I’m going to dare to do something.  If you are reading this post you probably have some sort of goal.  Think about that one goal for a second.   Now think about the chances of reaching that goal.  If you are accustomed to goal setting, you’ve probably used some sort of goal setting method that you learned from a book, article, life coach or whatever.

Now think about how attainable your goal is.  I was thinking about goal setting recently and the most common type of goal setting technique used is the S-M-A-R-T goal.  This acronym stands for specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, and timely.  The smart goal makes for a good template for productivity and accomplishment.  I’ve used it several times in my own life. 

I graduated from high school in 1997.  I played sports in high school and never really had a problem with weight.  As the years went by the pounds started adding up.  You may have heard of the freshman 15.  This is the idea that college freshmen usually pack on 15 pounds during their freshman year of college.  Well, I took two years off before I went to college but that didn’t stop me from keeping up with those who went to school during those years.

I used a goal setting technique that was similar to the S-M-A-R-T goal (I hadn’t heard of it the time).  I lost the weight that I wanted in the time that I wanted.  So setting specific, measurable, goals in a timely manner is a very good thing.

Satisfying Yourself with Mediocracy

The ideas of setting a goal is frightening to some people just for the simple fact that they are promising themselves to work consistently towards something that they want.  If they work towards that desire and fall short, most people feel that the failure is a reflection of who they are.  I think that is why the S-M-A-R-T goal is so popular.  It is almost like the free pass to not challenge yourself too much less you feel bad about yourself if you fail.

So what do most people do?  They set the bar lower so they can clear it.  That way an accomplishment is reached but the true potential of the accomplishment that may have been is never even explored.  The S-M-A-R-T goal suggests that attainable goals “should not be out of your reach” and realistic goals should be “doable”.  The problem is, how does one understand what is doable and reachable?

Parkinson's Law is the adage that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion."  In relating this to goal setting, I suggest that your success will expand to fill the limit you set for an accomplishment.  For example, let’s say you were to get on the floor right now and dedicate yourself to doing 20 sit-ups .  When you begin to do the sit-ups, your pace, breathing, and energy towards each rep is aimed at finishing at 20.  That doesn’t necessarily mean that you could not have done 30 just as easily as you did 20.  The difference is you set yourself up-not to test how resilient you are-but to settle for a lower accomplishment.

The definition on mediocracy is a system by where mediocracy is approved; a government by mediocre rules.  What I’m getting at is a life that is set by only attainable, realistic rules and goals is a mediocre life. 

I set myself up to do something impossible last summer when I built this site.  I was working a full time job for a Fortune 500 company and I had recently signed up to take six classes during the summer in order to finish up a degree that I was close to reaching.  If you’ve ever taken college classes during the summer, you know they are fast and intense.  And I was taking six of them!

The idea and desire to build the site came a month before my first class.  I had no HTML knowledge and had no clue how to build a website and even less about internet marketing.  I didn’t even have a blog on blogspot, myspace, or anywhere else.  I just knew that I wanted to do it because I had a lot of experience and knowledge that I wanted to share to the world that might help many others.  So I jumped it with both feet.

During that summer, anytime someone would ask me about what I was doing I’d say,

“I’m taking six classes, working in the financial industry full time, and I just started building a website.”

They would usually ask, “Oh, are you a web designer?”

“Nah, I’m just some guy.”

After they did the math in their heads, most people would ask me if I were crazy or they would give me a puzzled look trying to figure out why I would take on an impossible task.  I think the idea that it was impossible to successfully accomplish everything in that summer, was what excited me most.  As a matter of fact, I excelled in almost every other part of my life.  I wrote Be Smarter in 30 Days in that time period because as I challenged my mind to become more productive, imaginative, and to comprehend like never before, it did.

In recent years, I can hardly remember a time period when my personal development spiked the way it did during those 3 ½ months.  But it never would’ve happened if I didn’t try to do the impossible.     

What are my Chances?

Everyone wants to do something impossible.  Or at least something they think is impossible.  Many people file those impossible goals under their “dream” category.  You have one too and here is the way to find out what it is.  When you are by yourself what do you daydream about?  Think about all the different daydreams you’ve had.  Now narrow it down to one that no one knows about or only a select few people know.

It could be a lifelong dream, traveling to another country, or meeting a celebrity, but somewhere in your mind something is saying “that’ll never happen”.  Have you ever thought about why it’ll never happen?  Most of the reasons that you may have given pertain to the possibilities and how easy it would be to accomplish that dream.  This thinking is detrimental to your life system and keeps it at a mediocre level.

I was talking to a friend who engaged my attention to her problems with her boyfriend.  She talked about her desire not to get married because the divorce rate is so high.  Since when is marriage a casino game?  Marriages (and success in life in general) have nothing to do with how many people have done it before you and everything to do with the work, dedication, and persistence that you put in.  Marriages don’t fail because of percentages; they fail because the elements necessary to maintain a healthy marriage are not there.

Before 1954 scientist knew for certain that if a person tried to run a mile in under 4 minutes, that person’s heart would give out and that person would die.  Then Roger Bannister came along and did it.  Let me ask you, what was the percentage of people who were able to even conceive that the 4 minute mile was possible?

Set at Least 1 Unrealistic, Unattainable Goal

Am I setting you up for failure?  It depends on how your psyche interprets the heading above.  If all of your life you’ve been programmed to see unattainable as impossible, then yes I’m setting you up for failure.  That is unless, you can switch your thinking to the plane of believing you can attain it.  There is no genie that is going to grant this wish.  You have to believe that whatever the unrealistic, unattainable goal is, can be done.  Then you make the decision to do it. From there you manage your decision with constant effort towards that goal until it happens.

Here is how you know if you are ready to make that impossible goal happen.  Quickly think about getting up right now and taking the first step towards that goal.  If you felt a jolt of excitement, then you are ready.  If the first thing that came to mind was why you cannot immediately take action, then you are not yet ready.  The excuse that you invented is enough to keep you from giving your goal a fighting chance.

Set one impossible goal even if it is not the impossible goal that you’ve dreamed about.  Once you’ve committed to that goal, go after it daily.  Persist and you will soon see results.  It can be anything.  If you are uncoordinated, try learning to juggle.  If you are not athletic, commit to completing a 5k and then complete it.  If you are not good with numbers, try learning just one advanced mathematical principle. Work at that one principle until you understand just that one.    If you are shy or are an introvert, make it your goal to meet and approach just one person of power or fame.  You’ll be amazed by the confidence you will feel once your goal is completed.       

Throughout my life I’ve learn to do many different things because I’ve always believed that if someone else can do it, why can’t I?  I’ve also believed that if I can do it, why can’t you.  That is one reason I speak to audiences and why I built Potential2Success.  What is lacking in most people is the belief that the impossible is possible.  No matter how unrealistic and unattainable it may be.