Badass Boost: Living Your Best Badass Life in 2023
Welcome to the Badass Boost Weekly Challenge!
But before I get to the challenge, I want to talk a little bit about the Badass Women’s Book Club.
I launched the BAWBC to build a community of women who support each other on the journey to being their most empowered, authentic and confident self. My goal is to help women move from inspiration to action by sharing engaging and relevant books, shows and podcasts.
BAWBC is built on a foundation of my experience, education and personal action. Throughout my career in the education sector – first as a classroom teacher and now as the leader of a national educational nonprofit organization - I’ve dedicated a big part of myself to the advancement and support of women. I’ve also served in volunteer organizations that promote opportunities for women, organizations like Dress for Success and Girl Scouts. And about four years ago, I became certified as an Executive Coach.
I understand what women need to be able to live their best life. But – maybe like many of you – I still work at it every day. I think Living Your Best Badass Life is a continuous journey of courage, exploration, acceptance.
And that brings us to the Badass Boost Weekly Challenge! I believe that moving from inspiration to action does not require a massive upheaval in your life – I believe that small, focused, intentional steps – over time – can lead to the positive outcomes we’re all seeking. We all want to be living our best badass life – we want to be showing up, speaking out and stepping forward with confidence, living a personal and professional life that leaves us feeling fulfilled, challenged, and excited about what we can do in our lives, in our communities, in the world.
You might want to find a notebook or journal you can use to jot down your responses and reflections to these weekly prompts. There will be times when I will ask you to look back at a previous week’s response. This notebook above is one that I picked up and had hand-lettered! (I feel like it’s *almost* too pretty to write in!) I have a friend who suggested using the Notes app on your phone – that works, too! Whatever feels best to you. (Of course, I never turn down an excuse to buy a new notebook😊)
Week 1: Write down three successes from 2022. These don’t have to be “big” things – it could be that you finished an important project at work, that you made your first-ever presentation to your team, that you finally said “no”. Think about three things that make you proud, successes that you own.
We’re next going to start moving into some prompts that help us think about what makes us badass. Over the next few weeks, you’ll be asked to identify and then think about those moments when you were able to tap into your natural gifts and tendencies. Knowing your strengths and talents and understanding how to apply them will help you maximize your potential to work and live as your best badass self.
I’m often asked to define “badass” and I really can’t because I think it’s personal to each woman. I do think it involves women being their most empowered, authentic and confident selves. I do think living our best badass life means that we’re showing up, speaking out, and stepping forward with confidence, living personal and professional lives that leave us feeling fulfilled, challenged, and excited about what we can do in our lives, in our communities, in the world. And I also believe that being a “badass” means that you are on a continuous journey of courage, exploration, acceptance.
Starting on that journey requires understanding and appreciating you.
Week 2: What do you like most about yourself?
Week 3: What are some things that people compliment you about? Do you see any patterns? Do any things come up time and again?
Week 4: What do you enjoy doing most in your work? In your outside activities?
Week 5: When do you feel like the most “real” you? This can be when you are at work, with friends, or even by yourself. Chances are - if you think about the “real” you in all the different settings - you’ll begin to see the “realness” patterns emerging.
Week 6: What kind of experiences or activities give you energy?
Week 7: What was your first achievement? What do you remember about it? Why was it special or important to you?
Week 8: What is a challenge you’ve faced or an obstacle you’ve overcome?
Week 9: Based on all the answers from the last few weeks, write down 3-5 strengths and talents that present themselves over and over again in your work, home and life.
Based on all the answers from the last few weeks, write down 3-5 strengths and talents that present themselves over and over again in your work, home and life.
Why does knowing our strengths matter? Try this simple activity. Number your paper 1-5. Write your name as fast as you can. Now, switch to your other hand and do the same thing.
How was it in the other hand? Harder, right? Felt uncomfortable, I’m guessing? And the outcome? Probably not as good. And it likely took you a little longer.
This is what it is like when you are trying to work against your strengths instead of leveraging your strengths. Through these boosts we want to find your strengths so you can start building on them and using them - moving closer and closer to living your best badass life.
Week 10: Reflecting on the personal strengths you identified for yourself, what is one discovery you made about yourself?
Week 11: Taking your list of strengths and talents, find one person you trust to share them with. Ask for their feedback.
Week 12: Reflecting on your work or personal history, who is one person who recognized or appreciated your strengths and talents? How did that make you feel? What impact did that have on your outlook or your performance?
Week 13: Think about one task or activity you have coming up this week. Which of your strengths or talents can you leverage to help you be successful?
Week 14: Take 3 sticky notes. Write your 3-5 strengths/talents on each sticky note (meaning, you’ll write all 3-5 strengths/talents three times). Put the sticky notes somewhere you will see them every day (on your bathroom mirror, at your desk, in your car, by your coffeemaker, etc).
Week 15: Complete this sentence: Now that I have taken time to identify what makes me a badass, I am most looking forward to _________________________.
Next up, we are going to start moving into battling imposter syndrome and building confidence…stay tuned to your inbox for your weekly Badass Boost!