Slow Growth Academy

Simple Habits
WORKBOOK
 E XE RCISE 1

Real Talk
This exercise corresponds to the lesson “Why habits are so effective”.

So, why do you think you’ve failed to build habits in the past? Try to avoid excuses. Instead of saying
“I didn’t have time”, you might write “I didn’t make it a priority”. (Brownie points for honesty).

Alright, now that you’ve gotten that out of your system it’s time to write a letter to yourself.
Find the words to forgive these past failures (and challenge yourself on the growth that’s yet to come).
 E XE RCISE 2

A Day in the Dream Life

This exercise corresponds to the lesson “A minimalist approach to change”.

Alright space cadet, suit up! It’s time to get creative. I want you to imagine your dream day from the
moment you wake up. It’s okay if it feels unrealistic (that’s how you know you’re on the right track).

What does your morning look like? What time do you wake up? What city do you find yourself
in? What do you eat for breakfast? (Bonus points if it’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch). Do you have
any personal time before your day starts? What do you do with that time?

Let’s imagine this is a weekday. How do you fill it? Are you working on a passion project?
Who are you spending your day with?

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What are you doing for lunch? Are you eating at your desk or picking out a salad from your
favorite cafe? Are you eating alone or with a friend?

And how do you spend your evening? Are you going out for drinks or staying in and reading a
book? Are you making travel plans or working late on your next big project? Are you snacking
on peanut butter right out of the jar (or is that just me)?

How does this day make you feel? Are you happy, fulfilled, excited, nervous? All the above?
Spill your guts.
 E XE RCISE 3

Translating Big Leaps

into Small Steps
This exercise corresponds to the lesson “A minimalist approach to habits”.

This exercise separates the space ninjas from the noobs. It’s time to get clear on your values. These
questions are tough but they will help to reinforce the small steps you need to take. If none of the values
below align with your dream day, take a step back and figure out why there’s a discrepancy. Sometimes
we pay lip service to things because we think that’s what we’re supposed to do. Dig deep and be honest
with yourself and what you really want.

What’s most important to you? What would you do if money weren’t a factor?

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Who do you want to spend your time with? It could be a type of person (e.g. creatives, adventurers, etc.)
or it could be an actual human being (Keanu Reeves doesn’t count). They say you are the five people you
surround yourself with so choose carefully.

This is going to sound creepy but… write your own eulogy. What do you want to be known for? What will
people say about you when you die? (I know, super deep).

Okay you’re back to life now . Outline a goal that aligns with your dream day and what you want to be
known for (e.g. I want to “live a more active lifestyle”.)

I want to...

Now what is one small daily change that can help you get there. What’s the one habit you want to build
today? There’s no room for hesitation…

I’m going to...

See what you just did there? You just translated your big leap into a small step. Way to go
 E XE RCISE 4

Put Your “Why” Into Words

This exercise corresponds to the lesson “The Truth about Motivation”.

List five sources of inspiration that you can come back to when you’re feeling in a rut. I’ve included some
suggestions in the resources. Apart from your actual circle of family & friends these will be your mentors
and life coaches.

It’s time to get even more clear on your “why”. Your “why” is going to be your guiding north star on your
journey to change. Why do you want to make this change in your life? What will happen if you’re able to
make it stick?
 E XE RCISE 4
The Simple Habit Tracker
I’m going to
SUN MON TUE WED THURS FRI SAT
Slow Growth Academy
 E XE RCISE 5

Design Your Environment

For Success
This exercise corresponds to the lesson “Control your environment”.

How might your environment be holding you back from your habit goals? Where do you store your snacks
and charge your phone? How do you organize your desk space?

Now come up with three ways that you can control your environment to help you stay committed to your
habit (it could be as simple as a post-it, preparing your gym clothes the night before a workout or placing
vitamins next to your bathroom sink).

Okay now that you’re done with that go make these changes, already!
 E XE RCISE 6

Treat Yourself
This exercise corresponds to the lesson “Rewards and Anti-Rewards”.

Choose one small reward that could help to reinforce your habit loop. For example, “If I write my novel
for 3 hours, I’ll reward myself with 30 minutes of Netflix”. Make it specific, measurable and realistic. You
might not reward yourself in this way each day but it can be a powerful motivator when you are fighting off
resistance.

If I...

I will reward myself with...

Now choose one big reward to help you celebrate your next habit milestones. For example, the reward
might be a nice bottle of whiskey (I know that’s what I’d go with).

If I commit to this habit for 30 days I will reward myself with...

If I commit to this habit for 100 days I will reward myself with...

Keep this practice going past 100 days because lifelong change means celebrating the wins along
the way!
 E XE RCISE 7

Put Your “Why” Out Into

The World
This exercise corresponds to the lesson “The Power of Accountability”.

Accountability is one of the strongest forces that will aid you on the road to forming new habits. What
are some of the ways you plan to create accountability for yourself? (Make it actionable and then make it
happen).

It’s time to put your “why” out into the world. What habit have you been working on? Why are you so
committed to making this change? When you’re finished writing I want you to type this up and share it on
social media (if you don’t have social media email it to a friend). I don’t care if it’s Instagram or Twitter. I
just want you to publicly share it with your social circle. Tell them what you’re working on and why it’s so
important to you. Ask them to keep you accountable. Use the hashtag #slowgrowth and tag @slowgrowth
to share it with our community.
 E XE RCISE 8

Make The Investment

This exercise corresponds to the lesson “Invest in Yourself”.

Sometimes even the bravest space cowboys & girls experience the creep of self-doubt. It’s time to
recognize that you are worth investing in. What are some of the self-limiting doubts that might be holding
you back?

What can you give yourself credit for? Write down one thing you’ve accomplished in the past week that
you’re proud of. (hint: it may even be as simple as completing exercises 1 - 7 of this workbook )

How can you invest in yourself for the efforts you’ve made since you began your habit journey? It might be
buying something small like a new journal or it could be something big like a digital workout series.
 E XE RCISE 9

Reframe Your Failures

This exercise corresponds to the lesson “The Truth about Progress”.

At the beginning of this course you wrote a letter forgiving yourself for your past failures. I want you to
take the next few minutes to write about what failure means to you now. What have you learned from your
past mistakes? How might you be able to reframe failure as a small step towards growth?