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Workbook 4 of 5 · Days 8–10

Your direction

Mind, time and purpose: where your attention and your years go. Use this workbook alongside the lessons at indykarveli.com/course. Do one lesson a day, then fill in its pages here.

Name

Started on

In this workbook

Day 8 · Mind
Day 9 · Time
Day 10 · Purpose

The Selfmade Course · Workbook 4indykarveli.com · 1

Day 8 · Mind

Mind

The ideaWhen students wrote about a difficult experience for 15 minutes a day, four days in a row, they made fewer visits to the doctor in the months that followed (James Pennebaker’s expressive writing research, 1980s).

Do this today

1Set a timer for 15 minutes. Write your deepest thoughts and feelings about something that’s weighing on you. Use a separate sheet if you’d rather tear it up afterwards.

This week

✓Tick each day you kept it up.

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

SUN

Reflect

?How do I feel about it now that it’s on paper?

The honest note: later research is mixed, so expect a modest tool, not a cure. If the writing brings up more than you can handle, stop and talk to someone you trust or a professional.

The Selfmade Course · Workbook 4indykarveli.com · 2

Day 9 · Time

Time

The ideaAmong 6,271 people in four countries, those who spent money to save time reported greater life satisfaction. In an experiment, working adults were happier after a $40 time-saving purchase than a $40 material one (Whillans and colleagues, PNAS, 2017).

Do this today

1The tasks I dread most in a normal week:

2The one I’ll buy back, and how:

Pay for it

Trade it with someone

Simplify it

Drop it

3What I’ll do with the hour I get back:

This week

✓Tick each day you kept it up.

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

SUN

Reflect

?Where did the hour I bought back actually go?

The honest note: buying time takes money not everyone has, and the experiment was small. The hours with your family are usually the ones you’re protecting, not handing off.

The Selfmade Course · Workbook 4indykarveli.com · 3

Day 10 · Purpose

Purpose

The ideaIn a 14-year study of more than 6,000 Americans, people with a greater sense of purpose were less likely to die during the study, at every age (Hill and Turiano, Psychological Science, 2014).

Do this today

1Three versions of “I’m here to ___ for ___.”

2The one that feels most true (not most impressive):

3One hour next week that serves it:

Day

Time

This week

✓Tick each day you kept it up.

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

SUN

Reflect

?Did protecting that hour change how the week felt?

The honest note: this shows a link, not proof. Your sentence will change as your life changes. It only has to be true for now.

The Selfmade Course · Workbook 4indykarveli.com · 4