Be Part of the 2014 “I Could Do Anything” Book Club!

Imagine a Barbara Sher book club at your local coffee shop. Over coffee or tea and a scone, you meet weekly to discuss what you’re reading in one of her books. You share what you’re learning through the exercises about who you really are. You get more out of the book as the others share their insights. And you’ve got the accountability that helps you make the time each week to read some more of the book and really work through the exercises.

Sounds great,” doesn’t it?

I Could Do Anything paperbackNow imagine that, for the same cost, you can attend in your yoga clothes or pajamas. At whatever time and day suits you. And the other members of your book club are not just your neighbors. They live in New York City or Taos, in London or Montreal, in Perth or Hong Kong or Frankfurt or Stockholm. They live on a farm in Idaho, in a Lake District cottage in England, or next door to Disney World.

Well, c’mon in, because that’s what we’re creating here. For sixteen weeks, we’ll share Barbara Sher’s New York Times Bestseller, I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It. We’ll read every word. We’ll do all but one of the exercises. (It requires applying for a job.) And we’ll share it with each other on password-protected, members-only web pages.

Your Guide: Patty Newbold, Sher Success Teams Director

Patty has been a Success Teams Leader since 2004 and director of the Sher Success Teams program for the past two years. She helped Barbara launch her WriteSpeak program and worked side-by-side with her at three WriteSpeak retreats. If you’re a member of Hanging Out, you know her as Webmaster, the MIT alum who figures out all the techie stuff Barbara hates being bothered with. She’s a full-blooded Scanner who’s had a great Scanner career and lots of hobbies, but thanks to many of her MIT pals, she really gets Divers, too.

The I Could Do Anything Book Club

We begin on Thursday, May 22, 2014. If you don’t sign up by then, it’s likely to be a year or two before your next opportunity. We’ll read part of the book and do the exercises in it every week for sixteen weeks. We’ll finish up on Wednesday, September 10, 2014.

We’ll meet here on this website, discussing each exercise and each chapter in the comments on its own web page. You will need to purchase or borrow a copy of I Could Do Anything, but they are plentiful and inexpensive. Choose the hard cover, the paperback, or the Kindle edition, whatever suits your reading style.

You will get an optional email every Thursday with a reminder of the week’s assignments, or you can find them in your Member Profile on this site. You can subscribe to be emailed each comment or you can visit the week’s pages to read them all at once.

Update: Due to the overwhelming response,” we have split the book club into two groups. Sign ups after May 15th are in group 2. There’s no way you could read weekly comments from everyone! Contact us if your friend is in the other group.


Register by May 22nd

No one admitted after midnight May 22nd (NY time)

Money back guarantee through May 28, 2014

Money back guarantee through May 28, 2014

$77 for all 16 weeks

Or make two $40.00 payments 30 days apart

Contact webmaster@barbarasclub.com if you encounter any problems with payment or if you don’t receive two emails within an hour after paying.


I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It

Is this the right book club for you?

  • YES if you’re a coach or want to be one. This is the book I use as the main text for my Coach Training course in Frankfurt. Many of the exercises I use in my workshops and retreats come from I Could Do Anything.
  • YES if you’re still trying to figure out what you ought to be doing with your life. Or if you have an idea but can’t seem to make much progress in that direction.
  • YES if you start projects but don’t finish them and want some helpful, friendly accountability as you do the work to discover what you really want and how to get it.
  • YES if you get more out of exercises when you do them with other people.
  • YES if you are isolated and don’t know a lot of people who have figured out what they love doing.
  • NO if you believe you can create your own reality just by thinking about it. (Try that on a busy highway!)
  • NO if you believe a positive attitude is the best way to real results. (If you ever went to school, held down a job, or raised a child for three years or more, you surely did it with whatever attitude you woke up with each day.)

What can you expect to gain from I Could Do Anything? Well, here are what other readers have said:

It’s an absolutely wonderful book,” which saved me from a dull and unfulfilling but high-paying career. I’m now in one that I ADORE and am great at. Well worth reading!

I read all the books with the tests, the checklists, the affirmations and the goal making,” etc… and they got me nowhere. This book finally got me somewhere.

“This book, overall, is head and shoulders above the rest,” and anyone will benefit from reading it — slowly and carefully.”

Barbara, All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you. I am slightly overwhelmed with your book, “I Could Do Anything…” Finally, I am able to see self-respect just beginning to replace shame,” and satisfaction beginning to replace feelings of worthlessness…Thanks for this feeling of complete emotional support. It’s really remarkable what that does to a person.

There’s also a chapter for you if you’re afraid to take risks; if you’re afraid of succeeding and leaving your loved ones behind; if you want too many different things; if you’re succeeding spectacularly at something you don’t really want; if you feel that what you really want is trivial or unworthy; if you’ve just been through a big life change and don’t know what to do next; if you had a dream but it’s become unattainable; if you resist doing anything ordinary or mundane; and if you’re trying hard to love something you don’t really want.

“Stands out from the sea of self-help baloney books”

Barbara Sher’s book will help you sort it all out. She’ll help you figure out what’s at the root of these feelings and how to understand and handle them. Through a series of exercises, explanations and examples she guides you to discover just what it is that you truly want to do. And then she shows you how to get to do what you want.

Getting what you want is SCARY — you have to face that fear or all you will do is stagnate! Sher recognizes this and sets forth different introspective exercises to help the reader figure out what it is they really want and are not admitting to themself.

This book is about finding out what you want to do with your life not what job you want to do…the main point of the book is that you can find what will truly fulfill you in life.

Best Book I Ever Read! This book covered every question I could think of about life transition like: (1) What do I really love and what do I want to do with the rest of my life? (2) What’s keeping me from moving forward in my life? (3) What is resistance and where does it come from? (4) What part of me is my real-self and why has it been in hiding so long? (5) Why is action better than analysis when I’m in a low mood? (6) How to move beyond a hurtful past. (7) How to overcome narcissistic tendencies. (8) How to claim and create a new life for myself.

“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.

This is your chance. The doors close and the Book Club begins on May 22nd. Patty’s ready to introduce you to a lot of great people and take you through the entire book. And the earliest we can possibly offer this again is next spring. Sign up now and start changing your life. You owe your gifts to the rest of us. We owe you the support you need to find those gifts and do what you were born to do.


Register by May 22nd

No one admitted after midnight May 22nd (NY time)

Money back guarantee through May 28, 2014

Money back guarantee through May 28, 2014

$77 for all 16 weeks

Or make two $40.00 payments 30 days apart

Contact webmaster@barbarasclub.com if you encounter any problems with payment or if you don’t receive two emails within an hour after paying.


107 thoughts on “Be Part of the 2014 “I Could Do Anything” Book Club!

  1. I was stunned when this book club idea/option was posted. Stunned in a very good way, of course!

    Part of a business I created (but have not truly launched yet – obstacles/resistance) includes Success Teams but also what I called a “Help Yourself to More” Community Book Club where I envisioned leading a book club that included more than discussions – one that would include members planning and doing actions related to the book as we read it and supported each others’ actions. What is funny is that I had in mind Barbara Sher books alternating with other books. I whittled a list of 50 books (including Barbara’s) down to 24. (Others books actually ranged widely such as “how to” books on topics like starting a business, becoming “greener”, doing something good/kind (ex. Random Acts of Kindness), learning about different cultures, fostering creativity, learning about/helping endangered species, etc.)

    It was very exciting to think about but also very overwhelming. I wondered if maybe I just wanted to BE in such a club – not create it and run it….

    …and now I have a chance to find out! and with one of my very favorite books! The twist is that I was envisioning an in-person community book club where we do various actions along the way…and this is an ONLINE community book club …wow…super!

    I am a little worried about committing the time to it right now (because I am still trying to finish making something very important possible that I nearly thought impossible) but this opportunity is just wayyyy too good to pass up!

    Thank you so much!

    • OK! You get to find out if you just wanted to BE in such a club, and I get to figure out if I really wanted to create it and run it. Maybe we’ll swap places after 16 weeks. But so far, I am loving this. When we don’t come from the same place or run in the same circles, we bring such a wonderful diversity of experiences, knowledge, shortcuts, and ideas to each other. I can’t wait for Thursday, LisaMancelyn!

  2. Hi Patty. Great idea on social media, but had only limited experience on Linkedin only; not comfortable. The idea od using photos would be doable. How would I go about it? Take a photo of book with, let’s say at church, one of my parishners? Or go to my local coffee shop (Starbucks) & take a photo there? Is that correct? Thanks Dorothea.

    • Post a book club announcement in any of those places and take a photo of the announcement.

  3. Hi Patty. I am definitely interested in joining, but was recently laid off from my job. I understand there are 2 payment options that you offer, but do you have a 3rd option that you can suggest (considering my situation)? Please advise. Thanks Dorothea.

    • Hmmm. We only have until Thursday midnight to make sure everyone who needs this book club knows about it. How are you with social media, Dorothea? If you send me links by Wednesday to three different places you’ve shared with others the url http://barbarasclub.com/bookclub/icda2014 and why folks should check it out — or photos of where you posted these at your local coffee house, church, library, or pizza shop — I’ll give you a free pass.

    • Yes, but we already consider you a member. When you join, we’ll give you login credentials so you can see the book club pages.

  4. I am interested in the course but I can’t tell what time it is. What time will this be held?

    • 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Dayna. We now have people in the book club from all over the world, in all sorts of occupations. There’s no chance we could find a time to meet, so we’ll meet in writing. Everyone can read and reply when they are able. You can check in twice a week or every day, or you can write something early in the week to set up an email subscription to send you all the comments throughout the week.

  5. I need to know if I can be available for the sessions. Will they be recorded for use by those who register? If not, what are the dates of the sessions?

    • Everything will be done online and written, Rita, very much like these comments. You’ll be able to show up whenever you like, and we’ll send what everyone else writes to you by email — or you can come online and read them when you like. I am hoping lots of people will finish the exercises over the weekend, share what they learned with us, read what others learned or asked and offer replies, then return sometime before the next Thursday to reply to spend some time with fellow book club members who showed up after their first visit of the week.

  6. Hi I took one of your courses. I wanted to sign my son up for something in New York area. He is not working and looking for a job.I think this could help. But he needs the new York area. Thank you Beth Lonkri

    • Hi, Beth. The book club is online and worldwide, and your son is most welcome. We also have a very popular Success Teams leader in New York City, and she is getting ready to launch a new team that will meet in person there. You can read more about teams at http://shersuccessteams.com

  7. Hi Patty & Barbara:

    I would very much like to join this book club. “I could do anything” was a key book in my life when, 12 years ago, I started searching for answers as to why I was not happy with my life.

    However, I’m currently away from home, where I have my copy of the book (all underlined and with comments on every other page). I won’t be able to get it until late June.

    On top of that, from June 9 till July 3 I will be unable to dedicate even one minute to it, due to work.

    Do you see any way I could join this book club and benefit from it significantly? Or do you suggest I wait for a better chance?

    Thanks!

    • So, you would miss the three weeks while we’re doing Chapters Four and Five, but be available for the rest.

      And since you still have 9 days until we start, you could possibly get yourself through the reading and exercises in Chapter Five before you break for work. Then you would miss only the discussion, and you can read it upon your return.

      (I would be happy to post your comments on those two chapters in your absence, if you send them to me by June 8th.)

      Sounds like the real obstacle is whether you can bear to get started with an unannotated copy of the book right away, maybe a Kindle version or one from a local bookstore.

  8. I am trying to find: my member profile and a list of the assignments for this course. I am getting email notifications on comments, but I can’t find this on my iPad either. I got the book today and want to get started. Should I wait until the 22nd????

  9. Patty:

    I sent a post, which didn’t show up here, but I did receive an e-mail response. However, when I tried to change my preferences, it wouldn’t work.

    Here’s what I received:

    You have requested to manage your subscriptions to comments on Barbara´s Club. Follow this link to access your personal page: A Y indicates you are subscribed to all comments on a page. An R means you are subscribed only to comments in reply to your comment. A YC or RC has not yet been confirmed. To change these, mark the checkbox(es) by the subscription(s) you want to change, select a radio button (Suspend means unsubscribe), and click the button. http://barbarasclub.com/comment- (I deleted my e-mail here.)

    • Those subscription forms can be a little screwy. The trick is to check the checkbox (even when there is just one item listed), then choose the radio button and click the button. Or just ask webmaster@barbarasclub.com to take care of it for you. We’re happy to do so.

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