Cultivating the Right Attitude
Find someone who inspires you. Whether it's your parents, teachers, friends, a celebrity, or even a fictional character, modeling yourself after someone who inspires you can be a great path toward self-improvement. Select someone who inspires you to become the best version of yourself. Research them, learn from them and let them guide you in your own fascinating journey! Make a list of this person’s best qualities. Read about obstacles they have overcome. Brainstorm ways for you to emulate these qualities. Use their stories to inspire you to overcome your own obstacles.
Trust in yourself. Truly trust who you are. Know who you are and who want you to be. You have the power to become the person you truly desire and yearn to be in the deepest secrets of your soul. Clarify the goals you have for yourself, and trust both your desire and ability to achieve them. Grab a notebook, a pen, and a timer. Set the timer for five minutes and write without stopping. Begin with the phrase, “I am . . .” Reset the timer and begin again with the phrase, “I want . . .” Use these lists to give you a greater sense of who you are and what you want. Repeat key phrases from your lists as mantras (such as "I am a good person" or "I want a good life") each day to help cultivate self-trust.
Break the mold. You can always become a greater version of yourself, but don't try to be someone else. Work to find your passion, your meaning and what makes your heart flutter! Use this knowledge to break out from whatever molds the world, society, or cruel friends have placed on you.
Understand that not everyone will support you. There will be people who will try to manipulate, discourage, and/or stop you from achieving your dreams. Try to emotionally prepare yourself for such responses, so that they will not come as a surprise. Let these kinds of comments be proof that you are truly striving for something big and important! Try your best not to take it personally. People tend to nay say things they cannot do themselves or do not understand.
Making a Plan
Brainstorm. Before you can “do the impossible,” you must decide what that means for you. Take some time to brainstorm with a pen and paper. Ultimately, this will help you set a specific, big-but-achievable goal. Imagine your ideal future. What does it look like? Imagine your happiest self. What is making you happy? Envision great success for yourself. What does this success consist of?
Create specific goals and sub-goals. After you spend some time brainstorming, try to formulate these visions into a specific goal. In order to make the impossible possible, you will need a concrete goal, and a plan to complete it. Choose an actionable, concrete goal that you can put into a sentence. Then break that goal into smaller sub-goals. For instance, you might want to scale Mt. Everest, lose 100 lbs., or buy a house. For these goals, sub-goals might include: raising (or saving) money, finding a personal trainer, or applying for a mortgage. For a big goal, you will probably have at least five sub-goals. Set deadlines for each of your sub-goals.
Use the SMART method. One way to make your goals grounded and specific is to use the SMART method. This approach to goal setting can help you refine your goals. To use this method, assess whether your goals are: Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bounded
Identify obstacles. There are sure to be some obstacles between you and your goals. After all, if it were easy, it would not be “impossible.” Spend some time identifying your challenges, and brainstorming ways to overcome them. If a major obstacle is money, brainstorm ways for you to save a little bit at a time, or perhaps to make some more money on the side. If a major obstacle is time, brainstorm ways to carve out some free moments. Maybe you could rearrange your work hours, wake up earlier, or spend less time on the internet. If a major obstacle is fear (such as a fear of heights), brainstorm ways that you could overcome your fear slowly. You might begin by standing on a ladder or climbing a hill. If your fear is intense, you may want to consult a therapist for guidance.
Following Through
Dedicate your time. Achieving the impossible is going to take time. You will need to dedicate yourself to this task regularly and consistently. By establishing deadlines for your goals, you should be able to determine how much time you need to spend working toward your dream each day (or each week). Pencil this time down in your schedule, just like you would with work or school. Do not let other obligations interfere with this time.
Track your progress. As you begin working toward your goal, it is important to keep track of your process. Dedicate a journal to this endeavor, or use a goal-tracking app. Make notes about how much time you put in and log any sub-goals you achieve. It is also helpful to keep track of set-backs or failures. These are an important part of the process too! Tracking your progress can help you stay motivated by highlighting how far you’ve come. Tracking your progress can also help you stay accountable.
Keep yourself motivated. Perhaps the most difficult part about achieving the impossible is staying motivated for the length of time it will take. In addition to creating achievable sub-goals and tracking your progress, it can help to give yourself some added reinforcement. “Reinforcement” means, essentially, that you create consequences for your actions. There are two basic types of reinforcement: Positive reinforcement: This involves rewarding yourself for a job well done. For instance, you might treat yourself to something (like a dessert or a new pair of jeans) you want for achieving a specific sub-goal. Negative reinforcement: This involves taking something away. For instance, you might deny yourself TV over the weekend if you fail you fail to meet your goals that week.
Embracing the Outcome
Recognize that you may fail. Japanese industrialist and automaker, Soichiro Honda, once said, “Success is 99% failure.” If you are trying to do the impossible, you should understand from the beginning that you might fail. Rather than fearing the possibility of failure, embrace the positives that come along with it! Failure builds character, teaches valuable lessons, boosts creative function, and often times, leads to future success.
Enjoy the journey. Resist viewing your experience in terms of ultimate success or failure. Instead, enjoy the ride. When you set out to achieve something big, your “impossible” goal acts like a north star, guiding you forward to where you want to be. But no matter what the ultimate outcome is, you get to experience the memorable trip. This trip is likely to make you more healthy, focused, and fulfilled, regardless of the end result.
Try again. Humans are goal-seeking creatures. Having grand ideas and working to reach them is part of what drives us. No matter what happens with this impossible dream, whether you “win” or “lose,” you must set another goal and seek another experience. Try again to achieve this dream, or strive for something brand new. Pursuing your dreams will form a bedrock of joy and success in your life.
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