Is Lifebook worth it? My honest review of Jon & Missy Butcher’s Lifebook

We all want to change our lives for the better, but how do you do that without having a real, actionable, tangible game plan?

This is what Mindvalley’s Lifebook Online course promises to help you do — get your life back on track by helping you figure out what you actually want with the 12 core aspects of your life.

But does it really work?

I tried the Lifebook Online course for myself to see what the hype was all about. In this Lifebook review, I share everything I learned from this unique course and whether I think it’s worth your time and money.

What is Lifebook?

The goal of Lifebook Online is simple — to improve your life. It’s a six-week course on Mindvalley, created by Jon and Missy Butcher. 

By the end of the program, you’ll have a personalized, unique 100-page book, documenting your goals and progress. Each week you’ll learn about two different areas in life, with a total of 12 elements covered. These are:

• Health and fitness
• Intellectual
• Emotional
• Character
• Spiritual
• Love Relationship
• Parenting
• Social
• Career
• Financial
• Quality of Life
• Life Vision.

The general philosophy behind Lifebook is that we can all achieve the success and happiness that we want, but we never really take the time to plan out our life the way we might plan any other project that we want to accomplish.

Because according to Jon and Missy Butcher, that’s all you need for success: an actionable and pragmatic plan, with clear goals and progress paths every step of the way.

(Want a quick way to discover the best Mindvalley course for you? This Mindvalley quiz by Ideapod will recommend the perfect course based on your goals. Take this great quiz here).

CLICK HERE FOR THE BEST LIFEBOOK PRICE

Why I gave Lifebook a shot

The first thing that turned my head when it came to Lifebook Online was when I heard that at the end of the course, you would be required to print and bind your book (your Lifebook).

That’s when I first started looking into Lifebook Online and realized that it offered more than most of the courses on Mindvalley.

Lifebook Online appealed to me because I’ve always considered myself the pragmatic type.

I like instructions, I like game plans, I like numbers. I like waking up in the morning and knowing I have to do Task A and Task B and Task C and feeling accomplished and fulfilled after getting everything done.

That’s something you lose when you transition from school/university life to adult life, and I think that’s one of the biggest struggles that people face.

Days, weeks, and months pass by without you feeling like you’ve made any significant progress in many parts of your life.

And I was starting to feel this way. I had a vague understanding of what I wanted to accomplish in my life, but if someone stopped me to explain what I wanted to be in 10 or 20 years, I wouldn’t be able to explain it.

The truth is, I didn’t have a clear and direct vision, and it was eye-opening when I realized that I hadn’t had one for a long time.

So when my friends pushed me into signing up for Lifebook Online (we took the class together), I signed up without hesitation. 

The creators of Lifebook: Jon and Missy Butcher 

You could say Jon and Missy are the “perfect couple”. Highly successful entrepreneurs, artists, and world-travelers, they’ve designed their lives according to their dreams and goals.

And now they want to help others achieve the same. 

They’ve teamed up with Mindvalley, and use a holistic, pragmatic approach with clear guidance to set their students on a life path more aligned with their values and ideas. 

What sets Jon and Missy and the Lifebook program apart from most is that the course is a system they developed for their personal lives.

We’re not talking about ancient secrets or borrowed traditions; the Lifebook program is something that has guided both of them in achieving whatever successes they have now.

What do you get when you sign up for Lifebook? 

The Lifebook program is one of the most comprehensive quests on Mindvalley. There’s plenty to get through, and I was (pleasantly) surprised to see just how much Jon and Missy cover each life area comprehensively. 

Deliverables:

• The entire 6-week Lifebook Online program. Each week is divided into two topics with each week amounting to about 3 hours of classes
• Print-ready Lifebook templates that you can work on. This is the same template they’re offering for their Lifebook courses outside Mindvalley 
• Lifetime access to the entire program and its bonuses
• Seamless access through all your digital devices through the Mindvalley app
• Exclusive access to the Mindvalley Connection App, which helps users find the latest events and join local meetups 

Plus two bonus items including:

• 6 pre-recorded calls with Jon and Misty Butcher. These videos provide a more intimate understanding of the program and the processes involved
• Selected pages from Jon’s personal Lifebook. This is one of my favorite parts of the program. I felt a lot closer to Jon as an instructor after understanding a little bit more about him as a person

This program starts with an orientation phase. The orientation video prepares you for the full curriculum which consists of the 12 life categories.

If you’ve never heard of the Lifebook program before or have never experienced any sort of visualization and goal-setting before this, the orientation phase serves as a good intro to this type of self-help technique in general.

How much does Lifebook cost? 

Lifebook has an “accountability fee” of $500, but there’s a catch:

If you complete your Lifebook — that is the book itself (not just the course), then you can get a rebate for the course itself. 

This acts as motivation for people to finish the course and allows them to reap the full benefits of the Butchers’ teachings. 

So, in short, the Lifebook can be free.

The catch is that you need to complete your Lifebook in its entirety, and you need to complete it + apply for your rebate while the class is still in session. 

The cut-off dates vary depending upon when you start the class. Make sure you pay attention and follow those instructions to a T if you want that rebate.

(Note that Lifebook isn’t included in the Mindvalley annual membership. You can learn more about the Mindvalley Membership here).

CLICK HERE FOR THE BEST LIFEBOOK PRICE

Lifebook pros and cons

After taking the course, here are some of the main pros and cons that I identified: 

Pros: 

• Offers a well-rounded approach to goal setting and life planning 
• It puts you back in control of your life as opposed to blindly following a guru’s answers 
• The “accountability fee” acts as motivation, so you’re more likely to see the course through until the end
• The course and resources are simple and easy to navigate
• The live calls/pre-recorded calls are a fantastic way to fill in the gaps and provide extra guidance 
• The benefits don’t end when the course does, as your Lifebook becomes your own personal guide to keep
• Plenty of support from both Jon and Missy, and the rest of the Lifebook community

Cons: 

• Some of the “areas” out of the 12 might not be applicable to your life
• The live courses only run twice a year 
• The cost is pricey if you don’t complete the course 

My personal experience with Lifebook 

While I recount my experience with Lifebook, I’ll also outline how the course works:

Getting started:

The first stage is all about preparation, where you’ll be welcomed to the course and given information on joining the Lifebook tribe, the live Q&A calls, and the press-assessment quiz.

In total, you can expect to spend a couple of hours on this section, which might seem a little tedious at first but I found it was a great way to build the foundation for the rest of the course. 

Plus, the 20-minute quiz which focuses on the 12 areas of life, acts as your base level. so when you complete the second quiz that comes at the end of the course, you can measure your improvement with a score.  

By the end, I was ready and rearing to get going! 

Week by week 

Each week you’ll cover two “areas”. Week one starts with Health and Fitness, and Intellectual Life, week two covers Emotional Life and Character, and so on.

So in total, you’ll have two lessons each week (on two different subjects) and then one F&Q (which isn’t mandatory to complete for the refund, but is super useful). 

In each lesson, you’ll find the template for your Lifebook pages, which you can download as PDF, Pages, or Word. As you watch the video, you’ll be given opportunities to stop, reflect on the questions asked, and write them down on the Lifebook page. 

By the end of the course, I found this a little repetitive, but it also embedded a great practice of reflection. I liked creating the habit of writing down the four important elements for each lesson in of the course:

• Premise – your foundational beliefs, identifying which hold you back and which push you forward
• Vision – how will you achieve your goals and what you need to do to get there 
• Purpose – why do you want to make the most out of this area in your life
• Strategy – how you’re going to bring your vision to reality, which methods you’ll use to reach your ideal life

This combination made me feel like I was making headway in setting out my goals, but also fully understanding why I wanted to achieve them, and how I was going to do it. 

The weekly F&Q with Jon and Missy

Depending on when you take the course, this will either be pre-recorded or live. There’s a whole wealth of knowledge and expertise discussed here by Jon and Missy, and to top it off they’ve time-stamped every call. 

This was great because it meant I didn’t have to spend as much time on the life areas that weren’t very relevant to me. 

I found that Missy and Jon were very open about their lifestyles, answering questions and explaining how they achieved the life they have (even with the odd recommendation thrown in too). 

Rather than perceiving them as just “life coaches”, per se, their professional yet informal style made it easy to follow their guidance. At the end of it, they’re human just like the rest of us, and they’re no stranger to setbacks! 

And, in week six you’ll take the post-assessment quiz. I thought this was great because it showed a clear progression from when I first started the course to now finishing it. 

Finishing Lifebook

By the end of the Lifebook Online course, you will have asked yourself four core questions in regards to each category listed above:

• What is your ideal vision?
• Why do you want to achieve this ideal vision?
• How will you achieve this ideal vision?
• What are your current empowering beliefs about this?

Finally, everything will be compiled in your own printed book; your Lifebook.

This book is a physical representation of the course; a physical reminder that you will carry with you forever listing down all your goals, dreams, and the steps you need to take to get there.

I have to say, by this point, I felt a huge amount of satisfaction at completing the course. It wasn’t tough in a bad way, but it was a challenge and a heck load of useful content to get through. 

So that in itself felt like a great achievement, let alone how each lesson addressed a different element of my life, helping me gain much more clarity and direction. 

How Lifebook helped me

Overall, they did what they said they would — they taught me to identify what I want in life, and how to get it. No frills or fuss, just straight-up guidance, and planning. 

And I needed that. Now, as with any course online, the success of it comes down to the individual and how much they’re willing to embrace new learning and put it into action. 

I put as much time and effort into the course as I physically could, and it feels like I’ve crossed a hurdle – with my Lifebook as testament. 

I’m no longer wasting time trying to figure out what I want now I have a better handle on things and basically, I get stuff done! 

What I liked about Lifebook

• Creating the Lifebook – for me, it’s a lifelong tool, which made this course feel different from others 
• The videos are of high quality and were engaging (very clear explanations with little “waffle”) 
• I liked being able to adapt or build on Jon’s statements for my Lifebook when it felt relevant to do so 
• It felt like I received an all-around boost, even in the areas which may not have interested me as much but still make up “life”
• Being able to be a part of the community meant the journey didn’t ever feel lonely, and it felt empowering to be with others who want to make a change in life
• The timestamps on every video and call made life so much easier 

What I disliked about it

• Not so much a dislike, but it would have been nice to have an official “Lifebook” binder that came with the course 
• There’s no follow up, and although you have your Lifebook as a guide, this might not be enough for some people
• Some parts of the course could have gone into further detail (like the how’s and why’s behind our feelings, thoughts, and actions 

CLICK HERE FOR THE BEST LIFEBOOK PRICE

Who will benefit fromLifebook? Who won’t? 

As with every course, some people will love it, others won’t. So to find out if this is the right course for you, here’s who is best suited to take Lifebook:

Put simply, this course is for anyone who wants to live their life to the fullest but needs some direction and techniques on how to put their plans into action. 

If this is what you’re looking for, then Lifebook Online is exactly the course for you.

And if you’re still unsure, I’ve recommended this course to several friends and colleagues, and I’ve found that those who absolutely LOVED it were those who:

• Have always been more on the pragmatic side
• Tend to be visual do-ers rather than thoughtful thinkers
• Want to “seize the day” and start implementing changes right away
• Have the motivation to fix themselves, but got lost at some point
• Are open to new challenges and obstacles

On the other hand, those who didn’t enjoy the course as much tended to be more reserved and inward-focused, people who probably weren’t at the right stage in their life to truly absorb the lessons of Lifebook Online. 

I’m not saying they were lazy or unmotivated; I’m just saying that maybe they weren’t ready to experience Lifebook the same way I was, and that’s fine.

That’s the beauty of the course, it’s real and down-to-earth, and that means it won’t be for everyone. 

Are there any alternatives to Lifebook? 

If Lifebook doesn’t sound like it’s right for you, there are several alternatives that use different techniques, have different prices, but can still add a lot of value to your life: 

• Achieving Personal and Professional Success Specialization – by The Wharton School. Based on helping you achieve success in both your career and personal life, this course covers four different areas, including designing the ideal life and how to achieve it. This course is free, and you’ll even gain a certificate at the end, which could be useful for future reference, or just to keep and frame to remember your achievements.

• Work Smarter, Not Harder. This free course by McMaster University includes 10 hours of material and will teach you how to unleash your inner potential and learn effectively, so you can make the changes needed to get yourself out of a rut and live life on your terms.

• Life Mastery. This course is based on creating a happy balance between work and personal life. Knowing when to say no, freeing up time and energy for more important things, and reducing stress are just some of the things you’ll learn. 

The course includes three hours of video and nine downloadable resources, and at a cost of $64.99, it’s not as comprehensive as Lifebook, but it should get you started on developing your life goals. 

• Out of the Box. Created by the world-renowned shaman, Rudá Iandê, this workshop takes a slightly different approach. It’s aimed at helping you create the life that you want, by shattering limiting beliefs and unleashing your personal power. 

It costs $895, but it really delves deep into the roots of why you live/feel/behave the way you do, and how you can let go of limitations and face your fears with strength and clarity. 

Mindvalley

It’s worth knowing that even though Lifebook doesn’t come under the Mindvalley membership pass (because it’s a partner program), there are numerous courses on the site that might help you advance in the areas you’re interested in. 

The membership pass costs $499, but you’ll have access to 50+ programs to choose from, so it might be a good option for those who want to try a variety of courses.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MINDVALLEY ALL ACCESS PASS

My verdict: Is Lifebook worth it?

I believe it is. 

I think a lot of people eventually lose their sense of direction along the way, but finally, there’s an effective way to get back on track. 

I’ve recommended it to my friends and colleagues who are self-starters, as well as those that need a little nudge in the right direction. 

More than anything, I think Lifebook is a great reminder that nothing is impossible.

Jon and Misty know that sometimes the hardest part isn’t getting there, it’s just starting up.

The Lifebook Online program helps you understand your beginning and end, and gives you a game plan on how to bridge the gap in the middle.

So if you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, unable to make reality out of the dreams you have, Lifebook might just do the trick to get you going on the right path.

CLICK HERE FOR THE BEST LIFEBOOK PRICE