Achieving What Seems “Impossible” But is Merely Difficult
SHARK! SHARK! Over the years I’ve accidentally become a specialist in tackling the impossible, and getting partial credit for it. It stems from being a member of the Wiefling family, a clan known for persistence in the face of ridiculous odds. Let me give you an example. Just last week my brother stopped by with some meat from a shark he’d caught with a couple of his buddies. It seems he’d been out on a 16-foot boat with two other guys and they’d managed to hook an 8-foot-long, 220-pound shark. My brother Russell insisted on pulling it aboard despite the fishing guide’s admonitions to cut it loose. Suffice it to say Russell persevered, and I will be enjoying grilled shark for quite some time.
GENIUS OR MADMAN? As you can see, it takes either a madman or a genius to do what others think cannot be done. Not that it’s always done with a great deal of grace, mind you. Tackling the impossible can be messy, and you have to be willing to build a tall junk pile. Success is uncertain, and it can be risky both personally and professionally. Progress is often non-linear, and the outcome may be impossible to predict right up until the very moment that success is assured. And no matter how confident someone appears or how capable he or she truly is, tackling the impossible can be a daunting task. There are bound to be days when you’d rather be watching the whole thing on TV, rather than living the adventure!
How can you keep going when you feel like quitting? Many people hit bottom at some point while striving towards an ambitious goal. It’s perfectly natural after the initial excitement wears off. Early signs of progress can be scarce, the enormity of the tasks begins to dawn on us, and there are plenty of well-intentioned people who are over-eager to help us understand exactly why what we’re doing is highly unlikely or darn-near-impossible. (By the way – treasure these people when you need a good reality check on your implementation plan, but don’t seek them out when you need a dose of inspiration or a “conversation for possibility.”)
PERSISTENCE. What is it that keeps people going in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and repeated disappointment? Calvin Coolidge said it best: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Genius will not. Education will not. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
Use these 7 guidelines to achieve what may seem impossible, but . . .
- Precisely define what you want and how you will know when you get it.
- Make public your commitment to this goal.
- Surround yourself with positive and supportive people who believe in you.
- Weed your life of toxic people who do nothing but undermine you.
- Any motion is good motion — keep moving, and correct your course.
- Stay committed to your goals for 5 minutes longer than you can stand it!
- KEEP GOING! Don’t let a temporary setback turn into permanent failure.
You wouldn’t stop on the 90-yard line of a 100-yard race to have a Coke! Likewise, don’t stop just short of achieving your goals. The next step may carry you over the threshold!
“He either fears his Fate too much, or his desserts are small, that puts it not unto the Touch, to win or lose it all.” – James Graham, Marquis of Montrose (1612-1650)
A Question That Shifts Paradigms & Transforms “Impossible” →Possible
What seems impossible, but if it were possible, would transform your business, your team, your life, maybe even our entire World for the better? That is the paradigm-shifting question that I learned many years ago, and have frequently used to achieve what seems impossible, but is merely difficult. This question has the power to unlock possibilities that otherwise would never peek out from behind the cloak of consciousness.
Human beings are animals, and we spend a lot of our time on autopilot. We live many of the minutes, hours and days of our lives in some kind of trance state, highly functioning, no doubt, but not highly consciously aware. Haven’t we all found ourselves at the end of a busy day wanting to shout out “Has anyone seen where the day went?” And I have personally been on long drives in the car when I suddenly wondered who had been driving for the last 100 miles. I had no conscious memory of the drive. Most of my brain was off scampering around somewhere, but fortunately some part of it was driving the car!
“What seems impossible, but if it were possible, would transform your life for the better?” is what’s sometimes called a “hypnotic” question. It momentarily suspends critical thinking, bypasses our current assumptions and beliefs about reality, and transports us to a future possibility free of any practicality. Usually we’re pretty adept at screening out avenues of thinking that are a complete waste of time. Practically speaking, the evolution of the species hasn’t depended on people having flights of fancy about seemingly impossible outcomes. And the modern world certainly doesn’t give us a lot of encouragement to roam through a jungle of dreams. The pressure to be “realistic” and avoid doing anything that might result in a mistake, failure or public humiliation is pretty strong.
I recently watched a hilarious YouTube video by Ken Robinson that claims that schools are to blame for killing creativity. Schools may contribute, but that’s just the beginning. Bit by bit I’ve seen the spirit crushed out of people in many organizations including the one I’m most familiar with, the corporate world, what’s left of their souls slinking out the door at the end of a long day, perhaps a few tattered remains of their dignity intact. It’s a devastating consequence of the wage slavery that is epidemic in this world, and worsening with the current economic crisis. People need to work at jobs they hate in order to afford the houses they live in to be close to the jobs they hate. Fascinating!
That’s why I ask this provocative question to people every chance I get. It frees them from their shackles, if only momentarily, and allows their mind to soar to heights from which they might glimpse their own potential. I want every single person in my work and in my life to feel fully alive, appreciated, and in touch with their extraordinary potential. Oh, sure, there are people who drive me nuts and I’d rather go to the dentist than work with them, but in those few moments when I’m at my best this is my sincere intention. As business leaders we are more than a means to get the next product out the door, or to bring the next dollar in. We’re creating an ecosystem for our people, and I strongly believe that we have a responsibility to create a place where both we and they can grow and thrive.
Once a conversation for possibilities begins it transforms everything in its path. When people know each other’s dreams some kind of magic happens that must be experienced to be understood. In my experience, that’s good for business! And way more fun for everyone than wage slavery. Don’t believe me! Try it on yourself first, then unleash it on the rest of your world. If you have the courage to ask such questions you’ll be rewarded with a few blank stares, but an ocean of opportunities & possibilities.
“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, it’s unlikely you will step up and take responsibility for making it so. If you assume that there’s no hope, you guarantee that there will be no hope.” – Noam Chomsky, Jan 20, 2009
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