HOW TOTAKEBACK

CONTROLOFYOURLI
FE
 HOW TO TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE -​ ​LIFEHACK.ORG 

Introduction 
When things don’t go as we planned, we start to experience a feeling of lack of control. If 
left on its own, it often transforms into feelings of being overwhelmed and powerless. It 
creates stress and self-doubt which can quickly spiral into a negative feedback loop. 

It's normal to feel discouraged by setbacks once in a while. However, you should never let 
them keep you stuck.. 

Knowing how to reign in these feelings before they get out of control is the skill that this 
Activity Sheet will help you to learn.  

You Have More Power Than You Think 

 
To find true happiness and motivation for your life, you must understand this concept: 
Motivation is a flow. 
 
As explained thoroughly in our article H
​ ow to Get Motivated and Be Happy Every Day 
When You Wake Up​, to feel motivated, you need to dive beyond the surface. Just relying on 
a motivational quote or article won’t help you build sustainable motivation in the long run. 
 
You can think of the motivation that we want to achieve like the Sun (self-sustaining and 
long lasting), which supplies a constant influx of energy to all life on Earth. Just like the Sun, 
your “motivation engine” has different layers, starting from the c​ ore ​and spreading out to 
the ​surface.​ The surface is what you see, but the real process is ​driven f​ rom the core; and 
that’s the most important part. 
 
You need to create a self sustaining motivation engine so you can enjoy every minute of 
what you’re doing. 
 
The motivation engine can be broken down into 3 parts: 

1. Purpose​ - A clear picture of what you want  

2. Enablers - W
​ ays to make baby steps towards what you want  
3. Acknowledgement​- The support you need to carry on  

1 
 HOW TO TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE -​ ​LIFEHACK.ORG 

And in the following section, we will go through each part of the motivation engine together 
and help you feel true happiness again. 
 
1. Purpose - A Clear Picture of What You Want 
The first thing is to be clear about what you want from your heart. Imagine your ideal self in 
1 year or a few years: 

● How do you want yourself to be like?  

● What would you be doing?  
● How would you be feeling?  

Write down that picture in your head here: 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

2. Enablers - Ways to Make Baby Steps Towards What You Want  

If you're feeling out of control, the Circle of Control is the best tool to help you figure things 
out. 

With your ideal picture in your mind, think about what you CAN and CAN'T control to 
become your ideal self. Write down as many ideas as possible in the following Circle of 
Control: 

2 
 HOW TO TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE -​ ​LIFEHACK.ORG 

Circle of Control 

Based on everything you've written in ​"What I Can Control"​ of the Circle of Control, ​pick 3 
items that are most important to you​. Then, come up with activities you can do about 
these: 

Most Important Item  What to Do About It 

 
1. 

3 
 HOW TO TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE -​ ​LIFEHACK.ORG 

 
2. 

 
3. 

Next, let's prioritize these activities and see which one of them will help you feel better right 
away. Simply circle Yes or No for each statement: 

What to Do  I can do it  I can see its  I can do it  I can do it 
often.  results fast.  alone.  right now. 

Yes / No  Yes / No  Yes / No  Yes / No 

1. 

Yes / No  Yes / No  Yes / No  Yes / No 

2. 

Yes / No  Yes / No  Yes / No  Yes / No 

3. 

Count the number of yes for each activity, the one with the most "Yes" is the easiest thing to 
kickstart, ​highlight it! 

Start scheduling or doing this activity today, and each of the other activities the day after -- 
this is how you will start taking control of your life! 

What about ​"What I can't Control"​? For things you simply can’t control, just stop worrying 
about them. You can’t affect government policy, the weather, what others think or feel… so 
just put those outside and park it. 

3. Acknowledgement- The support you need to carry on  

Acknowledgement encompasses any type of external recognition that might give you 
motivation.  

It may come in the form of respect or recognition. Or it could be emotional support through 
encouragement, feedback and constructive criticism. It could also be affiliation, where you 
have mutual companions or buddies sharing the same goal or burden with you. 

4 
 HOW TO TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE -​ ​LIFEHACK.ORG 

Now think about people who you trust who will encourage you and be your cheerleader. 
They could be your friend, your family or your partner etc. 

How to Stay Happy and Motivated for the Rest of Your 

Life 
Now that you know what to do right away to feel happier and more motivated, but do you 
want to always stay happy and motivated for the rest of your life? 

What you've learned from this worksheet is just a temporary fix for your problem, a 
long-term solution will require a set of concrete skills that change you from the inside out. 

Here at Lifehack, we teach the 7

​ Cornerstone Skills​ that give you the power to transform 
your life by leveling up your strengths. 

These 7 Cornerstone Skills are:  

Creativity, Learning, Memory, Focus, Motivation, Habits and Time. 

Cornerstone Skills will make you stronger one step at a time. They don't force you to have 
sudden change or take big risks. Learning the Cornerstone Skills is about taking baby steps 
and gradually fitting these steps into your everyday routine. 

Since each of the Cornerstone Skills are interconnected, they work together to create 
permanent solutions to big problems in life -- any problem in any area of your life!  

As you're learning these Cornerstone Skills, you're mastering more bits of your life and so, 
you'll always be motivated to achieve your dreams and goals. 

If you want to find out more about the 7 Cornerstone Skills, check out this article:  

There Is More to Life Than ____________ 

If you'd like to take up the Cornerstone Skills, check out our Masterclass here: 

The Ultimate Lifehack Transformation 

You can also shoot us an email at ​feedback@lifehack.org​ if you want to share your thoughts 
and questions with us! 

5 
 HOW TO TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE -​ ​LIFEHACK.ORG 

6