I first started developing workbooks in 2015. I started my first Worksheet Mastermind in 2019.

Recently, I discovered an interesting statistic from all my Do The Work Books workbooks!

6 out of 10 workbooks were developed and designed based on a worksheet.

This means, that if you have have a worksheet, there is a good chance you can expand your worksheet into a full workbook. A book gives you instant credibility in your field. When you have a book, you become an established expert in your industry. And if you make your book into a workbook you offer applicable lessons to your audience to achieve success in what you are teaching and sharing.

In this blog post I describe how all the workbooks started (that I have helped my authors publish) and break down if their workbooks were based off of a worksheet, or if not, how they were developed into a workbook.

Life Purpose Playbook by Judy Machado

✅ WORKSHEET TO WORKBOOK

This book started from the concept of developing 2 pages for Judy’s planner. The 2 pages were a daily page and a weekly check-in. Judy asked me to design these 2 pages because she was hoping to share with others her planning system that she used for years. I suggested to her to add more pages and “exercises” or “activities” before the start of the planner piece so that the participant had more insight on what they were planing for. This resulted in not just a planner, but a goal setting workbook and colouring book.

I Am Not Your Average Teen By Brittany Krystantos

➡️ BOOK WITH WORKSHEETS

This book was written as a biographical memoir about the author, Brittany Krystantos. When Brittany finished writing her book, she realized she wanted to incorporate writing prompts throughout the book. Brittany shares her journey on overcoming mental health issues in her own life. Knowing that her goal was to not only share her journey but to support other teenagers in their journey, she added prompts so that the reader could work through and analyze their own mental health. By having the reader participate with Brittany in the book, the awareness of their own mental health would arise and their healing, recovery and transformation would also take place.

The SPirit Ritual FOrmula Journal by Andrew Critelli

✅ WORKSHEET TO WORKBOOK

Andrew Critelli, the author of The Spirit Ritual Formula Journal, knew he wanted a workbook to share his message but needed to created a simple system to organize and structure his exercises and activities in his book. To do this we created 2 worksheets for his morning and evening rituals. These worksheets were also paired with journaling pages for each so that the participant could explore their experience while using his rituals. Creating these worksheets enables the participant to easily work through all the different components, value and offers that Andrew shares in his workbook. The worksheets became the core structure on the entire book.

The Writer’s Workbook by Susan Ksiezopolski

✅ WORKSHEET TO WORKBOOK

The Writer’s Workbook technically started as a workshop that the author Susan Ksiezopolski developed to promote and encourage writing practices for her participants. Susan needed to create worksheets to give her workshop attendants but also thought that packaging it as a book would better serve her and her participants. Susan already had the exercises developed but needed them designed and put onto paper as a worksheet. There are 9 different worksheets bases on 3 main concepts in the book. These worksheets inspire creative writing through their unique and artistic formats.

The MourNing Pages by Susan McKenzie

➡️ BOOK TO WORKBOOK

Author Susan McKenzie wanted to share a message that is very personal and sensitive and knew she wanted it done as a workbook right from the start. Mourning the loss of a loved one and supporting those grieving is not an easy feat. However, this book achieves relief in its space and offers healing in a beautiful bittersweet way. Susan wanted to incorporate several components and blended all the elements into her book. Personal stories are shared by Susan and contributors in her book. There is reflective space for the participant to process their own grief while also including affirmations and mantras, colouring and colour theory. Additionally, Susan included a proprietary system called Color Mirrors which is tool for self awareness through the energy and vibration in its coloured bottles.

Find out more below if the rest of the Do The Work Books start off as worksheets or not.

201 Day Achievement Principle by Teresa Easler & Kim White

✅ WORKSHEET TO WORKBOOK

This book and companion tracking journal was developed by author Teresa Easler and Kim White. They developed a system which was a way of tracking and calculating how much time you spent practicing a new habit. They encourage practicing at least 55% of the time. We don’t always need to pressure ourselves to do something 100%! Teresa and Kim both believe that this non-perfection approach will not only increase your chance for fulfilling a specific practice but motivates you without over stretching your limits. The main component of this journal is the tracking page which is a chart that spans across a 2-page spread for multiple practices and the formula for calculating your percentage rate. This page also has a space for notes and insights. We included additional worksheets pages at the beginning to help you choose which practice to track and added a vision setting exercise to prepare you at the start of this journal.

My Life Be Design by Kimberley Smith

➡️ JOURNAL TO WORKBOOK

Author Kimberley Smith calls her book The Ultimate Transformational Journal & Workbook. Kimberley fully believes and shares in the power of writing things down to manifest your dreams. Kimberley knew she wanted a journal to spread this message but she needed worksheets to further support her community of journalers. This book started as a journal with blank journaling pages but we added other worksheets to accessories and compliment her journal.

The Home Within You By Suzie Stern

➡️ BOOK TO WORKBOOK

Suzie Stern, Author of The Home Within You series, started her book collection from a poem she wrote for a children’s book. Suzie was then inspired to incorporate learning exercises for her young readers to explore their emotions, resilience and self-awareness. We quickly envisioned much more than a workbook and expanded her book into a collection of books each one serving a particular reader. Based on the original book, the worksheets appear in three of the five books but each book is unique in purpose and participant. The original The Home Within You book and Introduction book are the only books that do not include the worksheets. The Activity Book is solely for the child, the Side By Side is for child and guardian and the Teaching book is broadened to include group lesson for a classroom setting.

A Little Gratitude Journal By Nita Sandhu

✅ WORKSHEET TO WORKBOOK

This journal by Nita Sandhu is called A Little Gratitude Journal. It features one main worksheet for both morning and evening writing prompts. The journal started with this framework but we added exercises on Mindfulness and Affirmations along with the Gratitude component at the start of the book to round out the journal. Additionally, we added weekly prompts and activities throughout the journal to encourage more introspection on varying topics as the participants writes in the journal.

Seeds By Monique Charlton

✅ WORKSHEET TO WORKBOOK

This cute little booklet by Monique Charlton started out as a worksheet created in one of my early Worksheet Mastermind sessions. During the Mastermind we developed a process to practice a writing habit that included the conditions for writing, assesing your feelings and physical senses, and lastly identifying your helpers and stating the duration and context of your writing. Monique’s workbook cultivates a unique writing practice that the participant prepares for in the worksheet and then has spaces to express and unleash their writing freely. To round up the writing experience we start off the workbook with preliminary exercises to establish your writing location and set your writing intention.

Read more on my DTWBlog about worksheets.