4.3-WORKBOOK - Identity Workbook - Part 1 - The Chickens & The Eagle

Oct 13, 2026

Identity Workbook focuses on building awareness of the identity someone has created and using it to guide a desired shift. It outlines a progression from recognizing current identity, beliefs, strengths, challenges, and opportunities, to shifting toward possibility, then anchoring that identity change in intentional actions supported by lasting systems. It includes a guiding story about an eagle raised by chickens and self-reflection exercises based on Erik Erikson’s psychosocial stages, starting with Trust vs. Mistrust and Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time9 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Purpose and workbook arc

Recommended preparation

But First…A Story!

The Chickens & The Eagle: Part 1

Your Psychosocial Stages

Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust

Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt

Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt

“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world – that is the myth of the atomic age – as in being able to remake ourselves” -Gandhi Introduction This workbook is created with the intention of building awareness of the identity that we have created for ourselves and using that to orient us towards where we would like it to shift. It is based on the concepts and philosophies of Your Storied Life-speciﬁcally around recreating one’s identity. It follows the general arc of: ● Awareness-of our identity, beliefs, strengths, challenges, and opportunities ● Shifting to Possibility-orienting towards inspiring possibilities of what life could be ● Action-anchoring the identity shift in intentional actions, grounded in lasting systems Recommended Preparation: Familiarity with YSL Concepts, Overview of the Identity Page At the end of this workbook you will: ● Have a better understanding of your current ‘identity’ -including your values and ● Have adopted a more neutral and comprehensive overview of your strengths and challenges ● Have a clear orientation towards the values and facets of being that you’d like to cultivate ● Have clear possibilities, goals, habits, and systems that you will be living To cultivating a beautiful garden together... But First…A Story! The Chickens & The Eagle: Part 1 Taken from Better Life Coaching Blog “There’s an old, well-known story of a chicken farmer who found an eagle’s egg. He put it with his chickens and soon the egg hatched. The young eagle grew up with all the other chickens and whatever they did, the eagle did too. He thought he was a chicken, just like them. Since the chickens could only ﬂy for a short distance, the eagle also learned to ﬂy a short distance. He thought that was what he was supposed to do. So that was all that he thought he could do. As a consequence, that was all he was able to do. One day the eagle saw a bird ﬂying high above him. He was very impressed.“Who is that?” he asked the hens around him. “That’s the eagle, the king of the birds,” the hens told him.“He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth, we are just chickens ” So the eagle lived and died as a chicken, for that’s what he thought he was ” Your Psychosocial Stages Complete the guided self-reﬂection below that follows the 8 stages of ‘psychosocial crises’ that we encounter in life, as proposed by Erik Erikson. These offer a framework for reﬂecting on some of our core narratives and concepts of self. Stage 1ʼ Trust vs. Mistrust- ~Age 0 → 1.5 years “During the ﬁrst stage of psychosocial development, children develop a sense of trust when caregivers provide reliability, care, and a fection. A lack of this will lead to mistrust.” Holistically, where would you put yourself on this scale? Mistrust Trust On a scale of 1-10, how hopeful would you say you are? Circle those that best represent your core narratives of mistrust and trust, then sum it up in your own words. | People are dependable and affectionate | The world is a generally safe place | I have little conﬁdence in my ability to inﬂuence events | | --- | --- | --- | | Other people are there to offer me support in my life | The world is inconsistent and unpredictable | The uncertainty of what will come is a source of anxiety | | I have a sense that when I share my needs with others, they will want to help me. | How would you say it? | | What are some aspects/areas of your life where you would see more trust would be a beneﬁt? 1. 2. 3. Stage 2ʼ Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt- ~Age 1.5 → 3 “Children who successfully complete this stage feel secure and conﬁdent, while those who do not are left with a sense of inadequacy and self-doubt. Erikson believed that achieving a balance between autonomy and shame and doubt would lead to will, which is the belief that children can act with intention, within reason and limits.” Circle where you would holistically put

FAQs

What is the main goal of this identity workbook?

To build awareness of the identity you have created for yourself and use it to orient you toward the shift you want to make. It connects insight to intentional actions supported by lasting systems.

What framework does the workbook use for self-reflection?

It follows the 8 stages of Erik Erikson’s psychosocial crises, using guided self-reflection to examine core narratives of self, such as trust, autonomy, and initiative.

What is included at the beginning of the workbook besides the exercises?

A short story, “The Chickens & The Eagle: Part 1,” adapted from the Better Life Coaching Blog, followed by psychosocial stage reflections.

Oct 13, 2026

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