Attempting the Impossible.
Do you set goals for your life? Are those goals realistic or are they unattainable? When you set goals for yourself, do you take into consideration your physical and mental capabilities?
These questions all lead to the ultimate question in goal setting. Are you attempting the impossible? For some people this would lead to the response, “It’s possible I could achieve my goal.”
The next question then would be, “While it is possible, is it probable?” Possibilities are infinite, while probabilities are finite.
Goals for like can take many forms in life, but all goals produce happiness and self-confidence. I once heard two totally different responses to the same question. What makes you happy?
The first person responded, “Making a million dollars a year makes me happy.”
The second person responded, “Waking up each morning and seeing my smiling face in the mirror.”
From these two responses of setting a goal for leading a happy life, which one do you think would be the happiest.
While the million dollars a year salary is possible, it is probable this person will lead an unhappy life because of his attempt at the impossible. On the other extreme, the goal set by this individual is highly probable because of the low threshold he has set for himself.
Goals need to stretch our boundaries, learning and skill development. A goal for getting out of poverty, for example, while it may seem simple, can prove difficult involving hard work and dedication. Your mind set plays a huge role in goal setting as well. The goals you set require dedication, not your commitment. Here again we get back to the chicken and the pig analogy. While the chicken is committed to providing eggs for breakfast, what is the chicken’s level of dedication to provide those eggs? The pig is totally dedicated to providing bacon to your breakfast. The pig gives the highest level of dedication possible.
So, when you set goals, or embark to complete a task no matter how small, ask yourself this question, “Are you the chicken or are you the pig.” If your answer is anything other than the pig, you might be attempting the impossible.
