I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It 
asked by artdealer on November 24, 2006 11:37 PM
"A life without direction is a life without passion," says motivational specialist, therapist, and career counselor Barbara Sher. In I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was, a sort of broader, less dense, and less intimidating version of What Color Is Your Parachute?, she reveals how to "recapture long lost goals, overcome the blocks that inhibit your success, decide what you want to be, and live your dreams."
This is a perfect book for new college graduates or anyone sick and tired of languishing in a dead-end job or relationship--yet reluctant to make drastic life changes due to uncertainty about what would actually inspire them. I Could Do Anything combines the I'm-not-buying your-excuses inspiration of Dr. Laura Schlessinger with the soothing, analytic encouragement of Dr. Martin Seligman in his classic Learned Optimism. In other words, Sher will pick you up off your butt and get you moving. She's included enough self-analytical exercises in here to save you hundreds of dollars in therapy.
Whether you're looking to make improvements in your job or personal life, Sher will teach you how to determine what your goals are, and how to successfully reach them--even if right now the only thing you know is that you're vaguely to very unhappy and haven't the foggiest idea what to do with yourself.
Reviews
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This book literally changed my life. I have been wondering - since about the age of 15, I'm now 31 - what I really wanted to do work-wise. I sort of bounced from one thing that I'm good at to the next variation on that theme, without ever feeling passionate or fulfilled. I painful breakup and growing discontent at work led me to try to sort this situation out once and for all and purely by luck I came across this book at the library.
I didn't start it until I felt ready, because I knew it wasn't going to be 'light on'. But one Saturday I picked it up and spent the next 8 hours pouring through it, doing the exercises and having one epiphany after another. At the end of it all I had applied to eight companies that did the sort of work I wanted to do and I ended up getting a job at my first choice, even without direct experience in that field. I'm 8 months into that job and I could not be happier.
The way I see it, the first three chapters of this book are about working out what you personally enjoy and are passionate about, while the remaining chapters are to help you overcome any barriers that prevent you from having that sort of work. This means that maybe only one of those latter chapters are for you, but it's all so practical that it's bound to have something that helps.
For me, the barriers weren't the big deal, it was knowing what on earth I wanted to do. And trust me - I had tried almost every other thing, including personality tests, seeing professional counsellors, everything. This book helped me unlock those activities that I have enjoyed since I was just a little child, and see the common thread amongst them. It was like learning more about yourself in a day than you learn in a decade.
I recommend that people buy this book but use it a) only when you really feel ready to explore yourself from a different point of view and b) with an open mind. Actually that makes it sound like it's full of really weird and challenging stuff, which it's not. That's what makes it different - the activities are quite straight forward and non-threatening, and the tone of the book makes it feel like the author is there with you, helping you all the way through.
I have emphatically recommended this book to everyone I know who is lost career-wise. Maybe it's not for everyone, but it changed my life in better ways that I ever imagined possible. Surely that's worth trying out?
I didn't start it until I felt ready, because I knew it wasn't going to be 'light on'. But one Saturday I picked it up and spent the next 8 hours pouring through it, doing the exercises and having one epiphany after another. At the end of it all I had applied to eight companies that did the sort of work I wanted to do and I ended up getting a job at my first choice, even without direct experience in that field. I'm 8 months into that job and I could not be happier.
The way I see it, the first three chapters of this book are about working out what you personally enjoy and are passionate about, while the remaining chapters are to help you overcome any barriers that prevent you from having that sort of work. This means that maybe only one of those latter chapters are for you, but it's all so practical that it's bound to have something that helps.
For me, the barriers weren't the big deal, it was knowing what on earth I wanted to do. And trust me - I had tried almost every other thing, including personality tests, seeing professional counsellors, everything. This book helped me unlock those activities that I have enjoyed since I was just a little child, and see the common thread amongst them. It was like learning more about yourself in a day than you learn in a decade.
I recommend that people buy this book but use it a) only when you really feel ready to explore yourself from a different point of view and b) with an open mind. Actually that makes it sound like it's full of really weird and challenging stuff, which it's not. That's what makes it different - the activities are quite straight forward and non-threatening, and the tone of the book makes it feel like the author is there with you, helping you all the way through.
I have emphatically recommended this book to everyone I know who is lost career-wise. Maybe it's not for everyone, but it changed my life in better ways that I ever imagined possible. Surely that's worth trying out?
reviewed by nat on November 28, 2006 4:16 PM
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You have to give kudos to Ms. Sher, she really does pull out all the stops on trying to figure out what you want to do with your life. I fit into the last category of her book, those for whom "nothing interests me" was said to describe. While she's quite blunt on the causes, she dosen't really give any concrete help on what to do about it. And her suggestion to just remember a time when you DID find things interesting...well, if that helped I wouldn't be reading her book in the first place. What if nothing interested you back then, either? I mean, really? She's very long on the theory and "pull yourself up by the bootstraps", but very short on what to do when you haven't the foggiest on what to do. I had very high hopes for this book, and it was very disappointing.
reviewed by shawn on November 29, 2006 5:45 AM
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I enjoyed this book because I was at a cross roads in my employment history. My resume writer and job coach [...]said I should read some books before we started to work together. I didn't totally agree with all of the author's philosophies, but I got a lot out of the exercises because I was willing to "dig deep" and find some answers.
reviewed by maxwell on November 29, 2006 5:02 PM
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I'm currently still reading this book but I have come across so many helpful examples and exercises that has allowed me to discover who I really am and where I'm heading career-wise, a question that I'm sure many struggle with no matter what age. Barbara is a genuis and until I discovered this book, I struggled to find what my passion was and if I could turn it in to a career. Now, atleast I have ideas as to what I would like to do and how I can apply these ideas in to my own personal career! This book will help you discover what you like and uncover many turned stones that is blocking your attention to what matters to you most. Its amazing what you'll get out of this book. Thanks Barbara!!!
reviewed by vcedwards on November 29, 2006 7:05 PM