Because Hostile Takeovers Need a Battle Plan

From the book: Life After Loss: The Ultimate Guide to Legacy-Focused Healing After Loss – for MEN

How to Use This

Grief isn’t a spreadsheet, but you’re not here to cry—you’re here to strategize. Use this tool to:

1. Audit your emotional assets and liabilities.
2. Turn vulnerabilities into action plans.
3. Outmaneuver grief like the CEO of your own healing.

Pro Tip: Complete this with a bourbon (or a seltzer). No judgment.

SECTION 1: STRENGTHS

Your existing superpowers (yes, you still have them).

Examples:

• “I can troubleshoot a printer jam at 2am. I can troubleshoot tears too.”
• “I built a $10M division. I can build a morning routine.”

Your Turn:

1. What skills have helped you survive crises before?
2. What’s one thing you’re weirdly good at that could help now?
   • (e.g., “Negotiating. Maybe I can negotiate with my guilt?”)

Pro Tip: Got a strength you’re not using? Write it here:
☐ Delegate a task you hate (use the script below).
☐ Text a friend: “I’m weaponizing my [STRENGTH]. Cheer me on?”

SECTION 2: WEAKNESSES

The sneaky habits/thoughts/rituals/beliefs sabotaging you.

Examples:

• “I treat grief like a quarterly report—must ‘finish’ it.”
• “I’d rather reorganize the garage than feel sad.”

Your Turn:

1. What’s your go-to avoidance tactic?
   • (e.g., “Bury myself in work,” “Compare my grief to others’.”)
2. What’s a “weakness” you can leverage?
   • (e.g., “Perfectionism → High standards for self-care.”)

🚨 Red Flag Alert:
☐ “I’ve yelled at an inanimate object this week.”
☐ “I’m using [INSERT VICE] as a ‘management tool.’”

SECTION 3: OPPORTUNITIES

The hidden doors grief cracked open.

Examples:

• “I can finally admit I hate golf.”
• “I’m weirdly good at comforting others now.”

Your Turn:

1. What’s one thing you’ve stopped doing that’s actually a relief?
2. What legacy project could honor your loved one? (Think small: a playlist, a fund, a memoir.)

Pro Tip: Steal Alex’s move—“I turned Clara’s obsession with neurology into a VC fund. What’s your version?”

SECTION 4: THREATS

The landmines on your road to rebuild.

Examples:

• “Isolation: My ‘support group’ is my Alexa.”
• “Burnout: Running on cortisol and caffeine.”

Your Turn:

1. What’s your biggest burnout risk right now?
2. What’s a threat you can outsource?
   • (e.g., “Cooking → Meal delivery. Grief coaching → Hire someone.”)

🚨 Red Flag Alert:
☐ “I’ve Googled ‘Can grief cause [ABSURD SYMPTOM]?’”
☐ “I’m using my LinkedIn network as my therapist.”

REBUILD STRATEGIES

Turn your SWOT into a SWAT team.

Weakness to Weaponize	Action Step
Example: “Avoiding emotions”	“Time-block 10 minutes daily to stare at their photo and feel.”
__________________________	“Delegate [TASK] to [PERSON] by [DATE].”

Threat to Neutralize	Action Step
Example: “Isolation”	“Text one friend: ‘I’m not OK. Can we taco ’bout it?’”
________________________	“Schedule a [THERAPY/YOGA/DEFENSIVE DRIVING] session.”

PERMISSION STATEMENT

(Copy, paste, sign, repeat.)

I, [NAME], hereby permit myself to:

• Grieve in [WEIRD PLACE] _______________________.
• Suck at [TASK] _______________________ for the next 90 days.
• Ignore [PEOPLE/ADVICE] _______________________ that don’t serve me.

Signed: _________________________
Date: _________________________
Witnessed by: [PET’S NAME/FAVORITE PHOTO]

DOWNLOAD

👉 PDF Version Editable Printable

Next Steps:

1. Pick 1 weakness and 1 threat to tackle this week.
2. Slap this SWOT on your fridge (or Slack it to your therapist).
3. Forward to a friend with the subject: “My grief just got a boardroom.”

Why This Works:

• Corporate logic meets compassion (no candlelight required).
• Makes “progress” measurable (because feelings are data too).
• Designed for men who hate self-help (but love strategy).

Congratulations! You’ve completed a hostile takeover of your feelings.

The Purpose Protocol

For Men Who Have Lost Someone They Love—and Need a Reason to Keep Moving Forward

Grief doesn’t just take away the person you loved.

It takes away your sense of direction, your motivation, your “why.”

You spent years building a successful life—wealth, status, accomplishments. You mastered the art of control, strategy, and precision. But grief doesn’t follow the rules of success. It doesn’t care about logic, and it won’t be “fixed” with sheer willpower.

And now? You find yourself drifting—moving through the motions, but without the fire that once fueled you.

👉 The hard truth?
Losing them didn’t just change your world. It changed you.

So now, the real question is: Who will you become next?

Introducing The Purpose Protocol™

A science-backed, medically-informed, and soul-strengthening system designed to help you:

✅ Redefine your purpose in a way that honours your past but isn’t trapped by it
✅ Reconnect with the drive, focus, and ambition you thought you lost
✅ Find meaning in your life—not just distractions that keep you busy
✅ Turn pain into purpose without forcing yourself to “move on”
✅ Make an impact that feels right for this version of you

This isn’t about “finding closure” or “letting go.” It’s about realignment.

You don’t need to bury your grief. You need to build something with it.

What You’ll Gain from The Purpose Protocol™

🚀 A Proven Framework for Rediscovering Meaning: So you don’t just exist—you live with intention
🧠 A Personalized Purpose Blueprint: Because your next chapter should be your choice, not what others expect
💡 High-Performance Coping Strategies: Designed for men who refuse to let grief dictate their future
🔥 A Support System of Like-Minded Men: Because real strength isn’t isolation—it’s connection with those who get it

This isn’t about starting over. It’s about moving forward—with clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Next Steps

🔹 Enrol in The Purpose Protocol™ today
🔹 Start reclaiming your drive, your vision, and your future

Grief changed your story. But it doesn’t get to write the ending.

You do.

👉 Click here to begin 👈

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P.S. Just a quick reminder: If you would like some support while you work through this book/program, you can book one or more coaching sessions with me (Dr Margaretha Montagu) for inspiration, motivation and accountability (additional cost). Send an email to OpenLockedDoors@gmail.com to find out more. Most people book a coaching session at the end of the course, to help them implement what they have learned. Also, if at any time during this program you get stuck, email me at the email address above.