Each person, at some stage in their life, has wished they were somebody special, somebody important. Who hasn't daydreamed of being the one who hits the game-winning homer? Who hasn't wished of being the homecoming queen? And how many times have we aspired of being wealthy, or successful, or blissful with our relationships?
Often, we dream big and have great ambition. Regrettably, our dreams remain just that – dreams. And our ambitions easily gather dust in our attic.
This is a sad turn of events in our existence. Instead of experiencing stimulating adventures in self actualization, we get caught up in the monotony of living from day-to-day just barely existing.
But you know what? Living could be so much better, if only we learned to point towards higher goals.
The most common difficulty to setting goals is the word impossible. Most people get hung up believing I can't do this. It's too impossible. It's too hard. No one can do this.
However, if each one thought that, there would be no innovations, no inventions, and no breakthroughs in human achievement.
Keep in mind that scientists were confused when they took a look at the humble bumblebee. Hypothetically, they said, it was impossible for the bumblebee to fly. Unluckily for the bumble, bee no one has told it so. So fly it does.
On the other hand, some individuals endure from dreaming totally outrageous dreams and not working on them. The result? Shattered dreams, and tattered ambitions.
If you limit yourself with self-doubt, you’ll never be able to go past what you think impossible. If you reach too far out into the sky without labouring towards your goal, you will find yourself grasping on to a hopeless dream.
Try this exercise. Take a piece of paper and write down some ambitions in your life. Under one header, list down things ‘you know you can do’. Under another header, write the things ‘you might be able to do.’ And under one more, list the things that that are ‘outrageous for you to do.’
Now look at all the headers strive every day to achieve the goals that are under things ‘you know you can do’. Check them when you are able to complete them. As you slowly are able to check all of your goals under that heading, try accomplishing the goals under the other header-the one that reads ‘you might be able to do.’
As of the items you wrote under things I could do are accomplished, you can move the goals that are under things that are ‘impossible for you to do’ to the list of things ‘you might be able to do.’
As you go through this process, you will find out that the goals you once considered impossible become easier to accomplish. And the impossible begin to seem possible after all.
You see, the method here is not to limit your imagination. It is to aim lofty goals, and start working towards that goal little by little. However, it also is risky to set a goal that is in fact unrealistic.
Those who just dream towards an ambition without working hard end up disillusioned and frustrated.
On the other hand, if you told somebody a hundred years ago that it was doable for man to be on the moon, they would scorn you. If you had told them that you could send mail from here to the other side of the world in a few seconds, they would say you were out of your mind. But, through absolute desire and perseverance, these impossible imaginings are now realities.
Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Nothing could be truer. For one to accomplish his or her dreams, there has to be had work and discipline. But take note that that 1% has to be a think-big dream, and not some effortlessly accomplished one.
Ask any gym rat and he or she will tell you that there can be no gains unless you are put out of your comfort zone. Remember the saying, “No pain, no gain”? That is as true as it can be.
So dream on, friend! Don’t get caught up with your seeming limitations. Think big and work hard to accomplish those dreams. As you step up the ladder of development, you will just about find out that the impossible has just become a little bit more possible.
