I’ve been reading Gary Keller’s “One Thing”, which defines three types of goals: doable, stretch & possible. “Doable”, of course, is the low hanging fruit, the no/low risk path. “Stretch” pushes you, but you’re still within the view of “limits”; some more risk and more effort than “doable”. Then we have “possible”. Well, I don’t like Keller’s term, but we’ll go with it. Because “possible” really pushes our mind past what we view as possible. It’s not about what we think as possible, but pushing past our viewed limits and discovering the truly possible. I like “beyond possible”, but I think that would push people away from trying, as much as “impossible” would.
Ah, the “impossible!” I don’t believe in impossibilities. Rather, possibilities limited by either vision or a lack of technological progress. In Michio Kaku’s “Physics of the Impossible”, he defines three types of impossibilities: class 1, 2 & 3. Class 1 are technologically impossible, but don’t violate physical laws. Conceiving of a world with them isn’t that hard. Class 2 exist at the very edge of our understanding. And Class 3 requires a different understanding of physical laws. All three have been pushed past over the course of history. So, with that, I believe that most, if not all statements of “impossible” really are statements of limited vision.
So, with that, you’d think I’ve been living a life pushing past the impossible, setting all my goals in the “possible” realm. No. I’ve struggled pushing into “possible”. Heck, “stretch” is emotionally challenging. Why? Fear, the fear of hitting my limits, I guess. The fear of disappointing those I care about? I’m not sure. The roots of this are years of limiting messages fed into me, myriad sources, manifest voices; probably all well meaning. Now, though I see it’s time to give up on the psychoanalysis and move. Work on believing in myself. It’s the message I’m trying to pass along to those around me. Because I very deeply believe that this is the root of all innovation. And letting yourself be limited is the root of much human suffering.
I’ve limited myself so very much by focusing on “doable” dreams. That’s the source of my internal dissatisfaction. I’ve limited myself, and I feel the edges of that box. I hate it. Deeply. Fighting my way past has been infernally challenging. Probably, the lack of awareness of what in shooting for, what I feel called for has been limiting. I hope by having it better defined, I may push past, finally. The battle continues.
Dreaming Big – Living Beyond The Doable
