Defining Impossible
As you may know, I'm a marathon superfan.
Why? Because it's an enduring reminder that anything is possible.
First, it was Sir Roger Bannister clocking the first sub- 4-minute mile in 1954.
Then it was Eliud Kipchoge smashing the 2-hour marathon barrier. (Y'all, that's 13 mph...basically running a 4.5-minute mile the whole race).
The very next day, it was Brigid Kosgei, who broke the women's world marathon record by more than a minute!
Annnddd some dude (aka Dr. Michael Joyner) published a paper in 1991 estimating that the fastest a human could run a marathon is 1:57:58. (I cannot wait for this boundary to be broken).
But it's not just about the elite athletes. I love the marathon because it's tens of thousands of people defying the odds. There are people of all shapes, sizes, experiences, and set-backs. They should not be able to succeed...but they do.
They believe it's possible. So it is.
This is why I shout myself hoarse at marathons (in between blubbering and resolving to push my own goals higher and promising to never again eat the entire pint of ice cream).
Like running, achieving your career dreams is largely a mental game. Sure, there are career strategies we can apply to improve the speed, magnitude, and ease of your success (sadly, Nike does not make a shoe for this...yet). But it starts with believing it's possible.
Like those elite runners, you need people around you who believe in your vision and help you across the finish line. Imagine if their coaches were like, "Nah. Can't be done."
Imagine training for a marathon by listening to advice from people who've never run a mile. Or trying to make big career moves by listening to people who are too scared, cynical, or old-fashioned to do it themselves.
And like those "impossible" goals, it just takes one person to prove it's possible before everyone starts doing it.
Every person who has attempted something worth doing in their careers has at some point thought, "Is this even possible? Does this thing even exist?"
Yes, the career and life you want is possible.
So whether you're asking that question at the beginning or smack-dab in the middle of your career journey, you're not alone.
The career and life you want is possible.
Unlike marathons, there's no chafing, so you don't even need to slather yourself with vaseline. (Of course, you can if you want to.)
Take a step towards the career and life you want by sharing your "impossible" goal in the comments.
Author Bio:
Before becoming a coach, Caroline worked in management consulting and financial services. She's made it her mission to help people grow, contribute, and get wherever they want to go.
She’s also a tennis fanatic, aspiring Minimalist, FIRE (Financial Independence and Retire Early) enthusiast, and Aloha Spirit seeker 🤙. She loves to share stories from her unconventional life and career focused on freedom, creativity, fun, health, family, and community. If she can do it, you can, too.
The life and career you want is possible once you have the roadmap. Take the first step by downloading your free guide: 4 Steps To Take Back Your Life and Design a Career With Purpose.