The Courage Playbook

How to use this playbook

This guide is designed to be worked through at your own pace. Each section contains practical exercises, reflection prompts, and concrete actions. Keep a journal dedicated to this work – your insights will build upon each other. Start with Section 1 and move forward when you feel ready.

Section 1: Identifying Your Hidden Treasures

Exercise 1: The Childhood Mirror

• List 5 activities that made you lose track of time as a child
• Note which of these still light you up today
• Identify any patterns in these activities (creating, helping others, solving puzzles, etc.)

Exercise 2: The Compliment Collector

• For one week, write down every compliment you receive
• Pay special attention to comments like “you make it look easy” or “I wish I could do that”
• These often point to natural talents we take for granted

Exercise 3: The Energy Audit

Create two columns:

• Activities that energize you
• Activities that drain you Circle the energizing activities that you’ve been treating as “just hobbies”

Section 2: Understanding Your Fear Patterns

Exercise 1: Fear Mapping

Complete these sentences:

• “I would try _____ if I wasn’t afraid of _____”
• “I’m worried that if I succeed, _____”
• “The worst that could happen is _____”
• “The best that could happen is _____”

Exercise 2: The Fear Interview

• Write a dialogue with your fear
• Ask it: “What are you trying to protect me from?”
• Listen without judgment and write down its concerns

Exercise 3: Evidence Collection

Create three lists:

1. Times you faced a fear and survived
2. Skills you’ve developed through past challenges
3. Support systems available to you now

Section 3: Building Your Courage Muscle

Daily Practices

1. The Tiny Courage Challenge

• Do one small brave thing each day
• Start with low-stakes actions (share an opinion, try a new route to work)
• Log each action and how it felt

2. The Rejection Practice

• Aim to get rejected once a week
• Ask for something you want but think you won’t get
• Record what happens (often, you’ll be surprised)

3. The Imperfection Exercise

• Deliberately do something imperfectly each day
• Share work-in-progress
• Notice the world doesn’t end

Section 4: Creating Your Support System

Exercise 1: The Inner Circle Audit

List people in your life who:

• Encourage your growth
• Challenge you constructively
• Make you feel safe to be vulnerable
• Share similar ambitions

Exercise 2: Accountability Structure

Create your personal accountability system:

• Choose a courage accountability partner
• Set specific check-in times
• Define what support looks like for you

Exercise 3: Environment Design

Create spaces that support your courage:

• Designate a specific area for practicing your craft
• Remove physical barriers to action
• Post visible reminders of your commitments

Section 5: Taking Strategic Action

The 90-Day Courage Plan

Week 1-2: Foundation Building

• Complete Sections 1-2 exercises
• Set up your accountability system
• Create your courage journal

Week 3-4: Small Steps

• Begin daily courage challenges
• Start sharing your work with one trusted person
• Document your progress

Week 5-8: Expanding Comfort Zone

• Increase visibility of your work
• Take on bigger challenges
• Review and adjust based on learning

Week 9-12: Full Expression

• Set ambitious but achievable goals
• Create deadlines for sharing your work
• Plan next steps beyond 90 days

Section 6: Maintaining Momentum

Weekly Review Template

1. What scared me this week?
2. What did I learn from facing it?
3. What support did I use?
4. What will I try next week?

Monthly Celebration Practice

• List 3 ways you were brave
• Note progress from previous month
• Plan rewards for courage milestones

Quarterly Reset

• Review your fear patterns
• Update your support system
• Adjust your courage challenges
• Set new goals

Emergency Toolkit: When Fear Feels Overwhelming

Immediate Actions

1. Deep breathing: 4-7-8 pattern for 1 minute
2. Write down current fear
3. Call support person
4. Review past successes
5. Take smallest possible action

Grounding Questions

• What’s the worst that could actually happen?
• What would I tell a friend in this situation?
• Will this matter in 5 years?
• What’s the cost of not trying?

Progress Tracking

Monthly Courage Metrics

Track on a scale of 1-10:

• Comfort with visibility
• Ease of sharing work
• Recovery time from setbacks
• Frequency of brave actions
• Joy in the process

Remember: Progress isn’t linear. Some days you’ll feel braver than others. What matters is the overall trend and your commitment to showing up for yourself.