5 DAYS TO YOUR BEST YEAR EVER WORKBOOK GET CLEAR, GET MOTIVATED, GET STARTED. MICHAEL HYATT

Transcription

1 5 DAYS TO YOUR BEST YEAR EVER WORKBOOK GET CLEAR, GET MOTIVATED, GET STARTED. MICHAEL HYATT

2 INTRODUCTION Congratulations on taking a huge step toward making this your best year ever! I m thrilled to welcome you to the course. I can t wait to hear what you ll achieve this year as a result of what you learn. As I said in the videos, I designed this course for busy, high-achievers like you. The curriculum is very concentrated and intended to get you up and running toward your goals faster than you ever thought possible. As you prepare to begin, here are three strategies to help you get the most out of this course: 1. Make an appointment with yourself: You ve heard it before. If it doesn t get scheduled it doesn t get done. So, right now, before you do anything else, block out thirty to forty-five minutes a day for the next five days. 2. Complete the exercises: Choose today to fully plan out this year. Don t settle for being a spectator. The exercises are designed to create breakthroughs, so don t miss out. 3. Finish the course: How often have you bought a book or course and then let it collect dust on the shelf? Not this time. Make the commitment that you will complete all five lessons no matter what. Show up for yourself. Your transformation depends on it. If you follow these steps, I promise you, this will be your best year ever. I m cheering you on! Now, go get started. Warm Regards,

3 DAYONE ACHIEVE BREAKTHROUGH EXERCISE OVERVIEW In this section, l discussed what it takes to experience a breakthrough. As I said in the video, you have to willing to get out of your comfort zone. This is critical because breakthroughs precede any kind of transformation. In this lesson, I shared four reasons why you should move outside of your comfort zone: 1. To experience happiness 2. To grow as a person 3. To conquer fear 4. To inspire and influence others If you re willing to get out of your comfort zone and I know you are or you wouldn t have purchased this course then the transformation isn t far behind. EXERCISE INSTRUCTIONS Today s exercise will take you about twenty minutes to complete. I recommend that you turn off your phone, disconnect from your , and find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed to answer these questions. 1

4 EXERCISE QUESTIONS Q: In what areas of your life have you settled? A: 2

5 Q: When you think about those areas where you ve settled, how does that make you feel? A: 3

6 Q: What would it be like to experience a breakthrough in these areas? Visualize it. Feel it. Emotionally connect with that experience. Now describe it. A: 4

7 Q: What are the internal barriers that you need to overcome in order to experience a breakthrough? Are you really willing to get outside of your comfort zone? A: 5

8 DAYTWO REFLECT ON LAST YEAR EXERCISE OVERVIEW If you are committed to moving confidently into the future, you must first do business with the past. In the context of goal-setting, it s useful to evaluate the previous year, including its successes and failures, lessons and themes before attempting to create a different outcome in the months ahead. There are three elements to properly doing business with the past: 1. Acknowledge what happened. 2. Learn from the experience. 3. Adjust your behavior accordingly. At the end of the video, I shared the seven-question process I use to bring closure to the previous year. Each question is designed to help you examine what happened, what you want to repeat, and what you don t want to do again. EXERCISE INSTRUCTIONS Today s exercise will take longer than the others to complete probably about forty-five minutes to an hour, depending on how deep you go. 6

9 Don t be tempted to skip this one. Trust me on this, it is well worth your time. To get the most out of this exercise, again, reserve a block of time to complete the questions, eliminate distractions, and find a quiet place where you are able to think and reflect without being interrupted. EXERCISE QUESTIONS Q: What movie genre would best describe the past year of your life (e.g., adventure, tragedy, romance, drama, comedy, etc.)? A: Q: What two to three major themes kept recurring in your life last year? A: 7

10 Q: What accomplishments are you most proud of achieving last year? A: 8

11 Q: What do you feel you should have been acknowledged for but weren t? A: 9

12 Q: What disappointments or regrets did you experience last year? A: Q: What was missing from your life last year if you look back? Look at major areas of your life more time with your spouse, more time for strategic planning, more time to read books, etc. A: 10

13 Q: What were the major life lessons that you learned last year? Try to break them down into small statements. Examples: 1. There comes a point in every experience when I m too far in to quit, but almost certain I can t finish. If I keep moving forward, I ll eventually get to the other side. 2. Don t overthink the outcome; just do the next right thing. A: 11

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15 DAYTHREE TURN TO THE FUTURE EXERCISE OVERVIEW We re at the halfway point of the course, and here is where we turn from laying the groundwork and addressing the past to looking ahead to the future. In this video, I shared four practices for setting effective goals: 1. Write them down: Research shows us that just writing down our goals dramatically increases the probability that we will accomplish them. 2. Use S.M.A.R.T. goals: When setting goals, use this five-fold S.M.A.R.T. criteria. The five criteria are: Specific Measurable Actionable Realistic Time-Bound 3. Share selectively: Studies have shown that you are less likely to accomplish your goals if you share them indiscriminately. Conversely, you are more likely to achieve your goals if you share them with someone who is supportive. The lesson is to choose wisely. 4. Review regularly: Finally, make sure to set regular appointments with yourself to review the goals you set. This will ensure that they stay at the 13

16 forefront of your mind and help to consistently align your priorities with what you have already determined to be most important. EXERCISE INSTRUCTIONS Today s exercise will probably take you about twenty to thirty minutes to complete. This is where it gets exciting. I encourage you to get yourself in an inspired state. Maybe take a walk or run before you begin. Sit in a quiet place with a great view if you can. And, consider listening to an epic movie sound track to get you subconsciously connected to the importance of what you are doing. This is where the rubber meets the road. Designing your future begins now. EXAMPLES OF S.M.A.R.T. GOALS 1. Specific: Identify exactly what you want to accomplish. Bad: Publish a book. Good: Write a book proposal for The Life Plan Manifesto. 2. Measurable: Quantify the result. Bad: Earn more this year than last. Good: Earn $25,000 more this year than last. 3. Actionable: Start with an action verb, not a to-be verb. 14

17 Bad: Be more consistent in blogging. Good: Write two blog posts each week. 4. Realistic: Recognize and implement the power of incremental change over time. Bad: Qualify for the PGA Tour as a golfer. Good: Lower my golf handicap by four strokes. 5. Time-Bound: Set a specific deadline. Bad: I want to lose twenty pounds. Good: I will lose twenty pounds by December 31. EXERCISE QUESTIONS Q: Write down seven to ten S.M.A.R.T. goals. (Make sure to include noncareer goals too.) Make sure your goals are personally compelling. A: 15

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19 Q: Identify ONE push goal. (Remember, the idea here is to choose the goal that acts like a domino for all the others. Which one will be the catalyst to help you accomplish your entire list or most of it?) A: 17

20 DAYFOUR FIND YOUR MOTIVATION EXERCISE OVERVIEW I ve seen it time and time again. People lose their way because they lose their why. One of the most important aspects of achieving the goals you set is to get deeply connected with your motivations for each one. In fact, you can unleash a powerful source of personal motivation by taking four actions: 1. Identify your key motivations: Answer the following questions: Why is this goal important to me? What is at stake if I don t reach my goal? What is at stake if I do? 2. Record your key motivations: I recommend that you make a bulleted list of five to seven key motivations for each of your goals. 3. Prioritize your key motivations: As you look at the list you ve created, which one resonates most deeply with you emotionally? Put that goal at the top of your list. 4. Review your key motivations regularly: Just like I recommended that you do with your goals, you need to review your motivations on a regular basis. I keep mine underneath each goal in an Evernote document. You may want to do the same. 18

21 EXERCISE INSTRUCTIONS For this exercise, you ll want to set aside about thirty minutes. Again, try to set the stage for a breakthrough by avoiding distractions and interruptions. Step 1: On the following pages, list the S.M.A.R.T. goals you set yesterday. Step 2: Next, think of five to seven motivations for each of the goals you came up with yesterday. Step 3: Identify which one is most meaningful to you. Step 4: Enter your key motivation for each goal in the space labeled Key Motivation right below the spot where you recorded your goal. Goal 1 : Key Motivation : List of 5 7 Motivations : 19

22 Goal 2 : Key Motivation : List of 5 7 Motivations : 20

23 Goal 3 : Key Motivation : List of 5 7 Motivations : Goal 4 : Key Motivation : 21

24 List of 5 7 Motivations : Goal 5 : Key Motivation : List of 5 7 Motivations : 22

25 Goal 6 : Key Motivation : List of 5 7 Motivations : 23

26 Goal 7 : Key Motivation : List of 5 7 Motivations : Goal 8 : Key Motivation : 24

27 List of 5 7 Motivations : Goal 9 : Key Motivation : List of 5 7 Motivations : 25

28 Goal 10 : Key Motivation : List of 5 7 Motivations : 26

29 DAYFIVE MAKE IT HAPPEN EXERCISE OVERVIEW Can you believe you ve reached the end of the course? I m so proud of you. Only one thing stands between you and your goals getting started. This is the most important part of making this your best year ever. In order to begin, follow these seven steps: 1. Get off your but : Don t let your circumstances become an excuse. (e.g., I would love to train for a half-marathon BUT. ) 2. Don t overthink it: Extensive planning can often be a fancy way to procrastinate. Instead, get started and you ll figure things out along the way. 3. Break your goals down: In order to reach your goals, you just need to take the next action, then the next. When you think about your goals, break them down into bite-size chunks until you have gone the whole distance. 4. Get it on your calendar: If you re like most people, if it doesn t get on your calendar, it doesn t get done. You won t accomplish your goals in the leftover time, because most of us don t have any. 5. Honor your commitment: Take your goals seriously. Think of them as your solemn commitment to change, and honor them accordingly. 27

30 6. Maintain forward momentum: Each action you take builds momentum toward your goal. I recommend that you schedule time to work on your goals, possibly first thing in the morning when you have the smallest chance of getting derailed. 7. Celebrate your wins: If you don t celebrate your wins along the way, you ll lose the energy you need to reach the finish line. Make it a point to include those closest to you when you celebrate. This multiplies the meaning of the celebration. EXERCISE INSTRUCTIONS For this exercise, you ll want to set aside about thirty to forty-five minutes minutes. You ll want to have your favorite calendar app close at hand for the scheduling part of this assignment: Step 1: On the following pages, list the next action you need to take for each of your goals. Ask yourself, What s the very next thing I need to do to reach this goal? Step 2: Schedule a month s worth of appointments on your calendar to work on your goals. Step 3: Schedule a regular time to review your progress throughout the year. I do this once per quarter, but you could schedule it once per week or once per month; just make sure to get it on your calendar. Step 4: When you review your goals, ask yourself, What s holding me back? Identify the object, and get it out of the way. 28

31 Goal 1 : Next Action: Goal 2 : Next Action: Goal 3 : Next Action: Goal 4 : Next Action: 29

32 Goal 5 : Next Action: Goal 6 : Next Action: Goal 7 : Next Action: Goal 8 : Next Action: 30

33 Goal 9 : Next Action: Goal 10 : Next Action: Additional Notes: 31

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