Impossible – is it just a word?

Everyone, at some point in his or her life, has had a dream.

A dream of being someone or doing something special.

What was your dream about when you were younger? Scoring the winning goal for your country’s football team? Or maybe becoming a scientist and discovering a cure for some terrible disease? How many of us can admit to having dreamt of being rich, successful, or happy with our relationships?

Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations, regardless of how impossible those dreams might feel.

Unfortunately, the majority of the time, our dreams remain just that – dreams. 

Instead of experiencing exciting adventures that take us one step closer to our dreams, we get caught up in the humdrum of living day-to-day. Our dreams end up on the back burner.

But if we learn how to aim higher, we could get closer to those dreams.

If you are an aspiring CIO, how impossible does that dream feel for you? Is impossible just a word?

The Common Problem

The most common problem with setting goals is the word impossible.

Most people get hung up thinking; I can’t do this, it’s too hard, it’s too impossible, no one can do this.

If everyone thought like that, there would be no inventions, no innovations, and no breakthroughs in human accomplishment. The CIOs of this world certainly wouldn’t have gotten to where they are now.

Scientists used to be completely baffled by the humble bumblebee. Theoretically, they said, it was “impossible for the bumblebee to fly.”

The bumblebee has no idea that it’s not ‘supposed’ to be able to fly. But it does. 

Don’t make the mistake of limiting yourself with self-doubt, and self-limiting assumptions. If you do, then you will never be able to break out of your comfort zone and strive to achieve more. 

On the other hand, if you try and climb too high and too far, without actually putting the work in towards your goal, your dream will feel impossible.

Setting and Achieving Goals

Take a piece of paper and write down some goals that you have with three headers.

• Goals you know you can achieve
• Goals you might be able to achieve
• Goals you feel are impossible to achieve

Every day review your ‘know you can achieve’ goals and tick them off once you accomplish them. Once that list is checked off move on to the ‘might be able to achieve’ goals. 

Once they are checked off you can start to ‘move’ the goals that you feel are impossible down to the ‘might’ column. You will find that they become easier and easier to achieve. Why? Because you are taking action. You are no longer limiting yourself and you are working towards your impossible goals one small step at a time.  

What small goals could you set to get you closer to becoming a Tech Leader or CIO?

Note: It’s not the best idea to set a goal that is truly unrealistic – but aim high and work towards that goal little by little.

When the impossible becomes possible

A hundred years ago it was thought impossible for man to be on the moon. In fact you would have been laughed at and told you were crazy.

Sending mail from one side of the world to the other in only a matter of seconds would have seemed unfathomable.

But, through sheer desire and perseverance, these impossible dreams are now realities. 

Thomas Edison once said that “genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”

So dream your dreams and don’t give in to those limitations. Think big and work hard. If your dream is to be a CIO the only thing stopping you, is you. Set achievable and uncomfortable goals and you might find that the impossible becomes possible.

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