Impossible Goals

We were recently challenged, by one of our keynote speakers in Minneapolis, to set impossible goals and to not settle for a possible goal. When we set possible goals we only stretch; setting an impossible goal will help us to actually expand. As I thought about this concept I began to envision goals as icebergs. The tip of the iceberg represents what we acknowledge as our potential and our accomplishments, but what lies beneath the water represents our untapped accomplishments and potential.

How do you go about accomplishing an impossible goal? I am not sure I have all the answers, but I do have some of them. I believe there are three core elements needed to accomplish what you think is impossible: you must have strong leadership skills, a strong passion, and an activated network.

Leadership skills are life skills, and they center on personal development. Many people think leadership is a position or a task they are not capable of, but this is not true; leadership is a set of skills that can be learned. Building your leadership skills begins with identifying your values. Values are your internal compass; they define what you will and will not do, and they guide you to know what is right and what is wrong from a moral and ethical perspective. Another leadership skill is courage. Once you have defined your values you must act on them…no matter how hard it is. Your values are not negotiable and this will take courage at times.

Passion for your goal is what will help you to overcome the barriers you will encounter along the way. Having a strong passion is more than just wanting the goal. It is about wanting it for the right reasons, it is about believing in yourself, and it is about your willingness to go above and beyond, to expand and not just stretch.

And finally, you must have a network, and it must be fully activated. Your network may be family and friends, peers and mentors; it may include those familiar to you or those who are less familiar to you. The purpose of your network is to not only support and assist you but to hold you accountable as well. By an activated network I mean they must know about your impossible goal. This is a critical element. You must share your impossible goal with others. Until you share it with others it is not a goal, it is only a dream. Do not get me wrong—dreams are good things, and they have a purpose; however, they are not goals. Dreams are like intentions without action; goals are intentions with action. The purpose of a goal is to accomplish something, and this takes action.

To set a possible goal is a big step for many of us, but to set and declare an impossible goal can be downright scary. It will take great personal courage and passion to set, declare, and accomplish such a goal. And so I ask you, what is your impossible goal? For each of us this will be something different, and it will change over time. My niece’s impossible goal is to be a nurse, and she will encounter barriers along the way, but I congratulate her for declaring this goal and for taking steps to accomplish it. For others, the impossible goal may be to obtain a higher academic degree, or maybe to just make it through the day, or possibly to be the President of the Emergency Nurses Association!

Finally, we all have a twofold responsibility when it comes to impossible goals. We should all have our own impossible goal we are working toward, and secondly we should all be part of someone else’s network. We should actively look for ways to help others accomplish their impossible goals.

What is your impossible goal…this is your chance to make a difference and to think big! Whose network are you a part of…this is your opportunity to make a difference and to pay it forward!