through
each group you identified in worksheet 9, and answer the following questions:
• What value can I bring to this group of people?

• What end result do I want to see for this cause?
• What experiences do I want to see people have as a result of my involve-
ment?
Example answers:
• Fulfillment.
• Peace and clarity.
• People feeling inspired and motivated to live a great life.
• Happy people free from suffering.
• Empowered people.
Write what answer that comes to mind in the space below:

Worksheet 11 01/02
Putting Everything Together
1. Review your answers from worksheets 8, 9, and 10.
2. See if you can combine the various answers into sentences that begin with
the word “To”. Write all ideas down. Don’t judge the answers.
3. Form as many sentences as possible. Feel free to add any words or make
any tweaks that feel right.
Example sentences:
• To empower single mothers to find inner strength and financial indepen-

dence.
• To help stray animals find loving homes.
• To master the art of peaceful relationships, and to share this with others.
• To create programs for children to learn about money.
• To be an exceptional mom. To raise happy children.
• To inspire others to find clarity and joy.
• To educate women entrepreneurs in finding online success.
It’s your turn. Go! Start writing ideas in the space below (& the next page):

Worksheet 11 02/02

Finalize Your
Mission Statement
If you haven’t completed all the worksheets above,

go back to get them done. They are short and very
quick to do.
If you’ve done all the steps, I want to congratulate

you on your courage and commitment to making it
here. Good job!
Okay, at this point, you have a list of sentences from

worksheet 11.
Review all the sentences you’ve created, do you

notice a common theme? If you are seeing a com-
mon theme, see if there is a more generalized sen-
tence that better summarizes this theme. Write any
new sentences on worksheet 11.
Review the sentences on the worksheet. Do you

feel other sentences coming to your awareness?
Any sentences that feel like a good cause that you
resonate with? If so, write them on the sheet.
Now, looking at the sentences, if you had to pick

just one sentence and throw away all the other sen-
tences, which would you pick?
Which sentence jumps out at you?

Which sentence gives you the most energy and
excitement?

Put a star next to it. Go do it.
There is no one right answer. The right answers are

the ones that make you feel energized, inspired,
and happy.
Make any final tweaks to a sentence to make it feel

“just right for you”.
Example Mission Statements

The sentence you picked is your personal mission
statement. If you don’t feel completely satisfied,
keep tweaking it until it feels right to you. Your heart
will know when you have it (or something close to
it).
In this section, just for fun, I will share some per-

sonal mission statements that others have shared
with me after going through this process.
First, my own mission statement is:
“To empower, motivate and inspire people

to live happy and fulfilled lives.”

Here are personal missions submitted by others:
“To inspire and inform everyone, through writing

and speaking, that they may find loving, happy,
and fulfilling lives by embracing the ideals of
honesty and courage.”
“My purpose is to have a deep and meaningful

connection with the Divine, empowering people
to experience self-love and compassion that
motivates the conscious productive engage-
ment of one’s Life Purpose resulting in Peace
on Earth!”
“My purpose is to use my knowledge, skills, de-

termination and commitment to empower, en-
courage, inspire, support and uplift others to
live a life of purpose, freedom, joy and safety.”
“My purpose is to recognize, honor, and cele-

brate the sacredness of everyone I meet to cre-
ate a world free of shame, empowering people
to embrace their own divinity and share their
most authentic expression with the world!”
“My purpose is to provide products, programs

and tools that inspire and empower people, en-
abling people to unleash their personal creativ-
ity and their unique contribution in life.”
“Through my art I offer to people a new vision

and a different approach to life, so we can grow
and find more meaningful ways to live.”
“My purpose is to leave this world smiling, hav-

ing followed in the footsteps of my sensei and
having entrusted this path to the next generation;
to have lived under the philosophy of having no
regrets; to have protected my friends and fam-
ily; to never give up in what I believe in; to have
made a difference to the lives of those closest to
me; to look back at the end and be happy.”
“My purpose in life is to live according to my

spiritual beliefs by putting God first, striving to
better myself (man, husband, father, friend, ed-
ucator, business owner, etc.), provide and pro-
tect my family, provide opportunities for those in
need, and to support, encourage, motivate, and
guide our youth in the right direction in life.”
As you review the above missions, you’ll notice the

variety of answers. Some longer, some shorter, and
each has a different focus.
We can appreciate these mission statements even

if the author’s values are different from our own. We
recognize that they come from a pure, innocent and
loving place—which exists in all of us.
What I love about these different statements is that

they reflect how unique we are, yet at the core of
our being, we all want to do good, and we all want
to contribute.
Want to share your mission statement with us? If

so, leave a comment on this page.
Parting Words
Congratulations for making it this far. I am so proud
of you. How do you feel? I hope the last two mod-
ules created a positive and insightful experience for
you. I can’t wait to hear all about it.
Before we move on to something more tactile—how

to make a living with our passion—in the next mod-
ule, I want to mention a few things:
1. Nothing is Permanent
As life’s circumstances shift and time passes, our
priorities will change. As we grow and change, so
will our purpose. Don’t be afraid to come back to
tweak and update your statement.

2. Honor Your Uniqueness
You may feel that you don’t have a lot to offer, while
looking at your own statement. Or perhaps it even
scares you a little.
I used to feel inferior compared to my mission state-

ment. It felt so big and I felt so small compared to
it. I wasn’t very confident in what I could offer to the
world.
But the creation of this statement set off a whole

orchestra of events and circumstances that lead
me to where I am today—living in harmony with my
personal mission statement, while making a living
doing work that deeply fulfills me.
Life is no longer a struggle. It becomes a dance.
So, trust me in stating that the voice in your head

isn’t telling the truth. You have a lot more to offer
than it is telling you. This is a pivotal point. Good
things are before you.
3. No Mission is Too Small

You may look at other statements and start compar-
ing them with your own. You may feel that your own

statement isn’t grand enough or massive enough
on a global scale.
Relax. No mission is too small, and not all missions

need to end world hunger, or bring lasting happi-
ness.
Simple missions like being an exceptional parent,

raising happy children, and nurturing a loving rela-
tionship are equally important and will have a signif-
icant lasting impact in the betterment of our world.
You matter. And the good you bring, matters.
Your mission is important. Never forget that. Never

compare with others.
You are important.

“ You will see your life for what it really
is: a small blip on the canvas of eternity.
And you will come to see clearly who you
are and the ultimate purpose of your life.
(Which is?) To serve, of course.
”
Robin Sharma
2
Module 2:
Discover Your Work
“ Work is love made visible.”

Kahlil Gibran
In the previous module, we created our personal

mission statement, but the main intent was to help
us get clarity on our passions, interests and things
we most value.
In this module, we’re going to dive into something

more practical: How do I make a living doing some-
thing more meaningful? How do I making a living
doing something I am passionate about?
The quick answer is: figure out what you like doing,
find a group of people with a problem you can solve
doing what you like doing, provide enough value
and get paid for it.
There is no shortcut or silver bullet.
Before continuing, I want to discuss a few issues

and to dispel a few myths surrounding the topic of
money, work and passion.

1. Social Conditioning
Some of us feel awkward when it comes to intermin-
gling money and our passions. We are somehow
conditioned to believe that work is a place that we
go to suffer and make money. And once we have
suffered and made money, we can then pursue our
passions on the side.
This conditioning then further extends into us be-

lieving that the reverse is also true: If we are do-
ing something we are passionate about, then we
shouldn’t make money with it. Some of us experi-
ence guilt, we sell ourselves short by under charg-
ing, and we unconsciously sabotage our success.
At the end of the day, making money is an integral

part of surviving. We need money to live, and to
pay for our physical needs. As such, charging mon-
ey for the value we provide is perfectly reasonable
and acceptable.
Finding peace with money making is one of the

most empowering things you can do. Once you do
that, you’ll free up loads of energy to focus on do-
ing really great work, diving passionately into your
projects, and generating lots of value for people.

2. The Cubical Freedom Myth
The popular trend these days is this concept of es-
caping cubical nation and to be a happy, rich, and
free entrepreneur. I too have contributed into this
myth when I wrote about the romance of quitting
my day job.
At the time, I truly believed that this concept was

the silver bullet I needed, but now that I’m a little bit
wiser, I’m having a slight change of heart. I’m not
suggesting that we should all go work in an office
now, but I want to dispel the illusion that escaping
our cubical job is the magic key to happiness.
Don’t get me wrong. Leaving corporate America to

work for myself was one of the best (and scariest!)
things I’ve ever done for my self. I love, and am
grateful for the autonomy it’s afforded me.
My point however is this: we can be just as unhap-

py, stressed out, and unfulfilled as an entrepreneur
as we were working for someone else. Working for
your self comes with its own set of challenges—like
financial stability and taking risks.
I bring this up because if you are currently working

at a stable day job, don’t feel bad about it. You can
shift your thinking, give new meaning to the work
you do, and experience fulfillment. It’s not what you

do, specifically, that brings joy, but how you do what
you do that makes all the difference in your experi-
ence.
Looking at my own life right now. Yes, there are

perks, such as the freedom to choose where I work
and when I work. But most of the time, I’m still work-
ing behind a computer screen, at a desk. I’m essen-
tially still at a “cubical”—just that it’s located in my
own home. And I’ve got the most critical boss in the
world: myself. It’s all a matter of our perspective.
I think what we ultimately want is a sense of free-

dom. We want to feel that we have choices, and
that we are valued for the work that we do. And
that’s something that working for yourself can pro-
vide: freedom.
3. The Do What You Love Myth

First, it is important to point out that not every per-
sonal mission can be translated into work that pays.
Similarly, not every passion is lucrative. This is a
fact.
Many books out there are dedicated to selling you

the concept of doing what you love and then the
money will follow. I’m not a cynical person, but I
have to say that this isn’t a completely true state-

ment.
For example, there are thousands of software pro-

grammers who love photography. When I was work-
ing at amazon.com, the photography email list was
one of the most popular and filled with passionate
people—mostly software engineers. People had all
the latest gear and they would all talk the lingo of a
pro photographer.
If the “do what you love” statement was true, if all

these engineers quit their day jobs to pursue their
love of photography, wouldn’t the money surely
follow? My guess is no. I know this because I did
this.
I started a photography business and the money

didn’t follow. It was like this expensive hobby, highly
competitive and with very few (well) paying jobs in
between. The thought of replacing my engineering
salary with photography made me so stressed out
that I no longer felt creative or enjoyed the process.
Was I passionate about photography? Yes. But pas-
sion alone is not enough.
The “Do what you love and the money will follow”
mantra is only partially true.
At the end of the day, if you are to make money by

doing what you are passionate about, you have to
provide enough value such that it solves a need for

people and that they are willing to give you money
in exchange for your product or service.
Money is not personal; it has little to do with how tal-

ented you are, or how hard working you are. It has
everything to do with how many people you impact:
how many people you help, or entertain. That’s it.
Money is a neutral indicator for how much value

you’ve put out. If you help a lot of people, you can’t
help but to make money. It’s a simple equation.
Some passions should remain hobbies. While other

passions can be used as fuel to create exceptional
work that helps people.
My point is simple. Doing what we love is not enough.

We have to be able to contribute in a way where
value is added to other people’s lives as a result of
us doing what we love to do. Otherwise, money will
not follow.
4. The Passion Myth

I’ve heard of people say the following, “If I could
only find my passion, then I will be all set. I just
don’t know what my passion is.”
Passion doesn’t come from thinking about it or wor-

rying about it or from repeating the above statement.
Passion comes from doing, exploring, and working
on different projects.
Additionally, none of us are one-dimensional. We

are complex, intelligent and interesting beings with
a wide range of possible work that can keep us en-
gaged and feeling passionate. So, don’t corner
yourself in with just one passion that you believe
defines you, or with the story of “I don’t know what
my passion is.”
Just start doing something. Anything. And as you

navigate through the path of the unknown, you’ll
discover what you like and what you don’t like. This
is where your passion lies.
For many years I used to think that my passion was

in creating user-friendly websites. And when that
faded, I thought my passion was photography. I
spent many years trapped in the story that “My pas-
sion is photography. I will be happy if I can make a
living with photography.”
Now, many years and many more experiences later,

I’ve come to the understanding that I can be pas-
sionate about pretty much anything. It’s sort of a
decision that we make, and once we make that de-
cision, we’ll tell other people about it, and then we
start to act consistently with our decision--whatever

that may be.
Today, I can tell you that I am passionate about

many things: writing, learning, personal develop-
ment, branding, marketing, starting & finishing proj-
ects, helping people, inspirational quotes, modern
design, parenting, connecting with people, creating
passive income businesses and photography.
My point is, don’t get trapped into the notion that we

have just one passion, and that our happiness lies
in making this one passion our vehicle for making
a living.
We are more complex than that. We have many

more options than we realize. The trick is in mar-
rying our unique values, interests and strengths in
creating useful solutions for people with problems
that need to be solved. That’s the magic mix.
~§~
If you are currently employed by someone else but

are curious about the possibilities of working for
your self, or have already left your job and are in
a transitional period, this module is dedicated for
you.
Over recent years, I’ve been in touch with many

brave souls who took that massive leap of faith by
quitting their day jobs to pursue a more meaningful

and freedom-filled existence.
Usually, they will start out with a buffer of money

in savings, from which they will travel extensively.
During this time, they will do a lot of soul search-
ing. Many will start a blog to document their experi-
ences.
A few month into their new lifestyle, I’ll sometimes

get an email that usually contains a question like
this, “Now what? I don’t know what to do. What can
I do to make money? What should I do with my
life?”
In this module, I will guide you through the exact

process I use to answer this question. Variations of
this process are taught by thousands of life coach-
es, and countless personal development programs.
I’ve distilled and organized it in a way that I have
found to be the most effective.
In this process, we will intentionally and conscious-

ly design your ideal work (and ultimately your life)
over 4 sessions—including the use of some power-
ful tools that I personally use to get clarity.
Now, grab a pen and some paper or a notebook.

Sit somewhere comfortable, where you will not be
interrupted. Let’s get started on step 1 of 4 to de-
signing your work.

Session 7:
Your Vision
“ Today is the day to seize the moment and

live a life that soars. Today is the day to live
from your imagination and harvest your
dreams. ”
Robin Sharma
Before diving in to find ideas on what projects we

can work on, and what services we can offer, it is
important and valuable to first get clear on the things
and experiences that we want in life. Then to take
inventory of how much money we would need in
order to sustain ourselves in that life.
Some people may proclaim that they are not moti-

vated by money, and that’s fine. But at the end of
the day, we still need to eat and to provide for our
families. It is wise to--at least--get a clear picture
on exactly how much money you need to cover the
cost of essentials.
There are 4 parts to this step:
• Part 1: Visualization
• Part 2: Document what you saw
• Part 3: Discover the cost of your ideal life
• Part 4: Identify your current cost of living

Even if you’ve done similar exercises before, please
diligently go through and complete each exercise—
you never know what new insights you will uncov-
er.
Each part builds on the previous one. It is important

that you give each exercise a go.
Part 1: Visualize your ideal life

Close your eyes. Take a few deep and calming
breaths. Inhale and exhale. Focus on your breath
for several minutes. The exact timing doesn’t mat-
ter, just relax and focus on your breath for a few
inhale-exhales. Continue when you feel calm.
Now imagine that it is now 5 years into the future.

Some major shifts took place in the last few years,
and that you are living your dream life. What does
this future life look like? Be as vivid as possible.
Look around. Notice all the details of this reality.
Touch something in your environment.
Do your best. Use all your senses to make this feel

real. How do you feel? What do you see? What do
you hear? What do you smell? What is your facial
expression?

Where are you living? What are you doing? How
are you spending your time? Who are you spend-
ing your time with? What have you accomplish or
experienced? Where are you working? What are
you working on?
Notice as much detail as possible. Be as clear as

possible. Remember to smile and breathe as you
continue with this visualization. Feel relaxed as
you cruise through this beautiful future reality. Take
your time.
When you feel that you’ve seen all that you want to
see, slowly open your eyes.
Action Time:
• Do the above visualization.
Part 2: Write Down What You Saw

Take a deep breath. Give yourself a smile for the
wonderful experience you have just witnessed. Feel
empowered and joyous for this beautiful reality you
will create.
Start writing down on a clean sheet of paper every-

thing that you saw in your ideal life visualization.
Write each item on a new line in bullet points.
Action Time:
• In a relaxed manner, write everything that you
saw from your visualization. What are some de-
tails you saw in this ideal reality?
Part 3: Cost Of Your Ideal Life?

On a new sheet of paper, brainstorm in bullet points
all the different costs associated with your ideal life.
For example: food, housing, eating out, traveling,
childcare, etc.
Next to each item, write the estimated monthly cost

for that item. Make your best estimated guess based
on your current knowledge. Don’t research. Just do
a quick estimate. When unsure, always overesti-
mate a number rather than underestimate.
A natural reaction that some of us may experience

is feeling helpless and overwhelmed, because our
ideal life vision seems too far out of our reach from
our present reality. If this is you, just relax. Take a

deep breath and tell your self, “Just relax. This is a
game. Let me see where this game takes me.”
Give yourself permission to dream and to play.
The reason for this exercise is simple: to take in-

ventory of what it will actually cost to live our ideal
life. Clarity gives us power. If we wait passively, our
dream life will never fall into our lap accidentally. It
has to be consciously created—starting with the vi-
sion of what that life looks like.
Many people will throw their arms up and give up

before they even start, thinking that they will need
millions of dollars before they can lead their ideal
life—to them, it seems like an impossible feat.
However, after doing this exercise, many of us will

discover that our ideal life actually costs a lot less
than we thought. In most cases, it won’t cost mil-
lions, and you won’t need to win the lottery to get
it.
The point of this exercise is to help us gain clarity on

what we want, to understand how much that costs,
and to give ourselves permission to dream big.

Example: Cost of Living Inventory
One friend describes his ideal life as living in sunny
California near a beach. The estimated costs in his
visualized lifestyle are for 2 adults, 2 children and 2
dogs living in San Diego, California.
Here is one sample inventory for the cost of living

for such a scenario:
Medical Insurance: $2000

Groceries $800
Eating Out $1000
Child Care $2000
Housing $3000
Gas & Parking $300
Utilities $450
Clothing $200
Other $1000
Health & Fitness $600
$11,350
Depending on where in the world you live, this num-

ber may appear large. But, realistically speaking,
finding a way to make this amount of money each
month is a lot more doable than, say, winning the
lottery for 10 million dollars.
Now that this number is no longer a mystery, my

friend—in a few week’s time—found several ways
to create this kind of income. As soon as he had
clarity for what this number was, he started noticing
opportunities that can help him get there.
Exercise Comment
The above example illustrates a simple point: when
we get clear on what we want, our brain will find
creative ways to support us. We will start to notice
things that we would otherwise miss, which can
help us.
Additionally, your dream may not involve living on

a beach in California. We all have different dreams
and desires. I just randomly pulled one in to illus-
trate my point.
Many dream lifestyles cost a lot less money, thus

making it more easily accessible. For example, I
have a friend who is traveling and living in South
East Asia with her husband and infant son, and
their dream life costs less than $2000 per month to
support.
The monetary estimate in this case is used as a

tool, which sets imaginary targets for us to aim at.
And the aiming opens up our brain’s capacity and
awareness to a larger range of possibilities.

Action Time:
• List out all the various costs associated with your
ideal life vision. Give each category an estimated
monthly cost. Total up the number.
Part 4: Your Current Costs

In the previous exercise, we identified the cost for
our dream life. The point of that exercise wasn’t to
create discontent between where we are now and
where we want to be. The point was get clear on
our destination, how much that will cost, and to ex-
pand our awareness to notice possibilities and op-
portunities which will support us.
But all of that will take place in the future. We are

just paving our path right now. What is more imme-
diately important for any one transitioning to self-
employment to understand is your current cost of
living.
In this exercise, we’re going to take an inventory of

how much it costs to support our current lifestyle.
What are your essential costs? Once we have this
number, it will give us clarity to the amount of mon-
ey we need in order to cover our basic expenses.

When I was still at my corporate job, I remember
feeling hopelessly stuck. I was convinced that I
needed my job in order to survive, and that I didn’t
have any other options.
The interesting thing with beliefs is that once we

start to believe in something, it becomes instantly
true for us. Beliefs become self-fulfilling prophecies
in which you only notice evidence that supports your
chosen belief.
Then one day, I sat down and worked out the num-
bers. I wrote out all my various monthly costs and
added them up. To my surprise, my cost of living—
especially if I further simplified my lifestyle to the
essentials—was reasonably low. As such, I discov-
ered that my essential cost of living could be easily
achieved with a side business.
When I started my blog, I was clear on how much

money I needed to make—the number that would
cover my cost of living. With this clarity, I was able
to meet this target within a few quick months. This
then gave me the confidence to leave my day job.
The point of this exercise is clarity, so that instead

of feeling helpless and stuck, we are empowered
with knowledge and choice. That choice is, “Am I
willing to go out, get creative, and make this hap-
pen for myself?”

This number provides the first target for us to work
towards. Clarity is power. This exercise helps us to
get that clarity.
Action Time:
1. On a piece of paper, list out--in bullet points--all
the different categories of cost you currently have.
2. Next to each category, write an estimated month-

ly cost for that item.
3. Total this list. This is your current cost of living.

This is the minimum monthly income you need to
cover your current expenses. This is your first fi-
nancial target.
Example:
Rent: $800
Food: $300
Utilities: $50
Internet: $50
Phone: $50
Others: $200
---------------------------
$1,450

Session 8:
Discover Your Project
“ Don’t ask yourself what the world needs,

ask yourself what makes you come alive.
And then go and do that. Because what the
world needs is people who are alive.
”
Howard Thurman
Similar to finding our life purpose, if we directly

asked ourselves, “What can I do to make a living?”
our reactive answer will usually default to our cur-
rent job description, or “I don’t know.”
The following three-part exercise will help to take us

beyond our brain’s default answer to “I don’t know”
and to come up with realistic project ideas that we
can actually pursue.
In the next session, we will examine our fears, which

can have the power to stop us from doing meaning-
ful work.
And in the last session of this module, we will make

a decision as to which project we will commit to.
For now, we shall focus on answering the question

“What can I do?” in the following three-part pro-
cess.

Part 1: What Can I Teach?
Drilling into the question of “what can I teach?” is
a productive exercise, because it helps to expose
your areas of expertise. The simple act of doing
this exercise gave me a lot of insight into the types
of value I can provide. Previously, I felt uncertain
and confused as to what types of projects I could
work on.
For me, doing this exercise helped me identify the

types of problems I can help people solve with my
existing knowledge and experience. And to my sur-
prise, I had a lot more to offer than I had previously
thought.
Action Time:
• Complete worksheet 12.

Worksheet 12 01/01
Answer the following questions with as many answers as you
can come up with. The questions are related, and are meant
to probe for more answers.
• What do I know that others will want to learn?

• What can I teach?
• What is someone willing to pay me $100/hour or $1000/
hour to do?
• What do people ask me to help them with?
• What kind of problems can I solve for people?
• What problems or hardship have I overcome that others
will want to know?

Part 2: What Makes Me Come
Alive?
While I don’t think there is one ubiquitous answer
that will fit everyone for the question, “What is the
purpose of life?” The closest to such an answer, I
believe, is that the purpose of life is to go out and do
what makes you come alive.
After all, what is the point of living? I believe the

point of it all is to experience, to explore and to cre-
ate. To discover what you like doing, and then do
more of it.
Because the goal of this session is to find ways to

marry our interests with what people are willing pay
us money for, it would be worthwhile to explore the
types of activities that make us feel alive—for in the
engagement of those activities lies our best work.
I want to touch on one small concept before we get

to the worksheets. A common answer to this ques-
tion is, “Traveling the world makes me come alive. If
I never have to work again, that’s what I would do.”
This travel fantasy is a bit of a misconception. In re-

ality, if you had the opportunity to travel as much as
you say you want to, you’d discover that traveling
can become boring and unfulfilling relatively quickly
without something else to keep your mind engaged,

stimulated, and active.
Observing friends who have retired early, who never

have to work again and who have the opportunity to
do unlimited traveling, I’ve noticed that they actually
spend most of their time in productive work. Work
for working’s sake. Work to keep the mind active.
Work to be engaged in interesting projects. Creat-
ing results that make a difference. They work to be
challenged and to feel alive.
So, in this exercise, we are not looking for answers

like “travel the world and do nothing”. We are look-
ing to identify activities that involve providing value
to others, such that in the engagement of this activ-
ity, you feel alive and happy.
For example, writing and sharing useful or intriguing

ideas make me feel alive. Connecting with people
and helping individuals overcome emotional hard-
ships is something else that makes me feel live.
Feeling that my work matters and is valued also
makes me feel alive, regardless of what I’m do-
ing… I can be writing, taking photographs, program-
ming software, designing graphics, or just talking to
someone.
Action Time:

Worksheet 13 01/01
What are activities and actions you can take, that make you feel alive? In
the space below, write any answers that may come to mind. Here are addition-
al questions to help you brainstorm:
• What makes me come alive?

• What gives me a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment?
• Which parts of my past work have been the most enjoyable?
• Which parts of my past work have been the most meaningful?
• What would I love to do on a regular basis that will utilize both my skills
and interests, and that will add value to other people?
• If I inherited $10 million dollars. After the initial excitement settles down,
and I’ve done my share of traveling. What will I do with my time?
• If I had all the resources in the world, what projects would I be working
on? What would I be doing specifically?

Part 3: Ways I Can Make Money
In the last session, we ended up with two numbers:
the cost to support your ideal life (part 3) and the
cost to support your current expenses (part 4).
In this section we’re going to brainstorm creative

ways we can reach these numbers. If you are feel-
ing skeptical with this step, just relax and give it
a shot—treat it like a game and see what you un-
cover.
As you work through the worksheet, your mind may

start to produce chatter like this:
• I don’t know.
• I can’t do it. I don’t know how.
• This may be true for some, but it is not true for
me.
This is normal. Ignore the chatter, relax, ask the
question, and see what answers you get back.
As you will see in the worksheet, one thing I will

ask you to assume when answering the question
is to assume that it is possible to find unexpected
breaks along the way which will provide a quantum
leap toward the success of the project.
To illustrate this point, I’ll give you a real life

example.
Marc Allen, cofounded New World Library—a pub-

lishing company for spiritual growth books. When
he started the company with no experience and
little money, he went through this same exercise
and made the assumption that he could experience
a big break with the publishing company—such as
publishing a best selling book, if he just kept try-
ing.
He continued with his projects with the assumption

that it is possible to have a big break someday. This
shift in perspective allowed him to dream big and to
expand his beliefs in what is possible.
Eventually, many of the books he published indeed

became New York Times best sellers—such as
Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now.
So, when filling in the worksheet, when I ask you to

assume a “big break” this is what I am referring to.
Let’s get to it.
thinksimplenow.com12 Left Discover You Now12 Left 10112 L

Action Time
• From the last session (session 7, part 3), grab
the number for the cost of your ideal life. We
will reference and call this number $X from this
point forward.
• Complete worksheet 14.
Parting Words
After doing worksheet 14 for myself, it became clear
to me that I am not short on ideas, but that there
is something else creating friction and blocking me
from achieving extraordinary results: fear.
In the next session, we will examine fear, and walk

through a process on how we can effectively work
with our fears to move in the direction we want to
go.

Worksheet 14 01/01
In the space below, write as many ideas as possible to answer the question:
Things I can do to generate $X a month. (Replacing $X with you’re the
amount you determined from the last session for your ideal life)
Aim to have at least 5-10 answers. Here are additional questions to help you
brainstorm:
• Assuming that I could have a big break and experience massive suc-
cess in whatever project I choose. What are some products I could pur-
sue that can make $X a month?
• Assuming that I am immune from failing, what are some things I can do
to make $X a month?
Examples: social media consulting company, writing a best selling book, out-
sourcing company, public speaking business, build an online community with 2
million visitors.

Session 9:
Freedom From Fear
“ You may think that you’ve lost your pas-

sion, or that you can’t identify it...
None of these is true. Fear saps passion.
When we conquer our fears, we discover a
boundless, bottomless, inexhaustible well
of passion. ”
Steven Pressfield
In this session, we will talk about fear, and how to

work with it.
As far as I can tell, abstractly, there are two parts to

our brain.
The first part is the primitive part of our brain, the

portion of our brain that’s been with us since we
were cavemen. I’ve heard many names for this: the
ego, the mind, inner chatter, the lizard brain, the
cavemen brain, the survival brain, the human ani-
mal and the prehistoric brain.
Our primitive brain is responsible for our survival,

and its job is to keep us safe. From this point for-
ward, I will refer to this part of the brain as the primi-
tive brain, the ego or the inner child.
The second part is a portion of our brain rooted in a

higher frequency of conscious thoughts. There are

many names for this as well: the Source, the higher
self, the inner guide, the observer, higher conscious-
ness, the right brain, and the human spirit.
This portion of our mind is responsible for spiritual

experiences, conscious reasoning, creative genius,
intuition and bliss. From this point forward, I will re-
fer to this part of the brain as the conscious brain
or the higher self.
When Eckhart Tolle and other teachers talk about

the ego, it sounds as if there exists some evil exter-
nal entity whose job it is to make our lives difficult
and painful.
I believe that the ego is just our primitive brain, try-

ing to do its job to ensure our survival. It is embed-
ded in our physical body and has been with us for
thousands of years.
The ego is not something outside of us. It is part of

us. It is part of who we are as humans. The primi-
tive brain co-exists with the conscious brain in our
physical brain structure. I believe its physical loca-
tion within the brain is the amygdala—area respon-
sible for fear.
The primitive brain is not bad, per say; it is there to

do a very specific job—to protect us against danger.
Instead of working against it, and doing our best to

eliminate the ego, I have found that it’s much more
useful to work with the ego, by understanding its
motives, and calming its concerns.
One of the most effective and peaceful methods of

working with our ego is a simple technique where
we have a conversation with the ego. If that sounds
creepy to you, it’s not. I’ve tried it and can vouch for
it.
In my experience, this has been a more pleasant

and longer lasting technique than the convention-
al route of working against the ego by ignoring its
messages.
By consciously examining our fear and working with

our ego to understand its concerns, a few things
happen:
• Less Resistance - We expose our fears, such

that we have a better understanding of these
unconscious messages that our ego is sending
to our brain, which creates resistance and self-
sabotage.
• More Energy - By examining our fears, we free

up a lot of energy that would have other wise
been consumed by the fearful thoughts looping
in our head. The extra energy can be used to
do useful work.

• More Peace – By working together with our
ego (almost as friends) we will experience less
chatter, disturbance and noise caused by our
primitive brain. With less noise in our head, we
will experience increased peace. With peace,
not only will it feel really good, we will also bet-
ter hear the divine messages from our con-
scious brain.
Are you ready to dive in?
Part 1: Conversation with the Ego

Once again, sit down with your journal or blank
sheets of paper. We will begin our conversation with
the ego, on paper.
At the top of the page write:

“What are my concerns?”
Here are additional questions you can optionally

ask—on its own or in combination with other ques-
tions—to help you trigger emotional responses. If
you feel there are related questions that you would
like to ask, write them down.
• What am I worried about?
• What am I scared of?

• Why have I been held back?
• Why have I not been transparently and unique-

ly me?
• Why not surrender?
• What am I concerned with?
• What am I afraid of?
You can imagine your ego like a scared little child.

Optionally, you can imagine that you are talking to
a younger version of yourself.
When you speak to a little child who is afraid, how

will you talk to her? You will be gentle, kind and pa-
tient, right? Likewise, when answering these ques-
tions, pretend that you are the guardian of that little
child, and you are trying to help her by understand-
ing her concerns.
We ask the questions as the conscious, wisdom-

filled, and peaceful part of our brain. And we an-
swer the questions as the little child in us who is
scared and wanting deeply to feel safe. That little
child represents our ego.
The steps are outlined below:
1. Relax. Take a few deep breaths.

2. Ask the little child (our ego) one or more ques-
tions. Write down the question, for example,
what are my concerns? What am I worried
about?
3. Listen for the answers from the little child with-

in. Write down whichever answer that comes
to mind. Write everything down, even if the an-
swer sounds silly. Keep writing until you have at
least 10 things down on paper. Keep writing un-
til you have nothing else to say about that topic.
Remember, just relax and allow the answers to

come. They will come. Don’t over think it. As with
all the other exercises, treat this like a game. You’re
just playing a game, relax and see what answers
you get.
Write the answers in the exact phrasing as you hear

them.
Example:
Here are some answers I got when I did this exer-
cise. I was trying to examine what was holding me
back psychologically from taking action with some
projects I wanted to do?
I asked the questions “What are my concerns?

What am I afraid of? Why can’t I surrender to this
moment and be transparently me?” Here are some
answers I got back—in their exact phrasing:
• The ego is afraid to lose itself.
• I might fail.
• I might lose time.
• It might be hard.
• I might not make any money if I surrender.
• I might do things I don’t want to do.
• Afraid to look foolish.
• I don’t want to be embarrassed.
• The work might be too hard for me to handle.
• The ego might die.
• I might be too tired.
• Who I might become is too overwhelming.
After doing this exercise, it was clear to me that

these were some of the major reasons why I was
feeling such resistance towards taking action for my
own meaningful work.

The one underlying theme surrounding my fear is
that “the ego is afraid that it will die”—it is afraid that
it will be replaced by something else. And as a self-
protective mechanism, when the ego senses that
we no longer need it, it starts to trigger doubt and
fear to stop us from taking action that will result in
change—even if the change is good for us.
Action Time
• Complete this exercise of having a conversa-
tion with the ego.
Part 2: Calming the Ego’s Fears

In the last part, we identified a variety of fears swim-
ming around in our head—many of which have been
eating at us, quietly stopping us from doing things
that are good for us.
These stories of fear are born in our primitive brain

in an unconscious way. If we don’t take a closer look
at the invalidity of these stories, we start to believe
them. And this believe in our fears will cause us to
self-sabotage, and it will stop us from progressing
forward to a more fulfilling life, and it will put a ceil-
ing on our creative potential.

In this section, we will go through and address ev-
ery one of our ego’s concerns.
From the perspective of the loving parent (our high-

er selves), talk back to the little child (our ego) who
is afraid and explain why she doesn’t need to be
afraid anymore.
We talk back to it on the pages of our journal. Talk to

it lovingly and gently. Follow your intuition and say
what feels right. Optionally, give your ego a name,
and talk to it as if a real person. Thank her or thank
him for protecting you.
Each answer from part 1 [last exercise] represents

a concern or reason why your ego is afraid. We will
examine each one and have a conversation about
it.
Go through each answer from the last exercise. For

each concern, address the particular fear with your
inner child, by writing on paper a conversation with
him or her. Soothe her. Reason with her. Explain to
her why she doesn’t need to be afraid anymore.
Intuitively, you know what to say to calm your inner

child, because she (or he) is a part of you. There are
no right or wrong answers as to what you will say
to her. Just follow your heart. You will know what to
say.

The conversation can be as casual or as playful
as you like. Perhaps, this step can be best demon-
strated with an example.
Example:
Here’s a snippet of conversation I had with my ego.
I will start each item with my ego’s concern, fol-
lowed by what I said to calm my inner child about
that concern:
1. “The ego is afraid to lose itself.”
You will never be lost. Thank you for protecting me

and always watching out for my safety. Let’s make
a deal that we shall never cut you off. You and I are
friends. Let’s be friends and work together, shall
we? Let’s give you a name. What should we call
you? [pause, as a name comes in reply] Ah, you
want to be called “The No Name” okay!
2. “I might fail”
Failure means that we were brave and tried new

things. The more we’ve failed, the more likely we
will experience success. We will do our best to trust
in our intuition to make the most educated decision
possible, but remember that it is okay to fail. Every
failure is an opportunity to learn something new.

3. “I might lose time”
Time isn’t real. As long as you are enjoying the mo-

ment of doing, nothing is lost. I know you are con-
cerned with equating lost time to lost money, but
here’s my thought on money: Money in the end is
there to provide experiences and tools to create po-
tentially enjoyable moments for us. So, if you are al-
ready enjoying this moment, it is really worth more
than money.
~§~
I hope you’re not laughing at my example. Well, if

you are, that’s cool. You get the point. Be playful,
just as you would to calm a scared and sweet little
child. The writing doesn’t have to be perfect or even
be grammatically correct. It’s for you only.
Action Time:
• Now, it’s your turn. Dive back into your journal,
and write in responses to every one of your
ego’s concerns.

Part 3: Conversation with Ego,
Continued.
Once you’ve completed addressing each of your in-
ner child’s concerns (part 2. Last exercise), see if
there’s anything else you want to say to your inner
child. Any other soothing words, words of wisdom
you can say to make her feel calm and safe?
Write in bullet points any additional calming words

that come to mind in response to the inner child’s
fearful state. Or anything else you want to say. Some-
times, wisdom and clarity hits you during these mo-
ments of self-reflection. Write them down.
Example:
Following the previous 2 steps, my higher self had
the following additional words of wisdom for my in-
ner child (my ego).
• You can relax now
• Everything is fine.
• From here on out, just surrender. I promise that

you will be safe.

• Life is meant to flow beautifully and effortlessly,
like a dance.
• Life is meant to be enjoyable.
• No force is required. Things don’t have to be

difficult.
• Breathe.
• Take a few more breaths.
• Relax now.
• You are safe. You are always safe.
• You are meant to do great things.
• Just relax.
• Trust.
Action Time:
• Write anything else that comes to mind that you
want to say to your ego.
• Write down any wisdom or clarity you experi-

enced.

Parting Words
As simple and trivial as the above exercise may
seem, I’ve found it to a very calming and empower-
ing tool. Fear, at the end of the day, is very real. I
love the simplicity of this process in examining and
calming our fears. Once we do that, loads of mental
energy will be freed up so that we have the capacity
to do great work.
Next time you are feeling fear or anxiety, sit down

and have a conversation with yourself. Find out
where the resistance is coming from. Examining
your ego’s concerns. Drill into your fears and get
clarity.

Session 10:
Decision & Commitment
“ Like the air you breathe, abundance in all

things is available to you. Your life will sim-
ply be as good as you allow it to be.
”
Abraham Hicks
In session 8, we identified a list of potential projects

we could work on. In the last session, we worked on
clearing out fears that can potentially hold us back
on making progress on these projects. In this ses-
sion, we will decide on a project that we will tackle.
While the following focuses on helping you decide

on a project for income, the same techniques can
be used to accomplish any personal goal—losing
weight, writing a novel, learn a new language.
Part 1: Pick One Result

We are all busy, and many of us are ambitious
souls. If you are like me, when people ask you what
you’re working on your answer will include a big
list of pending projects and an even larger list of
goals.
Chances are, you’ll never get to finish these proj-

ects, because trying to focus on too many things will

result in being not focused on anything. We spread
ourselves too thin. We get too ambitious, we try to
do too much, and we collapse in exhaustion (some-
times).
In all seriousness, we humans are not designed to

focus on more than one thing. If we try to violate
this rule, we end up feeling distracted and over-
whelmed.
If you want to achieve any kind of result, whether it

is a professional goal, or a personal goal like losing
20 pounds, the first key ingredient is to focus on
one thing. One result. One goal. One project.
Similarly, you may belong to another group of souls,

who may be feeling a bit “lost”, uncertain as to what
you want to focus on. Likewise, deciding to focus
on one result—any result—will help to push you out
of the cloud of confusion and uncertainly.
In this step, we are going to choose one project (or

one result) we will work on.
In worksheet 14, you came up with a list of projects

and options you could do to potentially generate the
type of income you need to support your ideal life.
Now, review this list, and we will pick one item that
you resonate most with.

If the answer is obvious, then skip this section and
move on to part 2 of this session. Otherwise, if you
are uncertain of which project to pick, keep read-
ing.
If making an income isn’t a priority, you can decide

on a personal project or result you would like to work
on that’s not on the worksheet.
From this point onwards, we will be talking about

strategies for how to accomplish this goal.
How to Select a Project

Similar to other exercises we’ve done so far, it will
help to take a deep breath and relax.
While looking on the list you created in worksheet

14 (session 8), ask the questions:
• Which of these projects feel the best to me?

• Which do I want to work on first?
Listen for the answer.
You are free to modify this list of projects if you

wish.
If this is your first time working on a project of this

kind, I recommend picking a smaller project that is

easier to complete. This way, you will have a high-
er chance of completing a project from end-to-end,
which will help to create momentum towards future
projects.
If the answer is still not obvious, here are additional

questions you can ask yourself as you review this
list of projects:
• Which of these jumps out at me?
• Which of these sounds juicy to me?
• Which of these will make me feel the most ec-

static once it’s completed?
• Which seems like the easiest to achieve?
• Which seems more likely from my current posi-

tion?
• Which of these will reap the most reward for the

least amount of effort?
Action Time:
• Complete the exercises above under “How to
Select a Project”

Part 2: Commit
Did you pick a project you are excited to work on?
If not, please go back to the last step, and do the

quick exercise of picking one project.
Now that you have the first key ingredient to achiev-

ing any result (a decision), the second key ingredi-
ent is to commit to this result. This is true for any
goals that we have.
Here’s a beautiful quote from W.H. Murray:
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the

chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation),
there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of
which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:
that the moment one definitely commits oneself,
then Providence moves too. A whole stream of
events issues from the decision, raising in one’s
favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and
meetings and material assistance which no man
could have dreamed would have come his way. I
have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s
couplets: “Whatever you can do or dream you
can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and
magic in it.” Begin it now.

There is a level of magic and power that comes with
the commitment to complete something. The above
quote from Murray perfectly summarized this.
It has been my personal experience that regard-

less of what I want—whether it is leaving my job, or
finding a fulfilling relationship, or building a profit-
able business, or traveling to a remote part of the
world—the moment I commit to doing whatever it
takes to make that vision a reality, I always end up
with it in the near future.
I love the saying from Marie Forleo, when she de-

clares that “Everything is Figure-out-able!” It’s true.
The decision and commitment to do something is
powerful and pivotal (actually, every decision we
make is pivotal).
The detail of how we will get there is less important.

What is more important is the clarity for where you
want to go and a commitment that you will get there.
All the uncertainties and fuzzy details will become
clear, as you proceed, when you need them. Every-
thing is figure-out-able, once you make a decision
and a commitment.
When you commit to anything with certainty, an in-

visible force pushes you, propelling you forward to
make sure that your desires, dreams and visions
are fulfilled. Coincidences start happening. Unex-

pected help arises. Opportunities you haven’t no-
ticed before start to appear in your awareness and
aligning themselves to meet you in synchronistic
harmony.
But before all that happens, you have to do your

part: You must first commit 100% that you will do
what ever it takes to realize this dream/goal/vision/
result. You show your commitment by taking con-
sistent action in alignment with your commitment.
At this point, ask yourself, “How much do I want

this to be realized? Do I want it bad enough that I
am willing to commit to working on this, and nothing
else, until it becomes a reality?”
If the answer is no, then perhaps you need to pick

another project. If you’re not excited or interested in
your project enough that you can commit to it, you
really should just toss the idea out now and pick
something you can commit to.
We all have a ton of excuses to not do something.

And we can delay action forever. The most common
excuses are: I don’t have enough time or I don’t
know how to, I’m not technical enough.
But when you are committed, you will always find a

way to make it work. You will find a way, because it
is important to you.

Don’t have enough time? When Leo Babauta first
started his widely popular blog, he was working two
jobs, raising 6 children and training for a marathon.
He managed to find time to write compelling blog
posts, everyday, for almost a year.
Don’t think you’re technical enough? Feel like

you’re too old to start? Check out my friend Gary’s
story. In 2005, when he was 74 years old, he taught
himself how to setup two hairstyling blogs for his
wife. Today Gary, who is 79 years old, runs his two
blogs leisurely from home, while making $8000 a
month in advertising income. How’s that for inspi-
ration? Can you really still use the “I’m too old” ex-
cuse?
My point is simple: you can’t use excuses as a clutch

to inaction anymore. You really can do just about
anything, if you want it bad enough. If you keep try-
ing, without giving up, you will complete it. But first,
you must commit.
Right now, you have three options:
• Decide you will commit 100% of your free en-

ergy (outside of your job, school or family) to-
wards making this result come true. Commit
that you will work on this and nothing else until
you reach your decided outcome. OR
• Go back to worksheet 14 and select another

result that you can commit to. OR
• Write down a new result, not already on the list,

or a variation of something on the list that you
want to commit to.
When times get hard, and they will—as all projects

do—the commitment you’ve set out to do will be the
rock that anchors you in place in times of challenge
and setback.
Action Time:
• Commit to one result or project you will com-
plete.
You got it? Don’t continue until you’ve decided on

and committed to one result.
In the next module, we will create a battle plan for

how to actually achieve this result, along with help-
ful tips on how to following through with your plan—
the follow-through formula.

“ One by one, we are hearing the voice of our
soul, sharing its wisdom, inspiring us to
be the most that we can be, to become our
highest possiblity--a soul on fire that can
set the world ablaze.
”
Lenedra Carroll
3
Module 3: How to
Achieve Anything
“ We were put here on earth to act as
agents of the Infinite, to bring into
existence that which is not yet, but
which will be, through us.
”
Steven Pressfield
When a contractor sets out to construct a house, he

works from a blueprint—a detailed plan from an ar-
chitect that documents the specific house design.
When embarking on a project, creating a blueprint

doesn’t have to be complicated, and is done based
on your current knowledge. You are more likely to
hit a target with a plan designed to hit the target
than trying to hit the target accidentally (without a
plan).
In this section, we will create a rough plan on how

to proceed on your goals based on your current
knowledge.
Before we continue, I want to point out that it is com-

mon, at the start of any project to experience some
fear. Our primitive brain doesn’t like unknown cir-

cumstances or change, and it is alerting us of pos-
sible danger via fear. It is its job to do that.
If you are feeling scared and hesitant, know that

you are not alone. Every single person experiences
fear, on some level, when venturing out into new
territories.
In fact, I am feeling this right now as I write these

words. I feel hesitation to complete this guide, be-
cause putting myself out there increases my chanc-
es of public humiliation, which is pretty scary. And
every ounce of my primitive brain is telling me to
head the other way.
Don’t over think it. You are more capable than you
think. Keep things simple. Take action, and adjust
along the way. Just get it done.
In this last module, we will get super practical and

we will dive into techniques for planning and for
completing projects. Specifically, in the first half,
we will walk through the Achievement Formula – 6
steps to achieve any result, where we will create an
action plan (your blue print).
In the second half, we will walk through the ‘Fol-

low Through Formula’ – 11 tips for getting it done,
where we will feed you the mojo needed to follow
through on your action plan.

Session 11: The
Achievement Formula
“ Act as if failure is impossible, and

your success will be assured. Wipe
out everything of not achieving your
objectives, whether they are material or
spiritual. Be brave, set no limits on the
workings of your imagination. Never
be a prisoner of your past. Become the
architect of your future. ”
Robin Sharma
6 Steps to Achieve Any Result

As I mentioned in the last session, the following for-
mula isn’t just for reaching professional goals, it can
also be applied to personal goals.
To get the most out of this section, start with a proj-

ect or goal you would like to achieve (selected from
the last session), and in this session, we will create
a simple plan.
Step 1. Measureable Results

I once had a manager who used to preach, “Mea-
sure, measure, measure. What gets measured gets
managed.”

It’s true. For any goal to be deemed successful, we
have to be able to identify some quantifiable quali-
ty, which tells us that we are successful. Otherwise,
how else would you know when you’ve arrived, if
you don’t know where you are going?
It’s nice to have a goal that says, “I want to lose

weight.” But, how much weight? In the weight loss
example, it will be much more effective, motivating,
and clear if we declare, “I will lose 10 pounds in the
next 60 days.” Now you have a clear target.
The more specific your goal is, the better you are
able to focus and direct your attention towards at-
taining it. The more focused you are towards a clear
goal, the easier it will be to hit the target.
Let’s look at the goal you’ve selected to walk through

this session with. Now, is the goal measurable? If
not, can you tweak the goal statement such that it is
more specific and that it contains at least one quan-
tifiable clause that can be used to measure whether
we are successful.
For example, instead of the general goal “a photog-

raphy business”, a more specific and measurable
version of the goal may be “start a wedding photog-
raphy business with $4000 in monthly revenue.”
For example, if the goal is “start a blog”, a measur-

able variation may look like, “start a blog with 2000

monthly visitors.”
When I started my blog, my goal was “to have 100

subscribers in 3 months.” Once that was reached,
I set a new goal with a monetary clause. And I re-
peated the process to set a new goal each time a
goal was reached.
Without these clear goals earlier on that helped me

focus my attention, I don’t think I would have the
setup I do today. Once I got focused, I got creative,
and then the results came, fast.
Be as specific as you can.
Set the numbers in your goal such that they’re high

enough to be a bit of a challenge to achieve, but not
so high that they are no longer reasonable.
The act of setting a clear goal that is measurable

creates a point of clarity for you. Instead of diffus-
ing our awareness by focusing on many things, we
hone our energy and focus on what matters. This
will help you prioritize and make decisions as you
proceed.

Action Time:
• Tweak your goal such that it contains measur-
able parameters in its statement.
Step 2. Set Major Milestones

If your goal is relatively big, it may make sense to
break up the larger goal into smaller medium sized
goals that build upon the success of one another.
If you can break your goal into several logical com-
ponents, do it.
These logical components are milestones, which

act as road markers on your path towards your des-
tination.
Example 1: if your goal is to write a book in the next

6 months, here are some logical milestones:
• Outline – The outline is completed.

• Write the Book – completed writing first draft of
the book.
• Re-write – complete first phase of self-edit.
• Polish – complete second phase of self-edit.
• Editing – have the book edited by an editor.
• Book Design – Complete book design of cover,
inside, back, author photo, etc.

Example 2: If the goal is to build a blog with 100
subscribers, here are some logical milestones:
• Setup Blog – the technical and design of the

blog is setup and completed.
• Content – have 5 articles written and published,
such that the blog is open to the public.
• 20 Subscribers – Figure out a way to get 20
subscribers.
• 50 Subscribers
• 75 Subscribers
• 100 Subscribers
Creating milestones make your projects more man-

ageable. Each milestone creates extra opportuni-
ties for satisfaction when that milestone is achieved,
and this winning feeling creates momentum for con-
tinued success, which builds motivation.
Milestones also help to simplify things, so that you

focus on one milestone at a time, instead of trying
to keep track of all the moving pieces. It can help
to prevent you from feeling overwhelmed.
You don’t have to get it right. Just do the best that

you can with your current knowledge of the goal.
You can always adjust later on.

Action Time:
• Take your measurable goal from the last step,
and break it into logical milestones and smaller
goals. Do this quickly. It shouldn’t take more
than a few minutes.
Step 3. Schedule It
I once heard a clever saying, “If it’s not scheduled,
it’s not real.”
This statement resonated with me because I’ve ex-

perienced the realities of “I’m thinking about it” way
too many times. And the reality is that nothing gets
accomplished in the thinking mode.
I don’t know about you, but for myself, I know that

I can get anything done if I have a deadline. With
a deadline, the pressure pushes me to suddenly
become focused, to work efficiently, and stuff gets
done.
When I work without a deadline or a very loose one

I will dabble at the project making little progress.
However, if the timeline feels immediate, I will mag-
ically whip myself in shape and get things done.

The art comes in setting deadlines that balance be-
tween being realistic and being immediate enough
to create a sense of urgency in your mind.
Schedule Major Milestones

Starting with the end in mind. First, decide on a
rough and estimated launch date for when you an-
ticipate on completing your project. Don’t worry
about getting this right. Just do your best. We can
adjust this date later as we proceed.
Once you have the end date, work backwards to

put a date next to each of your milestones. This
process can feel a bit nerve racking. Take a few
deep breaths and continue. It’s that sense of urgen-
cy that propels us forward to get any project done.
For example, when I initially started working on this

guide, I was working on my own pace without a
schedule. A few weeks went by, and at the realiza-
tion that I was dragging my feet—mentally delaying
it as much as possible—I sat down and scheduled
each major milestone in my calendar.
It was the urgency in my schedule that pushed me to

start making some real traction. Without the dead-
lines, I would have dragged the project on forever,
never completing it.

Even if you don’t hit your scheduled milestone dead-
line, at least you’ll be closer to it than if you didn’t
create a schedule. The deadline date is really just
an arbitrary target that we use as a tool to help us
move forward.
Schedule Daily Goals

Additional to setting milestone dates, I’ve found it
helpful to also set daily goals. These mini goals and
daily targets help me stay focused, and they allow
me to make consistent progress everyday.
For example, when creating this guide, my daily goal

was to write 1000 words everyday. I didn’t care if the
1000 words were good or not (since I don’t have to
use everything in the final edit), what I cared about
was that I sat down and wrote everyday.
Each morning, my first—and most important—task

was to sit down and write 1000 words. I would do
this as the first thing, before checking email, before
getting coffee. This created the habit of daily writ-
ing.
Once the habit was formed, in a very short amount

of time, the first iteration of the guide was complet-
ed. Once completed, I had content to work with—to
rewrite, to edit, to polish and to make better. This

made the realities of launching this project more
real after each day.
Stay Flexible
The point of setting deadlines is to create some
kind of structure and boundary to help us finish our
projects. The point isn’t to stress our selves out or
to work to the point of exhaustion.
Deadlines are tools to help us make forward prog-

ress, to take action, to focus. They’re not meant to
be a source of torture.
This means, do your best to stay on track with your

dates. But be open to allowing your dates to slip a
little. You are in control here. You are in the driver’s
seat. Nothing is set in stone.
If you miss a deadline, don’t stress or throw guilt at

yourself. Just set a new date and commit to it. You
may find it helpful to get a friend to help you in set-
ting realistic goals and who can hold you account-
able.

Action Time:
• Take out a calendar and look at your schedule.
• Start with the end – Give yourself a date for

when you want your project to be completed, or
end goal to be achieved.
• Now work backwards, and give each of your

milestones a date.
• Write next to each milestone a date for its esti-

mated completion. Also mark in your calendar
each milestone.
Step 4. Identify Action Items

In the planning phase of a project, the tendency
is to want to know every detail before we can get
started. Often, we will get stuck in research mode,
trying to gather all the details, and learning every-
thing that we can about the topic. The end result
with this approach is that we will never feel ready,
and we’ll never start the project.
The reality is that we will never have all the details in

advance, and we don’t actually need them. All we
need is the next step. As we take each step, more
clarity will be revealed to us on how to proceed.

At this point, we’re not going to plan beyond the
first milestone. We have our first deadline, and a
clear result we’d like to accomplish for this first mile-
stone.
First, let’s brainstorm all the potential action we can

take to make the first milestone a reality. We’re not
looking to get it right, we’re just interested in identi-
fying all that we think we need to do based on our
current understanding. Do your best.
Example 1: if my first milestone is setting up a blog,

here is a list of potential things I could do to help me
make this goal a reality. In no particular order, these
are the items that I think will help me get further in
the goal, based on my current understanding.
• Decide on my branding
• Decide on domain name
• Buy domain name
• Learn how to setup wordpress or hire someone.
• Determine features I want to have on the site.
• Email Jenny, who has set up a site before. Ask
her for pointers.
• Take a course on setting up a website.

Example 2: if my milestone is to create an outline
for my book, here is a list of potential things I could
do to help me get closer to my goal:
• Brain mapping ideas.

• Brainstorm ideas in random order.
• Setup a survey to ask what people want to
learn.
• Convert survey into logical outline.
• Checkout outline of similar books at the book-
store or online to get ideas that I may be forget-
ting.
• Create first pass outline.
• Tweak and finalize outline.
Action Time:
• Looking at your first milestone. Now write down,
in bullet points, all the things you can do to get
you further to making this milestone a reality.
Step 5. Create Space

Now that we have a goal (our first milestone), a
deadline, and a list of things we can do, next, we
need to create the time and space to make it hap-

pen. If we don’t take proactive steps to create this
space consciously, it won’t happen. Let’s face it,
we’re all busy, time can only be created by our de-
liberate intent and effort.
In this step, we will decide what we are willing to

give up in order to create space for this project. We
will decide how much time we are going to dedicate
to this project.
The idea of creating space is important, because

we have a limited amount of time and energy.
Specifically, we have 168 hours every week. 42 to

56 of those hours, we are sleeping. Roughly 28 of
those hours, we are eating and grooming. If you
work a fulltime job, that’s another 40 hours.
We are left with 44 hours for relaxing, commuting,

preparing meals, grocery shopping, cleaning our
houses, exercise, watching TV and hobbies. And
somewhere in there, we hope to squeeze in some
time to work on our creative projects.
Many of us, ambitious types, forget this simple math,

and attempt to do everything. But it’s just not pos-
sible, and attempting to do it all leaves us exhaust-
ed, unhealthy, and unhappy. We simply do not have
enough time for everything.
If we want to add something new to our full sched-

ule, we have to let go of some other activity that
adds less value, in order to create room and mental
capacity for the new thing. It might be as easy as
saying no to commitments we care less about, or
simplifying your schedule to do fewer of the unim-
portant tasks.
Here are some tradeoff ideas to create more time:
• Work less in your business.
• Stop consulting clients for a set amount of time.
• Find nanny to help watch your kids.
• Wake up earlier.
• Stop watching TV, or reduce TV watching time.
• Go out less with friends.
Be clear what you are not willing to give up, and what
you are willing to give up. Be generous to yourself
in giving up activities that provides little enrichment
to your life—such as watching TV.
In my own life, I was not willing to trade time with my

family. This means, I don’t work on weekends, eve-
nings and Thursdays—when I spend quality 1-on-1
time with my son.
In the end, I created space by posting less frequent-

ly on my Blog, and by waking up earlier in the morn-
ing. So, everyday, I write from 5am to 8am, plus a
few hours during the workday.
Action Time:
• List out all the activities you are willing to stop
doing, or willing to do less of, in order to create
room for your project.
• Decide when you will work on your project dur-

ing your week. Write it down. Block out these
times on your calendar, if possible.
Step 6. Do It
In this session, we’ve done a lot of work in plan-
ning. We’ve defined a clear resulting goal, set mile-
stones, and created a list of action items for the first
milestone. The next step is to do it! Dive in now,
before you feel ready.
Your job now is to tackle every item on your action

items list.
If this feels intimidating, or you need a little motiva-

tion to take action, I’ve got you covered. In the next
session, we will go into strategies that will inspire

you to take action in our follow through formula.
For now, know that your task is to finish everything

on the list, or until the first milestone is reached. Of
course, as you proceed you will modify your list as
you gain a more relevant understanding of what you
need—removing some items while adding others.
The trick is to take consistent action, adjusting as

you gain more feedback, and keep moving forward
until you get there.
Everyday, pick one action item from your list, and

tackle it. You don’t have to take massive action
(though, that won’t hurt). Even the smallest action,
if done consistently will bring tremendous results
and momentum.
If you can do that -- if you can take a little bit of ac-

tion everyday, before you know it, all the items on
your list will be done (or scratched out), and you will
have met your first goal.
Once your first goal is met, repeat the same pro-

cess for the next milestone: brainstorm action items
to support that milestone and then dive into action.
Rinse and repeat.
If you can reach your first milestone, then I have

absolute faith that you can reach your second mile-
stone and every milestone after that, until you ar-

rive at the final goal you have set out to reach.
Action Time:
• What small action can you take today to get
you one step closer to your goal? The action
can be as small as a 5-minute task, like firing
off a quick email, or writing down your goals.
Write down the one small action that you will
take.
• Take one small action now.

Session 12:
The Follow Through Formula
“ You can be proud of yourself. You’ve done

something that millions talk about but only
a handful actually perform. And if you can
do it once, you can do it again.
”
Steven Pressfield
11 Motivational Tips for

Getting Things Done
In the last session, you created a battle plan for
achieving your goal. However, you’ll quickly realize
that having a battle plan alone isn’t enough. Our ac-
tion is often met with resistance, which is very good
at convincing us to take no action.
So how do we deal with this? How do we take ac-

tion despite the doubtful voice in our head? How do
we keep going despite the many distractions pull-
ing at our attention?
The following is a series of practical tips on how you

can actually follow through with your plan, and how
you can take action consistently, day after day.

1. Expect Resistance
“ Rule of thumb: The more important a call or
action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Re-
sistance we will feel toward pursuing it.
”
Steven Pressfield
As we work towards our desired goal, we will be

faced with countless distractions and convincing
mental arguments on why we should delay action
until “later”. The problem with putting it off until later
is that you will never actually get down to the doing
and the project will never be completed.
The need to be distracted and to procrastinate is

the workings of our fearful brain stalling to delay
change. Steven Pressfield calls this ‘Resistance’
and talks in detail about how to overcome this in
his wonderful books: Do the Work and The War of
Art.
What is Resistance?
Resistance is a manifestation of fear. It masks itself
in many clever and sometimes undetectable ways
with the aim to stop us from growing, from advanc-

ing, from taking action that can result in profound
personal change.
Resistance is that force that works against us, when

we are trying to move ahead. It’s that voice that
convinces us to stay in bed when we are trying to
wake up early. It’s the voice that tells us to fever-
ishly check our email when we’re trying to complete
an important project.
That same voice will also whisper words of doubt,

judgment, criticism and discouragement to dissuade
us from moving ahead. And when we are under tight
deadlines, the same voice will also dangle in front
of us attractive distractions so that we may further
procrastinate.
This resistance isn’t just limited to creative or en-

trepreneurial projects, it shows up pretty much any-
where that will result in positive change—losing
weight, gaining muscle, waking up early, nurturing
a relationship, or in gaining education of any kind,
Without the awareness of this thing we call resis-

tance, we may buy into its convincing arguments
and forever put off those projects that matter to us.
We may muster the inspiration to start it, or start
researching for it, but we’ll never get it done. Resis-
tance can be a powerful force.

Examples of Resistance
The simplest way to illustrate where resistance
shows up is by example. Basically, any urge or de-
sire that pulls us away from doing what we want to
do and what we need to do is the result of resis-
tance.
Here are some examples of thoughts and urges

I’ve experienced in the past when trying to work on
a meaningful project—all of these were meant to
take my attention away from completing the project
at hand.
• Wanting to watch all 5 seasons of the TV show

Prison Break, in one sitting.
• Wanting to take up public speaking—something

I’ve avoided for years.
• Wanting to re-organize every room in the

house.
• Feeling the need to go on a personal retreat,

somewhere far away, for as long as possible.
• Wanting to attend workshops and home study

programs.
• Wanting to move to another city.

• Wanting to work on everything except the proj-
ect I’m currently working on.
• Hours of web browsing.
• Frequent checking of email, Facebook, and

other people’s blog updates.
How to Overcome Resistance

The interesting thing that contradicts this title is that
resistance cannot be overcome. It is something that
will always be with us, because it is part of us—it is
our survival brain sending signals of fear to keep us
safe.
Resistance is hardwired in our brain. But, we can

learn to live with it and continue to take large strides
forward despite feeling it.
If you’re interested, you can read a detailed article

I wrote on the topic of overcoming resistance here:
Fear & How to Beat It.
The basics of working with resistance are simple

and can be summarized in the following steps:
• Acceptance – Accept that fear will be there

when we are working on anything that will re-
sult in us changing: learning something new,

creating something unique, doing something
unfamiliar. Anticipate that our brain will be there
to create resistance. Expect it, accept it, and
prepare for it.
• Recognize – Realize that the voice in our head

is not us. The voice is part of our survival brain.
Recognize that it is our primitive brain triggering
fear on purpose. It’s just doing it’s job.
• Do it Anyway – Now that we’ve accepted that

resistance will be there, and we recognize its
signals, the final trick is to do it anyway. Take
action despite fear. Take action despite feeling
resistance. Do the thing that you are trying to
delay. As you take action, you’ll see that resis-
tance is just an illusion, and that you are safe.
Action Time:
• How does resistances show up in your life?
Write out a list of how fear and resistance mani-
fest in your life? Write them out in past tense.

2. Overcome Analysis Paralysis
At the start of any new venture, especially ones we
have little experience in, we will experience a com-
pelling urge to research. We will want to learn every-
thing we can in hopes of feeling prepared enough
to get started.
I’ve been in this position many times in the past,

and each time, too much research was followed by
the death of those ideas. Many were great ideas,
but they all fell through, because I never bothered
to start them. Somewhere in the research phase,
I always found enough reasons to talk myself out
of the idea. I’ll get too caught up in the preparation
phrase, such that one of a few things happens:
1. The idea became too overwhelming.
2. I never felt fully prepared. I never felt ready.
3. I felt defeated at the sight of competition and

backed off out of fear.
Sound familiar? If not, trust me in saying that this is

a very common and normal form of resistance that
has successfully stopped countless people from
doing great work.
This is known as “analysis paralysis”, where you

spend all your time researching, analyzing, learn-
ing, reading, preparing and over-preparing such
that it paralysis you from taking any real action.
My Story of Analysis Paralysis

This feeling of “I’m not ready yet” was my person-
al excuse that ended up delaying and shattering
countless great ideas and meaningful projects.
Even as I am creating this guide, part of me still

feels that I’m not ready, and constantly seeks out
distractions and resources that I can learn from to
further delay real action.
After years of reading books, attending seminars,

and hours of inner work on finding clarity, I still felt
that I needed to attend more workshops on finding
clarity before I could complete this guide.
Just last month, I was about to sign up for a work-

shop in San Francisco, when my husband stopped
me and said, “Honey, I think you know enough. You
know more than you think. You are over prepared.
How about just taking action? How about no more
workshops and programs until you’ve completed
the project you’ve started?”
I hated to admit it, but he was right. The truth in his

words snapped me out of the analysis paralysis funk
my mind was spiraling in. I was simply looking for
more excuses to further delaying action, because
putting your work out into the world is scary stuff—
you’re subject to criticism and public humiliation.
In another example, when I was fresh out of col-

lege, I went through a period of time where I was
obsessed with wanting to start a business. But I
didn’t know how or where to start.
Instead of just doing something, I got stuck in anal-

ysis paralysis: attended workshops, studying books
(highlighting, taking notes, and re-reading), bought
into home study systems, and gathered more DVD
programs than I had time for—which are all sitting
in a box in storage now.
In the end, I had put in a lot of laborious hours try-

ing to get prepared, and never took any action. I
was stuck in this mode for 3 years, never feeling
ready. That experience taught me an important les-
son: don’t wait, just start it.
The Truth About

Analysis Paralysis
The truth is that you will never feel completely ready
or prepared. And if you get stuck in thinking that

you need to feel ready before you start, you’ll never
start.
Successful people start things before they are

ready. They dive in and commit themselves before
they ever feel prepared to do so.
While some research will be wise in any business,

please be conscious of not getting stuck in the re-
search and planning mode. You can never know ev-
erything in advance, or plan every detail perfectly.
The trick is to plan vaguely—simply and quickly—

and get down to action. As you execute, you’ll gain
experience from the actual doing such that the cor-
rect course of action will be revealed to you as you
need it. Clarity and detail comes from execution.
How to Overcome
Analysis Paralysis
The first step to overcoming this tendency to over
research is to recognize that analysis paralysis ex-
ists as a form of resistance rooted in fear (Notice a
common theme here? Notice how fear plays a big
part in everything?).
The solution to analysis paralysis is to put your self

on a research diet. Set limitations and boundaries,

in advance, about how much research you will do.
Steven Pressfield advocates the research diet of not

allowing your self to read more than 3 books before
taking action, and no note taking or highlighting. His
point is to not allow ourselves to become obsessed
with over-studying and over-analyzing before we
even get started.
Give yourself a deadline for how much research

you will do. Here are two examples:
• 5 days to research. No more than that.
• I will review 2 books on the subject, and I have

2 weeks to complete them. I will start at the end
of 2 weeks regardless of where I am in my re-
search.
Do not feel like you need to attend workshops be-

fore you can take action. You’re allowed to take
workshops to learn, but try to restrict yourself to no
more than one workshop or event for every project
you’ve completed.
This warning is especially applicable if you are in the

Internet Marketing field. Every product will feel like
it is something that you absolutely need, right now.
The beginner’s pitfall is to get stuck in the learn-
ing loop, and never taking action on what they’ve
learned.

Similarly, limit your daily consumption of blogs and
magazines. While some of it can be useful, enter-
taining and inspiring, more often it will serve as a
form of distraction.
Action Time:
• How much research will you allow for your next
project? Create restrictions and time limitations
around how much research you will do. Write
these down.
3. Break Tasks Into Tiny Pieces

Often, we’re not motivated to take action for our
personal goals, because the thought of that action
is interpreted as being too painful. And so we avoid
it.
However, if we break tasks into smaller chunks—

baby steps—they will feel less painful, less over-
whelming and more doable.
No matter how complex a problem appears, it can

always be broken down into the simplest of terms.
Any difficult project can be broken down into mile-
stones, logical tasks, and further into smaller (5-15
minutes) pieces.

Whenever you find yourself feeling overwhelmed,
just break things down into smaller and smaller
pieces, and then focus on just one piece at a time.
For example, writing this module is an action item

from my task list. But I can break the module into
smaller pieces such that each sub section is a small-
er task. I can break each sub section down even
further, by viewing each paragraph as a mini task.
Now, if I just focused on completing one paragraph
at a time, suddenly it becomes easier to focus on
and do.
If I focused on just one paragraph at a time (and felt

like a rock star after completing each one), soon I’d
be done writing the sub-section. Repeat that a few
times and I’d be done writing the module. Repeat
that and soon, I’d be done writing the guide.
We are much more likely to take action on a 5 or

15 minute task than on a 2 hour task. So, schedule
your tasks that way—break them down into small
tasks and mini tasks—to make them more attrac-
tive to tackle.
Action Time:
• Take one task you want to tackle next and
break it into even smaller chunks—5 to 15 min-

ute mini tasks.
• Take one tiny action now. This tiny action can

be very small, such as scheduling something in
your calendar, sending a quick email or putting
one thing away from a messy surface.
4. Create a Habit with Momentum

“It is not what we get, but who we become,
what we contribute that gives meaning to our
lives.” ~Anthony Robbins
Baby steps + Consistent action = Momentum.
If you can take the same action everyday, even if it

was just for a short amount of time, you will create
the momentum to repeat that same action the next
day. Repeated action creates the neural pathways
and habitual patterns for you to move past resis-
tance.
Do you think about brushing your teeth everyday?

Probably not because you do it everyday. You au-
tomatically start brushing when the anticipated time
comes--before bed and after you wake up.
The same mental wiring can be formed by your

repeated action to create any habit—whether it is
completing a project, writing a book, exercise, or
waking up early. Once a habit is established, you
can use it to achieve any goal.
The Secret to Forming Habits

Sometimes, people find it hard to form good habits
because they get too ambitious and want to make
drastic changes overnight. While that is possible, it
isn’t usually sustainable in the long run. The large
gap between the change and where we are now
makes it appear too painful and overwhelming for
our brains to accept. And so it will rebel stubbornly
with resistance.
The trick is to start with a small, non-overwhelming,

non-intimidating, and easy action. And then repeat
it everyday at the same time. Making changes to
the action gradually over time to handle more.
Our biggest excuse is “I don’t have enough time.”

Armed with this knowledge, let’s create a scenario
such that we can no longer use this excuse. Start
with a small action that will only take 5 minutes. We
can all find 5 minutes out of our day.
For example, if you want to write, instead of try-

ing to sit down to write for 30 minutes everyday,

commit to writing for 5 minutes everyday. Instead of
trying to meditate for 20 minutes everyday, commit
to meditating for just 1 minute or 5 minutes every
morning.
Instead of trying to wake up at 5am, commit to wake

up 10 minutes earlier than usual. Instead of trying to
go for an hour-long workout each morning, commit
to jumping out of bed to do just 1 push up or 1 jump-
ing jack. Start with that and gradually increase.
Use Habits to Achieve Any Goal

We really can’t use the excuse that we don’t have
enough time. There are plenty of examples in which
people achieve extraordinary results using their part
time resources. If you can form the habit to take ac-
tion, you really can achieve just about any goal.
I’ve seen single mothers build highly profitable busi-

nesses by doing consistent work, early in the morn-
ing, every morning.
I’ve seen guys achieve phenomenal fitness goals

by working diligently and consistently everyday at
the gym.
I’ve seen fathers who work fulltime jobs build online

empires strictly in their evenings after the kiddies

are asleep.
Time and time again, I’ve seen these examples of

dedicated people taking action, day after day. And
they achieve results that other people admire (and
envy) from a distance.
My point is stop complaining, start taking action,

and then repeat it the next day. Completing some-
thing is easier than we think.
Action Time:
• What one habit do you want to create?
• What one baby step will you take each day, for
the next 21 days? Commit to doing that every-
day for the next 21 days.
5. Tell People
Similar to setting a deadline, social accountability
is a powerful and motivational tool that can light a
fire under our butts to follow through and complete
a project.
I’ve found it incredibly helpful to publicly declare

what I’m up to. In fact, the more people I tell, the

less likely I’ll back out, and the more likely I’ll stick
to my plans.
If the project matters to you, tell other people, es-

pecially people who’s opinions you care about. By
doing so, the social pressure will hold you account-
able to get it done.
It’s brilliant. As you work on your project, you’ll ex-

perience a lot of resistance, and you’ll want to scrap
the project. This accountability will keep you from
scrapping your project out of fear that it won’t be
good enough. So, if the project is important to you,
if you really want to see it realized, then do yourself
a favor and publicly declare what you’re up to.
In my case, I announced it on my TSN Insider’s

mailing list, and on my blog. Then if I backed out
from the project I would feel embarrassed that I had
promised so many people. Without this accountabil-
ity in place, I probably would have given up on the
project many weeks ago.
The biggest, and final push for myself was when

I announced a launch date and started accepting
pre-orders. When I put out the launch announce-
ment, I was nowhere close to being finished. But I
knew that by setting a date and publicly announcing
it, I would find a way to make it happen. Pressure is
still the most effective tool to help us get focused.

For me, by telling people my plans, it created sev-
eral benefits:
• Motivation - When people email me, they’ll

remark, “How’s the book project coming?”
or “Hope the project is coming along nicely.”
These remarks act like an imaginary whip, re-
minding me of my commitment to complete the
project.
• Support – Because I constantly share updates

and goals with my husband, he is taking extra
steps to be supportive. He helps by taking more
responsibilities in watching our son, and pro-
vides extra emotional support when I’m feeling
stuck. Similarly, when I’m feeling extra resis-
tance, I’ll mention it on Facebook, and people
will comment with words of encouragement.
• Help – When I was starting to slip from my

deadlines and was having a hard time focus-
ing, my friend Ishita (who’s opinion I value)
helped me with a motivational talk that whipped
me back into shape. She helped me set a final
(and tight) deadline. Because I cared about her
opinion, the external pressure from her dead-
line forced me to get focused again. When I
got focused, I got more creative as well, which
ultimately was the push I needed to getting this
project completed.

Action Time:
• Write out a list of people’s names, or groups of
people, who you will tell your goals to. These
are the people who’s opinions you care about,
and who will be supportive.
• Tell at least one person or group from your list.

Tell them what you’re up to. Share with them
your milestone and your first deadline date.
Don’t over think it. Don’t over complicate it.
Send them a quick email now—it shouldn’t take
more than a few minutes to do.
6. Say No
In the last session, we covered the concept of clear-
ing up space. Given that we have a limited amount of
waking hours everyday, we have to make tradeoffs
with how we spend our time if we want to add some-
thing new to the equation.
Often, the people in our lives will add social pres-

sure in persuading us into doing things that we don’t
want to do, which benefit them. In these cases, we
have to jump on the “no train” and learn to say no.
Many of us, tend to overpromise because we are

hardwired to want to please other people. And once

we make a promise, we will give everything we’ve
got to stay consistent with that promise. What hap-
pens is, we end up giving so much energy that we
end up feeling exhausted and depleted.
So, in the spirit of protecting your energy, you have

to say no. Practice saying no without feeling guilt.
Practice saying no without excuses.
“No thank you. I don’t want to do that.”

“No, that’s not a good fit for me. Thank you for
thinking of me.”
7. Clear Your Mind

I usually have a lot going on at once, and trying
to keep track of everything mentally is exhausting.
Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I can bet that it’s be-
cause I am trying to keep too much in my head.
The noises in my mind become mental clutter, which

then clouds my judgment, makes me feel over-
whelmed, keeps me feeling fearful, and causes me
to act out of confusion.
Our state of mind is reflected in our work and often

in the results our work produces. If we take action
out of clarity, that clarity is reflected in our work. If
we take action out of overwhelming confusion, our

work will feel scattered.
Clearing your mind has many benefits. One main

benefit is that it alleviates overwhelming confusion,
thus allowing us to better focus. Mental clarity also
opens up unoccupied mental space, allowing you
to be creative.
Here are 3 things you can do to clear your mind:
• Brain Dump – On a piece of paper or note-

book, write out everything you are thinking.
Write without editing. Look at it as a direct
dump of thoughts to paper. You are merely tran-
scribing what you hear in your mind. The words
don’t have to make sense. They don’t have to
form proper sentences. They can be rude, vio-
lent, embarrassing, silly, stupid, weird, or good.
Don’t judge it. Just dump it. Keep writing until
your mind has nothing else to say.
• Create Master To-do List – Instead of keeping

all the tasks you want to do in your head, get
them down on paper. Create a master to-do list
and write down all that you want to get done.
Whenever you have a new task, write it down
immediately. Get it out of your head.
• Watch Your Language – Stop saying and

thinking the statements that will keep you feel-
ing overwhelmed and mentally cluttered, such

as, “I’m so overwhelmed, I don’t know what to
do…” Catch yourself saying or thinking this,
and either stop by taking a deep breath, or
changing your phrasing such that it reflects
what you want, such as, “I was overwhelmed,
but I am clearing my mind now. I will have clar-
ity in a minute.”
• Meditation – I personally think this is the quick-

est way to find clarity and quiet the noise in our
minds. But the practice of it can be hard to keep
up, because our mind will try to convince us
that sitting quietly is boring and a waste of time.
Trust me in saying that this is the most effective
way to get out of a mental funk. Whenever you
feel overwhelmed or scattered, simply close
your eyes, and just focus on your breath. If your
mind wanders, just gently bring your awareness
back to your breath. Better yet, create the habit
of daily meditation, where you practice sitting
silently for 5-20 minutes. Refer to session 1 for
details on how to meditate.

8. Prioritize
“I’m keenly aware of the Principle of Priority,
which states (a) you must know the difference
between what is urgent and what is important,
and (b) you must do what’s important first.”
Steven Pressfield
We are all busy. We all have large to-do lists filled

with tasks, many of which we’ll never get to.
Our day can be occupied by so many small, urgent

and unimportant tasks such that we will never have
time for the important stuff.
Have you ever had days where you were being pulled
in various directions by various demands, before
realizing that an entire day has passed, and noth-
ing important from your list was accomplished?
The solution to this is simple: Prioritize. Do the most

important things first, then do everything else.
Schedule Priorities First

When planning your week, schedule the most im-
portant tasks first on your calendar, and then sprin-

kle everything else in. When we take care of the im-
portant stuff first, the urgent but unimportant tasks
will sort themselves out.
If your relationship is important to you, don’t wait

until your relationship is on the verge of collapsing
before fixing it. Make it a priority to spend quality
time connecting with that person regularly.
If health is important to you (and it should be for

every one of us), don’t wait until you have an illness
to take care of yourself. Make conscious eating and
exercise a priority. Schedule workouts into your cal-
endar before everything else. Make it a priority to
have regular and healthy meals, everyday.
If completing a particular project is important to

you, spend time on that project as the first thing you
do, everyday. Do it before checking email, before
browsing the web, before any other task.
Don’t wait until you’re depleted and exhausted be-

fore scheduling periods of rest and quality alone
time. Do it now. Schedule time for you first.

Action Time:
• What are the important things you like to incor-
porate into your schedule? When? What will
that look like? Write it down.
• At the start of everyday, pick out 1 to 3 items

as your highest priorities for the day. Do noth-
ing else until these items are completed. Do not
pick more than 3.
9. Give Yourself Rewards

To motivate yourself, setup small rewards in ex-
change for taking action and moving forward on
your plan.
On a piece of paper, write the title “Rewards” and

write out a list of activities you enjoy and want to do.
Then use these activities as “bait” to motivate your-
self. While you’re working, if you feel pulled to do
something other than your work, add that activity to
the list to be rewarded later.
Before doing work for the day, decide in advance

what you plan to accomplish, and what you will re-
ward yourself with once you’re done.
You know yourself best. Add to the list activities that

may feel like a waste of time but that you enjoy, or
activities that you like but don’t have time for.
Here are some examples: watching a TV show,

reading a chapter in a yummy book, checking email,
browsing Facebook, going for a walk, doing some
yoga, watching an online video, etc.
Personal Example
I am a “seminar junkie”. I love personal development
workshops—live or recorded. If I had the chance, I
could literally sit, listen, study and indulge in per-
sonal development or spiritual growth material all
day long! Seriously.
Armed with that knowledge, I use workshops, home

study programs and books as a reward to motivate
myself.
Right now, I’ve been dying to take the strength per-

sonality test from Marcus Buckingham’s book “Now,
Discover Your Strengths.” But I haven’t, because
I am using it as a dangling carrot for me to com-
plete the writing of this module—with it being my
reward.
Similarly, as I mentioned earlier, I’ve created a per-

sonal rule not to attend any in-person events or do

any home study programs until I’ve completed a
major project. I’ll go find something that I want to
attend, or work through and then use that as a mo-
tivating factor to complete my work.
During the day, when I reach mini-goals, such as

writing 500 words or completing a sub section, I’ll
reward myself with a quick 5-10 minute motivational
video on YouTube, or a cup of hot Chai, or a peak at
Facebook, or I’ll sit in the sun in our backyard.
We are really very simple. Little things make us im-

mensely happy. Use rewards to motivate yourself
into making progress in the direction that you want
to go.
10. Create Positive Self Image

“You have powers you never dreamed of. You
can do things you never thought you could do.
There are no limitations in what you can do ex-
cept the limitations of your own mind.”
Darwin P. Kingsley
We briefly covered the benefits of positive affirma-

tions in session 5, when we converted our core val-
ues (essential qualities) into personalized affirma-

tions. Here, we’ll talk a little more about affirmations
in a general sense to help us complete our proj-
ects.
I used to think that affirmations and the law of at-

traction were pretty mystical, since I didn’t under-
stand why they worked. Thus, I was ecstatic, when
I accidentally discovered an alternative explanation
rooted in social psychology—the psychology of per-
suasion—that explained the power of affirmations.
In his astounding book “Influence”, Dr. Robert Cial-

dini goes into great depth to present various studies
supporting the concept of our desire to commit and
be consistent. Here’s a blurb from the summaries:
“Psychologists have long recognized a desire

in most people to be and look consistent with-
in their words, beliefs, attitudes, and deeds.
This tendency for consistency is fed from three

sources. First, good personal consistency is
highly valued by society. Second, aside from its
effect on public image, generally consistent con-
duct provides a beneficial approach to daily life.
Third, a consistent orientation affords a valu-

able shortcut through the complexity of mod-
ern existence. By being consistent with earlier
decisions, one reduces the need to process all

the relevant information in future similar situa-
tions; instead, one merely needs to recall the
earlier decision and to respond consistently
with it.”
We are hardwired to stay consistent with the lan-

guage we use to describe ourselves. This means
when we say or write a statement, it changes our
perception of our selves. When our self-image is
changed, we will try to stay consistent with our new
self-image using our actions.
So if you keep repeating “I’m overwhelmed” to other

people, even as a passing and casual remark, you
are actually changing your self-perception. Doing
so also alters your beliefs, and you will try to stay
consistent with this new belief and identify.
You will look for evidence for why you are over-
whelmed, and soon it becomes your truth. “Who
am I? I’m overwhelmed.” This will become your au-
tomatic response.
If you want to have more time, stop repeating, “I

don’t have enough time.” Or “I’m busy, I never have
time.”
If you want to have a better relationship, stop com-

plaining about your relationship, stop picking out all
that is wrong with your partner.

If you want organization, stop repeating, “I’m a
messy person. I’ll never get my house organized.”
If you want to express your creativity, stop repeat-

ing, “I’m not creative.”
If you want clarity, stop repeating, “I don’t have clar-

ity. I don’t know what to do.”
You get the point.
The Power of
Positive Affirmations
I included this as part of the follow through formu-
la—to complete any result—because this is an
important concept that can help us to overcome
roadblocks we encounter on our trek to fulfilling our
project’s destiny.
These roadblocks will make the task and our proj-

ect seem impossibly difficult. In these times, and
even before we are confronted with them it would
be wise to use positive affirmations to create an
empowered self image to help us move along.
How to do this?
Take a list of what you want (your goals) and con-

vert each one into affirmations—positive statements

spoken in the present tense. For example:
• I am organized.
• I am creative.
• I have clarity within me. I will see it very soon.
• I have plenty of time for everything that I need.
• I am surrounded by abundance.
• I am secure.
• I am safe
• I am deeply loved.
Whenever you find yourself saying a statement that

you don’t actually want, turn the sentence around
and make it into a positive and empowering state-
ment instead. Here are some examples:
• “I can’t afford that” to “I choose to not spend

money on that now”.
• “I am too busy” to “I seem to be busy, but I

won’t be busy for long. My life is simplifying as
we speak.”
• “I don’t have enough time to do [X]” to “I have

plenty of time. I choose not to do [X] right now.”

Make sure to write these affirmations on paper.
Then repeat them out loud if possible. Remember,
the act of writing is a form of commitment that tells
your subconscious mind that this is what you want
to see show up in your life.
Here are some examples of positive affirmations

that may be conducive to following through and tak-
ing action:
• I can do it.
• Everything is falling into place.
• This book/product/service/creation/business (I
am creating) is going be <bleep>’ing amazing!
• I am stronger than I think.
• I can finish this.
• This is fun.
• I am creative and I will offer immense value.
• I trust myself.
Action Time:
• What are some disempowering thoughts that
you notice yourself repeating? Write these out

in bullet points.
• Commit to wiping these words out of your vo-

cabulary.
• For each disempowering thought, turn it around

to a positive statement. Write the new state-
ment next to it.
• What else do you want? Create a list of positive

statements that describe how you want to feel,
do, or be. Review session 5, and bring over
some affirmations you created based on your
essential qualities.
• Review this list of affirmations regularly.

11. Keep it Simple
“To change one’s life: 1. Start immediately.
2. Do it flamboyantly. 3. No exceptions.”
William James
Think Simple Now! Just kidding. Well, sort of.
One of the most common roadblocks I have wit-

nessed, both in myself and in others, is the tenden-
cy to over complicate things. This shows up in try-
ing to scrutinize every little detail, getting everything
perfect, over planning, over thinking, and generally
making things more difficult than they need to be.
We justify the need to complicate things with “I want

it to be just right.” or “I want it to be perfect.” In our
minds, we start to drift into the fantasy of creating
the most beautiful, awesome and impressive result
in anything that we work on.
The problem with this line of thinking and doing is

that projects take longer and more difficult to com-
plete, unnecessarily. And often, complication is the
death to projects.

How to Keep It Simple?
“Life is really simple, but
we insist on making it complicated.”
Confucius
For any project—whether you are writing a book,

creating a play, setting up a website—your goal is
to, as quickly as possible, get the first version or the
first iteration of your project done. Get the first ver-
sion done without the bells and whistles.
For the first iteration, your goal isn’t to get it right or

to get it perfect. Your goal is completion, as fast as
possible. Stay bare boned. Implementing only the
most essential features. Don’t worry about making
it look attractive.
If you are writing a book, the first iteration is your

first draft. Once you’re done with your first draft,
then you can go through the content spine to re-
write, to edit, then to polish.
If you are creating a piece of online software, your

first iteration is a functional site with the essential
features - without design or anything extra.
Think incremental changes. You can always go back

to refine it in later iterations. You can always work
on the design later. Focus on creating the skeleton
of the project, on which you can hang the details of
your creation.
Don’t over think it.
Keep it simple.
Just get it done.

“ We are now face with the fact, my
friends, that tomorrow is today. We are
confronted with the fierce urgency of
now. In this unfolding conundrum of
life and history, there is such a thing as
being too late.
Procrastination is still the thief of

time. Life often leaves us standing
bare, naked, and dejected with a lost
opportunity.
The tide in the affairs of men does not

remain at flood—it ebbs. We may cry
out desperately for time to pause in
her passage, but time is adamant to
every plea and rushes on. Over the
bleached bones and jumbled residues
of numerous civilizations are written the
pathetic words, ‘Too late.’ ”
~Martin Luther King, Jr

Parting Words
“ We must be willing to let go of the life we
have planned, so as to have the life that is
waiting for us.
”
E.M. Forster
Learning about our selves is a life long and very

exciting journey. I hope the processes in this guide
gave you useful insight and that you are inspired to
continue on this journey of learning and self-explo-
ration.
Remember that nothing is set in stone. As you grow,

your horizons will expand and so will your interests.
Your purpose and values won’t necessarily remain
static. Be open to change. Don’t be afraid to come
back and to reexamine the new you.
Experiences are like clothing. You don’t know what

it’ll feel like until you try it on. So go ahead. Try stuff
on. Because that’s what life is about: experiences
and the meaning we give to them.
This is just the beginning.

You are in the driver’s seat. Your future is up to you
to create. What will you do?
Regardless of what you will do, remember to go

slowly, enjoy yourself, chose to see good, savor the
moment, and live fully. After all, this moment is all
that we have.
Love,
Tina Su
http://thinksimplenow.com
P.S. Drop me a line here (http://bit.ly/dyn-feed-

back) with your thoughts and feedback. I’d love to
hear about any insights you’ve had. If anything from
this guide created a positive experience for you,
please let me know.

4
Resources
“ The basis of life is freedom; the result
of life is expansion—and the purpose
of life is joy.
”
Abraham Hicks
The following are some of the most influential books,

which have forever shaped the way I view and ex-
perience life. If you’ve connected with any of the
ideas from this guide, you will find some of them in
detail in the following books. I’ve prioritized the list in
order of relevancy to the topics we’ve discussed.
The War of Art – Creative battles with fear and how

to take action despite resistance. This is an impor-
tant book for anyone who wants to complete any
type of creative or entrepreneurial endeavor. By
Steven Pressfield.
The Greatest Secret of All – Simple steps to abun-

dance, fulfillment, and a life well lived. Written by the
publisher for New World Library. Marc is a talented
composer, writer and teacher. By Marc Allen.
Do the Work – All about taking action. A favorite of

mine, that inspires and motivates me to take action
on meaningful projects. I have a hardcover copy of
this book permanently parked on my desk, remind-
ing me to “dive in, baby.” By Steven Pressfield.
Poke the Box – About starting things and complet-

ing things. Short essays that will motivate you to
jump up and get to work on something you care
about. This book goes hand-in-hand with Do the
Work and The War of Art. By Seth Godin.
The Architect of Abundance – Seven foundations

to prosperity. Written by the mother and manager of
popular singer Jewel. This is a memoir that contains
many enlightening and insightful theories about life,
success and happiness. By Lenedra J. Carroll.
Anything You Want – Extremely quick read (under

an hour) containing 40 life and business lessons
on how Derek Sivers built and sold a $22 million
company. Insightful, direct, inspiring and filled with
wit. Mostly, I think this book is about happiness and
how to be a good human. By Derek Sivers.
The Millionaire Fastlane – Unconventional wisdom

on the accumulation of wealth. One of the most well
written and genuine books I’ve read. In addition to
practical wisdom on money and financial freedom,
MJ reminds us of the preciousness of time. By MJ
Demarco.

The Power of Now – A guide to spiritual enlighten-
ment. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve
undoubtedly heard me rave about how important
this book is. It’s simple, clear and beautifully writ-
ten. This one I recommend for anyone. By Eckhart
Tolle.
Money & The Law of Attraction – Don’t let the title

fool you. This gem of a book goes beyond the ac-
quisition of money, and dives deep into the creation
of a beautiful life. Highly recommend it. By Esther &
Jerry Hicks.
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway – Dynamic tech-

niques for turning fear, indecision, and anger into
power, action, and love. By Susan J. Jeffers.
The Magic of Thinking Big – Acquire the secrets

of success. Achieve everything you’ve always want-
ed. By David J. Schwartz.
Personality Tests
Now Discover Your Strengths or Strength Find-
er 2.0 – Insightful online personality test to find your
personal strengths. Very cool assessment. Make
sure to buy a new copy of the book. Each book
comes with a unique code for the test.

Myers-Briggs Test (Free) – A free test that helps to
identify your personality type. By Human Metrics.
Websites
I follow very few websites. But here are some web-
sites I want you to know about that are related to
the topics discussed in this guide.
Philosopher’s Notes – Have you ever wished that

you had time to read every inspiring personal devel-
opment book our there? Well, now you can. Brian
Johnson went out and read 200 of the best per-
sonal development books and created simple and
easy to digest notes for each of these books. In 20
minutes, you can listen to it on audio or read the
empowering ideas and powerful quotes from each
book. This is one of my favorite things in the world.
I listen to Brian whenever I’m in the car. I love, love,
love this. I always feel pumped and energized af-
ter listening to one of his notes. Go on over and
check out Volume 1 (Click drop down to pay a lower
price—starting at $20 for 100 notes).
Fearless Magazine – Ever wonder how other peo-

ple overcome fear? Ishita Gupta created this incred-
ibly inspiring and beautifully designed online maga-
zine that interviews successful and inspiring people

on their own stories of overcoming and facing our
deepest fears. Did I mention that its also Free? Go
on over and sign up to receive future issues of the
magazine. Also check out past issues.
White Hot Truth - Danielle La Port is a savvy and

incredible business strategist. In my eye, she’s a
goddess with loads of wisdom about business and
life. When she teaches, I listen.
Illuminated Mind – Jonathan Mead is a down-to-

earth, unconventional career transition coach. He
helps people get paid to be who they are and work
on their own terms.
Sivers.org – Lots of interesting, insightful, bite sized

pieces of wisdom. I always learn something new.
My Favorite Things
Japanese Shakuhachi Flute – Meditative and in-
credibly peaceful instrumental music. I listen to this
when I write, journal, and want to feel serene and
happy.
Blick Hardbound Sketchbook – My favorite jour-

nal. I prefer the larger one for journaling and soul
searching, and the smaller one for carrying around

in my bag to capture ideas.
Best Pen in the World – I love these pens. They

write so well, and the roller glides smoothly on pa-
per. You feel smart just using them.
Tazo Chai Tea Latte – This is what I use to make

Chai at home. One part tea concentrate and one
part milk (or soy milk), heat on stove until hot. Yum.
Same formula used at Starbucks.
Kindle Wifi – I love this device so much. Built in

dictionary, highlighter, social media sharing, and
best of all portability (no more lugging around a
stack of books when I leave the house). You really
don’t need the 3G version unless you do extensive
traveling. Even then, wifi is so prevalent, I’ve never
needed the 3G capabilities.

About the Author
Tina owns and manages a network of sites, several of
which are related to personal empowerment—viewed more
than half a million times a month by people from over 200
countries. She likes to write, learn new things, and take
photographs. She values personal freedom and love. She
is enamored with finding ways to make people smile and
feel connected. She is also a fan of the colors pink + red.
To learn more, visit thinksimplenow.com or join us on

Facebook at facebook.com/thinksimplenow.

Smile :)
w w w.thinksimplenow.com

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Discover

Tina Su Discover your life purpose.

Made on a  with love.

104 Freedom From Fear

186 Parting Words

I know that each of us has the capacity to do great

As you read this, you may not believe this about

In any event, here we are. Something attracted you

As curious and intelligent souls, we want a deeper

612 Left Discover You Now12 Left thinksimplenow.com

In this guide, we are going to take a journey togeth-

With a set of tools and simple processes, we’re go-

Later in the guide, we will design your ideal work,

Lastly, the guide ends with a set of practical and

Let’s get started.

thinksimplenow.com12 Left Discover You Now12 Left 712 Lef

This guide is a self-directed, life-enrichment work-

As a home-study workshop, it is not meant to be

Are you ready for a transformation?

If yes, then commit several evenings or an entire

Here are a few things I want to quickly cover so that

812 Left Discover You Now12 Left thinksimplenow.com

• Something to Write On - A notebook or a stack

• Pens – Anything will do, but if you have the op-

• Uninterrupted Time – Block out an hour for

• (Optional) Printer – Unless you have a portable

thinksimplenow.com12 Left Discover You Now12 Left 912 Lef

• (Optional) Something Warm to Drink – There

• Actually Write – It is important to actually write

• Free Writing - For each question write out the

1012 Left Discover You Now12 Left thinksimplenow.com

• Honesty – The goal is to write the most candid

• Enjoy - Remember to smile and to breath as

One small thing before we get started. Will you

Did you do it? Okay, good.

thinksimplenow.com12 Left Discover You Now12 Left 1112 Le

“I have been avoiding doing this exercise because

So if you feel hesitation or resistance, know that it

One thing that may calm our fear of the unknown

You can say to yourself, “Let me play this game

See you in the next module.

1212 Left Discover You Now12 Left thinksimplenow.com

In this module, we will walk through a series of ex-

If you have done the 15-questions exercise from

Even if you’ve done similar exercises in the past,

If you asked yourself, “What is my life purpose?”

thinksimplenow.com12 Left Discover You Now12 Left 1512 Le

“ Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while

Within every one of us lies a vast space of wisdom,

The fastest way to access this space of presence is

The purpose of this meditation is to give us a mo-

Only in the stillness of our being can we hear the

In this session, we will dwell in silence for at least

1612 Left Discover You Now12 Left thinksimplenow.com

• Sit Upright - Sit somewhere comfortable where

• Hands – Relax both hands, and rest them wher-

• Straight Back – Try to sit with your back straight,

• Close Your Eyes

• Start with Your Breath – Notice the inhale and

thinksimplenow.com12 Left Discover You Now12 Left 1712 Le

• Focus on One Point of Focus – Put all your

If this is your first time meditating, or if you haven’t

For the purpose of this process, I recommend sit-