How to do the impossible

How optimistic are you about how the world looks, operates and what is possible within it? There are narratives that come from mainstream media that suggest the world is falling apart, when by every conceivable standard it is getting better — technology, healthcare provision etc.

There was a time when the world would have considered a computer in every home, a touch screen phone, and even human-powered flight impossible but these things have all happened. It is when we live in a state of ‘anything is possible’ that we pursue audacious goals.

Impossible is a state of mind

In a conversation for the Genius Network, Tony Robbins and Peter Diamandis discuss the limitations we put on ourselves, and what it truly means to believe that anything is possible. Peter Diamandis states in the discussion that ‘impossible is a state of mind’ and instead of just looking to solve a problem, you should try and go 10 times as big. This is where you exceed any expectations. By trying to make such a big improvement on something you have to reinvent the wheel which makes the pursuit exciting.

You are working toward what Jim Collins calls in his book ‘Built to Last’ a ‘big hairy audacious goal’. This is a long term goal which spans over 10–25 years, guided by a company’s core values and purpose. Although Jim Collins applies the term to businesses, there is no reason why individuals can’t have big hairy audacious goals. This can mean pursuing something that nobody has done before.