can't do vs. won't do

I may have just downloaded google chrome to my work computer so that I could blog.  Whatev.  Who still uses freaking explorer anyway?!

Yep - I am at "work."  aka, I am sitting at a desk in the psychology department Attention and Behavior Clinic waiting for these people to CALL ME BACK!  Apparently our clients think I am leaving voice mails just for the fun of it.  But that's ok...whatever...it's cool.

I just started this gig last week.  It's my graduate assistantship, meaning that along with a tiny monthly paycheck, sitting in here for 20 hours a week gets me free tuition!  "Sitting in here" will turn into actual work in a few weeks, but for now, I will take it!

Yesterday, in my psychology consultation class, we were discussing behavioral interventions for kiddos that are having difficulties in a classroom.  I am such a nerd-bird.  I was eating it up!  (I was also happy thinking about how I dodged a bullet -- I used to want to teach, but uh...nothankyou!)  Totally more comfortable being the professional giving recommendations on how to manage problem behavior instead of being in the trenches, so to speak.

One intervention/assessment really stuck out to me.  Put simply, it is a way to measure whether a student just "won't do" a behavior/academic task, or if the student "can't do" it, meaning they currently lack the skills.  Whether they can't do or won't do helps determine the most effective intervention.

Well, long story short (ha.) it resonated with me.  Kids aren't the only ones that have behaviors/things they need to change, so it got me thinking...are there things that I feel like I "can't do," but really it's just more of a "won't do?"  If I am being honest, I bet the answer is "uh..duh!" and I bet it is typically a "won't do."  

-our master's research project that I just "can't" get rolling on -- yes I can!  I just "won't" do it!
-eating more healthy options/maybe even eating clean -- I may feel like it is impossible, or too expensive, or too gross... but I "can" do it, if I made the decision to and worked really hard at it.
-being crafty - I see so many things on pinterest or that friends have done, and I'm all "wow...I definitely can't do that."  -- Jeez, Trisha, yes you can, you just do want to / aren't willing to put in the time
-cooking elaborate recipes-- I have this habit of getting to the end (ok - sometimes the middle) of a recipe and saying, "ummm...that is NOT going to happen!  I can't do all of that."  -- you guys know where I am going with this.

It is an interesting concept for me.  There are so many things that I just don't feel motivated to do, and sometimes that's alright.  I will never mow the lawn.  Could I?  Probably.  But I "won't" do it.  And I am OK with that...  But when there is something I/you want to see change, and it seems difficult or impossible, maybe it's worth really thinking about whether you "won"t do it" or "can't do it"...I bet you can!