I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was by Barbara Sher with Barbara Smith Summary

I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was by Barbara Sher provides actionable strategies to uncover your true passions and overcome mental blocks preventing success. It combines exercises like visualization, "Success Teams," and fear analysis to help readers align their careers and lives with their deepest desires. Sher emphasizes self-compassion and practical steps to transform vague aspirations into achievable goals.

This book is ideal for individuals feeling unfulfilled in their careers, high achievers experiencing burnout, or anyone uncertain about their next life step. It’s particularly relevant for mid-career professionals, recent graduates, and those navigating major transitions like career changes or personal reinvention.

Yes, as a New York Times bestseller, it’s praised for blending motivational insights with therapeutic techniques. Readers gain tools to dismantle self-sabotage, reignite forgotten dreams, and create actionable plans. Sher’s decades of experience as a life coach add credibility, making it a valuable resource for lasting personal growth.

Key concepts include:

• Success Teams: Small accountability groups to support goal achievement.
• Chronology of Fears: Identifying past self-sabotage patterns to break negative cycles.
• Resistance: Overcoming internal barriers like fear or self-doubt that hinder progress.
• Visualization exercises: Imagining ideal futures to clarify desires.

Sher describes resistance as subconscious fears or beliefs that paralyze action, such as impostor syndrome or perfectionism. She argues resistance surfaces when pursuing meaningful goals, urging readers to confront it through self-reflection and incremental steps rather than avoidance.

This central theme underscores the book’s premise: clarity of purpose fuels fulfillment. Sher asserts that identifying and pursuing genuine desires—rather than societal expectations—creates lasting motivation. The quote encourages readers to prioritize self-discovery over external validation.

While both focus on career fulfillment, Sher’s book emphasizes emotional blocks and self-sabotage, whereas Parachute prioritizes practical job-search tactics. Sher’s approach is more therapeutic, ideal for readers needing mindset shifts before taking action.

Yes. Sher addresses age-related doubts, providing tools to reevaluate priorities and reignite abandoned dreams. Exercises like “Chronology of Fears” help midlife readers confront limiting beliefs, making it a practical guide for late-stage reinvention.

Some critics argue its advice may feel overly optimistic for those facing systemic barriers like financial instability. However, supporters praise its balanced blend of empathy and actionable steps, noting its adaptability to individual circumstances.

With remote work and AI reshaping careers, Sher’s focus on self-discovery remains vital. The book’s strategies help navigate modern ambiguities, such as portfolio careers or gig economy transitions, by emphasizing adaptability and purpose-driven choices.

Sher authored Wishcraft, a goal-setting classic, and Refuse to Choose, geared toward multipotentialites (“Scanners”). Her works consistently address overcoming self-doubt and designing lifestyles aligned with personal strengths.

While career-focused, Sher’s framework helps readers identify relationship patterns rooted in fear or unmet needs. By addressing self-sabotage, individuals can build healthier connections aligned with their authentic selves.