The past few blogs have been all about change. This week is the “can do” week. Next week is “off” because I am again, on holiday.  Then it’s back in the saddle for me.

What can you do? (Step 2)

Add that to what you want and what you need - and you have a great start!

So, this might be a more difficult question than you think, especially if you are more experienced and have done varied things in your life.

I remember a creative client who was focusing only on her intellectual can-do’s, but she is also very creative and can dance and sing and write.

She had forgotten about those skills and her creative traits.

Let’s do a little exercise to see what your can-do’s are.

This is a fun exercise because you only focus on the positives.

Get out paper and a writing utensil (and in the end a few different colored highlighters). For those of you who like to draw, paint or otherwise, you can add materials as you like.

Then write down what you accomplished in junior/middle high school and high school. For some of you, you might even want to begin with elementary school.

I, for example, wrote essays and poems, wrote for the school newspaper (and was an editor), played violin, sang in the school choir and was makeup artist for the drama club. I was also in the French club and the chess club.

Now do that for college, for your first job, etc.

Each should be a “line item” so you might need several sheets of paper.

Then take each decade and list your hobbies in a similar manner.  Your hobbies will, most likely, have changed over the years.

Now, write down what are you still good at, and what can you “re-nurture” that GIVES YOU JOY?

JOY is key!

What still gives you joy to do on the list. Write it down.

I don’t really like playing chess, anymore, but I still love singing.

This is a key question, because just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you want to, anymore.

I can clean the house and cleaning certain things gives me joy, but other things do not. I can correct papers and enjoy that (surprised?), but it does not give me joy when I must give my university students failing grades. I am sure you get my idea.

The “what gives you joy” question at the end of your pages is very important. Do not skip this.

Finally, look at the whole list and get a highlighter (or more) out and mark that list up: mark joy, mark fun, mark what you think is special and you might want to “go there”. Mark anything else that might be important for you. It might be wise to mark each category you have chosen with a different color and then look at those colors.

Finally, with that list – take the highlighted words, those especially positive, joyful “can-do’s” and ruminate on them for a while.

Put those special “can-do’s) on post-its and look at them daily. Do that for a while (a week, and up to a month).

Tell me what happens.  Some magic happened with my client, maybe it will with you.

All the best for a great week – just so you know, I will be out of the office until September 4th doing things that bring me joy in another “happy place”.

Patricia Jehle

patricia@jehle-coaching.com