Achieve the Impossible in 142 Days for High-Performing Leaders
September is back-to-school season. Many people view September as “the other January” — a fresh start to refocus, a sprint to achieve goals before the end of the year.
There are 142 days left in the year.
I recently participated in a three-month challenge to accomplish a year’s goal in three months. I realized that time is either a constraint or an opportunity.
Time is not something to fight or work against but leverage as a catalyst for acceleration.
When time is condensed:
Distractions dissolve into focus.
The way things get done gets a rethink.
Opportunities are condensed for more of what you want sooner.
Having gone through the program, I realize that what I thought was impossible was simply a roadblock to real, actionable, accelerated possibilities.
By removing the barriers and assumptions, I became open and focused. I realize now what I can accomplish without hustling.
What can YOU accomplish in 142 days?
Anything significant, meaningful, and big was once impossible until someone made it possible.
Big things don’t come by staying the course.
You must go big if you want big goals and big things for yourself.
What's big for you--even impossible FOR YOU in the 142 days left in the year?
Doubling your business!
Working 10 fewer hours a week and having equal or more impact!
Writing that book you’ve been noodling on (246 words a day).
Landing that promotion outside of the promotion cycle.
Spending more time doing what you love and letting go of what you don’t.
We think we can’t, it’s too hard, the timing isn’t right, or there are too many conflicts. We protect ourselves from being uncomfortable.
Get unstuck from that thinking. Come with me for a short exercise.
This exercise opened me up to new thinking, but more importantly, to new motivation, ideas, and results—most of all, understanding what would bring me more joy.
STEP 1
Write down what would be impossible for you to achieve in 142 days.
Allow your mind to be outrageous. (Dance like no one is watching!)
This exercise is about finding inspiration, but you must PUSH your 'what's possible' boundary. That uncomfortable feeling that it won’t work or fear that it will fail or everything you’ve built so far will disappear.
All we are doing is imagining at this point.
Once you have your impossibility…
STEP 2
Write down a list of obstacles to achieving it. Make your list long and exhaustive. Be specific.
Consider the systems, processes, or events currently in place that you believe are roadblocks to your impossibility. [Are YOU the bottleneck?]
STEP 3
Review each item on your list by filtering through these questions.
What if it wasn’t a problem? [You’ll likely think it's a problem as that’s why it’s on your list, but seriously, what would be possible if it wasn’t a problem?]
What could be reconsidered, postponed, let go entirely, or moved to the next quarter?
Who could help me remove the bottlenecks?
Who can I delegate or offload? (who-s = growth)
STEP 4
Ask yourself what needs to be true to achieve your impossible goal.
What would need to be true? Answer this question in list form--what would need to be in place, created, and set in motion?
STEP 5
Go back and re-read your impossible goal and decide what IS achievable yet still outrageous.
Being ruthless, knowing that 20% of your time creates 80% of your impact (Pareto Principle).
A rethink of your assumptions of what’s possible is the gateway to finishing 2024 feeling amazing.
Don’t let time slip away. Time is a tool. Let's make it count.
