The 7 to 5 Game

All rights reserved solely by the author, Angela House, LCSW. No part of these excerpts may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without expressed written permission by the author.

How is the game played?

You pass by the 7 points of the heptagon, gaining knowledge and skills at each point. When you are able to go through the heptagon skillfully, then, you’ll be able to move to the advanced level and replace the heptagon for the pentagon.

 You go from 7 points to 5 points, hence the name: 7 to 5. You start with a heptagon (7 sides) and end up with a pentagon (5 sides).

What do you mean by the 7 points?

Each point in the heptagon is called a marker. Each marker represents information that will help you in your journey of self-discovery, let me show you:

Marker 1 - Trigger Trolls –

At this marker you’ll identify your triggers. Here you answer the questions: What causes negative feelings in me? What are my triggers? Who triggers me? —- HERE YOU’LL IDENTIFY THE EVIL TROLLS: LA MADAM & RICO SUAVE!

Marker 2 – Emotional Grenades –

At this marker you’ll identify the negative and unwanted responses (emotions, feelings, or moods) that the Trigger Trolls create in you —- HERE YOU’LL IDENTIFY THE DREAD, THE AGONY, THE SADNESS, THE HEAVINESS… WHATEVER IS GOING ON WITH YOU AT THE TIME!

 Marker 3 – Double Agents –

At this marker you’ll become familiar with, identify, and learn to understand the voices that add fuel to the Emotional Grenades. The Double Agents are your primitive voice, your trauma voice, and your thinking voice. They speak a very specific language called Cognitive Distortions.  —- HERE YOU’LL IDENTIFY WHO’S IN YOUR HEAD: UNGA!-UNGA!, LOLA, OR TATA, THE VOICES THAT TELL YOU THAT YOU’RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH OR WHY YOU’LL NEVER BE HAPPY!

Marker 4 – Sneaky Sabotage –

At this marker you’ll identify your negative and/or unhealthy coping behaviors, including avoidance and defense mechanisms. Here you are able to self-reflect about ways you are wasting your life.  —- HERE YOU’LL IDENTIFY ALL THE THINGS YOU’RE DOING TO SABOTAGE YOUR LIFE, LIKE DRINKING TOO MUCH, SMOKING TOO MUCH, GAMBLING TOO MUCH, SLEEPING TOO MUCH, SCROLLING TOO MUCH, ETC, ETC, ETC.

 Marker 5 – Super Power –

At this marker you’ll identify the secret weapons you can use to defeat the Trigger Trolls and keep the Double Agents under control. Your Super Power is re-connecting to your potential and your higher-self through positivity, understanding, awareness, evidence, locus of control, gratefulness, self-care, reality testing, positivity, coping skills, affirmations, etc. —- HERE YOU’LL IDENTIFY EASY THINGS YOU CAN DO TO COPE WITH YOUR FEELINGS AND TO CHALLENGE THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD… HERE YOU’LL FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO TO STOP SELF-SABOTAGING AND COPE IN A POSITIVE WAY!

Marker 6 – Power Play: Dragons & Unicorns–

At this marker you’ll identify the smallest intentional action you can take TODAY to get you closer to defeating the Trigger Trolls and neutralizing the power of the Double Agents. This marker is not just about coping or protecting, this marker is about action towards a goal! —- THIS IS YOUR POWER-UP MOVE!!! HERE YOU’LL IDENTIFY ACTIONS (SMALL & INTENTIONAL) YOU CAN TAKE TO GET OUT OF THE FUNK AND START LIVING A BETTER LIFE!

Marker 7 – Thrive Mode –

At this marker you’ll identify your personal, professional, or spiritual goals.  Think of this marker as the address you put in your GPS. This marker is about where you’re going… Where you want to get in life, and who you want to become.—- HERE YOU’LL IDENTIFY GOALS TO ACHIEVE. YOUR GOAL COULD BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS: SURVIVE TODAY! (AND THAT’S TOTALLY OK!)

 GAME OBJECTIVES

To help you gain self-awareness and to stop blaming Mercury in retrograde when things go wrong for you.

 To empower you to face your fears and stop screaming into your pillow 8 times a day.

 To help you learn why you think and act the way you do… And, hopefully, have things make sense. -AKA, AHA Moments!

 To assist you on identifying better ways to cope with your emotions & feelings - it might be time to break up with Ben & Jerry.

 To support you gain inner-freedom from the excuse that “I’m just toxic & dramatic”.

To help you understand and embrace your inner voices so they work with you, not against you.

To teach you that ghosting is not a love language.

To encourage you to prioritize your self-care so you can create real changes in your life.

To help you set practical and realistic goals for your life -no, winning the lottery does not go under “practical & realistic” category for goals.

To motivate you to create a game plan of how to achieve your goals – and no, going antique shopping for magic lamps is not it.

To cry less… way less! And to enjoy life more… way more!

To help you not take yourself so seriously… like, for real!

To stop you from giving up so easily and to stop calling your meltdowns “spiritual awakenings.”

To help you tap on your inner motivation to create change, because crying while you play your favorite sad song on repeat is really not that healthy.

To get you to feel more comfortable in your own skin and stop reinventing yourself every Monday.

To assist you in getting your overthinking under control.

To help you learn how to cope with uncomfortable emotions & feelings… can’t avoid them forever… hmm… or can you?

To stop you from letting your life run away from you…  so, when you’re 50 you don’t realize that your teens & twenties were wasted on nothing!

To push you to become more peaceful and joyful… and to accept (and hopefully love) yourself more.