Burn after writing Workbook

You didn’t come into the world as a people-pleaser.

You learned to be:

• “easy”
• “nice”
• “low maintenance”
• “the one who doesn’t make a fuss”

Somewhere along the way, other people’s opinions, labels, and expectations started to feel like the truth about who you are.

Now you’re:

• Saying yes when you mean no
• Shrinking your needs because you “don’t want to be a problem”
• Holding onto comments and identities that don’t actually fit you anymore

Burn After Writing is a guided workbook that helps you:

• Put those old stories on paper
• See where they came from
• Decide what’s actually true for you now
• And then — symbolically let them go (yes, literally burn or tear them if you want to)

This is part reflection, part ritual.

This is for you if…

You often:

• Replay what other people have said about you (and believe it)
• Worry more about how others see you than how you feel
• Change your behavior to avoid disapproval or conflict
• Feel guilty when you do something just for yourself

And you’re ready to:

• Stop letting other people’s narratives run your life
• Take your energy back from old roles you never really chose
• Start relating to yourself with more honesty and respect

What This Workbook Helps You Do

By the end of Burn After Writing, you’ll:

• Identify the stories, labels, and roles you’ve been carrying that were never truly yours
• See how people-pleasing has been trying to protect you (and how it also keeps you stuck)
• Put into words what you know is true about who you are now
• Feel a sense of release after a simple “burn after writing” style ritual you can repeat anytime

This isn’t about hating your past or the people who shaped you.

It’s about finally choosing your voice over theirs.

What’s Inside

In this workbook, you’ll find:

• Guided prompts to name the old stories you were handed (family, school, relationships, culture)
• Reflection exercises to explore how people-pleasing shows up in your day-to-day life
• Space to write the “truth according to you” — not what anyone else decided
• A simple ritual outline for how to safely “burn after writing” (or rip/tear/shred) what you’re ready to release
• Integration pages to help you choose new, supportive statements to live by

You can move through it in one sitting or take it slowly over a week or more.

It’s designed to meet you where you are.

When to Use This Workbook

Reach for Burn After Writing when:

• You’re tired of feeling like everyone else’s version of you
• You’re moving into a new season and want to leave old roles behind
• You can feel people-pleasing getting in the way of your relationships, work, or parenting
• You need a tangible way to let go of something you’ve been carrying for way too long

A Note From Lindsay

You’re not wrong for wanting people to be okay.

But you’re allowed to be okay, too.

Burn After Writing is an invitation to put everyone else’s version of you down for a moment, and listen to the part of you that’s been quietly saying:

“This isn’t me anymore.”

Write it out.

Burn what needs to go.

Keep what feels like truth.