I still love BATS! And I think you will too.
As part of my Word of the Year (WOTY), EMPOWERED, I am redoing the BATS exercise, and it occurred to me that it would be worth sharing with you, my friends, once again.
So here is the post I originally published on 09/27/2016, slightly modified:
Here’s something you may not know about me: I like BATS. No, not the mammals with webbed wings that hang upside down in caves and are a staple of Halloween movies (though they’re pretty awesome too). I’m talking about Blessings, Accomplishments, Talents, and Strengths; an exercise from one of my favorite self-help books, Creating Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide.
This research-supported exercise is designed to build the self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-confidence needed to become EMPOWERED. And while it is exercise, you won’t be sweating–it’s pretty easy.
Simply write down as many things as you can in each column. Whenever you think of another one, add it to the list. Keep your list posted where you will see it often. Review it before you go to bed and when you get up in the morning.
| Blessings | Accomplishments | Talents and Strengths |
| Big and little things I’m grateful for | Big and little things I have accomplished in the past | Big and little things I am good at and that people like about me |
An important component of being EMPOWERED is self-efficacy, the belief that you have…or can get…what it takes to get something done. The good news is self-efficacy isn’t something you are either born with or not…it’s something you can develop. And like a muscle, self-efficacy gets stronger with use. Thus the exercise!
Your turn
Give it a try and let me know what you think. See if completing your list doesn’t boost your mood immediately and build your confidence over time. I’d love it if you’d share one item from each column (Blessings, Accomplishments, Talents & Strengths) in the comments below.
This is so wonderful, Christie! You’re right; it’s an instant mood booster to think about these things. I do love BATS!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that exercise, Michelle.
Clever idea, so simple. I’ll give it a try. I’m kind of batty about bats, too. Maybe not enough to want to get too close to them, but in theory.
I’m with you on bats, Ally. They are great for pest control, and they are kind of cool, but I don’t need to get to up close and personal with one. As far as the BATS exercise, I hope you enjoy it.
Let’s see Christie:
B — Family and friends (both the big ones and the smaller ones)
A — Don’t get me started. I’m trying to keep this positive. Some of the things I’m most proud of were very difficult, stressful and required a ton of patience. Today I found out that while I had patience, apparently, I’ve run out when it comes to incompetence and tech/electronics that don’t work. Been dealing with that for about a month now and it’s not over yet, so…ugh. Proud I completed my masters, that I’m working on my book and that I have a blog. I’m proud of the family David and I raised and the successful careers we had before we retired. Other stuff, too.
T — I have a creative knack in a few different areas.
S — Resilience. Determination. Tenacity. I used to have patience, too. Did I already mention that? At least I still have resilience, determination and tenacity!
You’re right, Christie! This did put me in a better mood and it couldn’t have come at a better time. So glad you wrote this. I think I’ll use this wonderful mood-boosting activity when my son Ry starts feeling down about himself. He has autism and life can be difficult.
Peace and good wishes to you, Mona
I can relate, Mona. Patience is a challenge for me too, especially when it come to electronics. Resilience and determination are great strengths to have when the patience runs low. I’m glad the exercise helped, and I hope your son can benefit from it too. Peace and good wishes right back to you!
Hi Christie – this is a great way to pause for a moment and recognize our strengths and what we bring to the table. I’ll just share one – resilience – I feel like I keep bouncing back from whatever gets in my way, and each time I do that, I gain more self-assurance and some much needed wisdom.
Hello Leanne. I definitely agree that you have resilience, and I can see that your self-assurance has grown even in the relatively short time I’ve known you. Here’s to continued growth for both us…but maybe some rest and recuperation time in between the strength-building challenges, huh?
I’m not a huge fan of Bats generally Christie but this is a great way of looking at ourselves and what we have going on. Any positive self talk is helpful in my opinion and gratitude for what we have is essential.
I agree, Deb. We can all use a reminder now and then to look at the bright side of things.
This is a great idea and well timed. I have a lot going on at the moment and thinking this through seems like something that might help me feel more settled.
B- I’m blessed with a great husband and wonderful kids. We are also blessed with good resources.
A – I know I have accomplished a lot, but this one bogs me down because I don’t have a specific career/don’t really use my college degree. I DO run a daycare in my home and that is no small thing. I’ve had a few essays published, and I write a blog.
T S- I can multitask and get many things done. I’m a task master. I have a good sense of humor. I’m not afraid to speak up.
Hello Ernie and welcome! I hope this little exercise helps in your journey. I would say running a daycare is a major accomplishment…and then to find time to write on top of that, well done! Having a good sense of humor seems like an essential strength in those endeavors. Good luck!
Always great to know of more ways in which we can self-help and self-examine. I know I can be too critical but I am far more gentle these days in words to myself.
Is it an age thing I wonder?
Love the sharing you did with this and I will check out that book…but have a self imposed book buying ban right now…
It was so good to see you link up your blog post this week. Thanks for being part of the community that IS Wednesday’s Words and Pics! Warm wishes, Denyse.
I agree, Denyse. I think for many of us, becoming more gentle with ourselves comes with age and life experience. I understand having a backlog of books to read; however, I did buy Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? after reading your post. I’m just getting started with it, but so far I like it. Thanks for the recommendation.