It’s not impossible. You just have more work to do.

Impossible.

In high school, I was cast as the Fairy Godmother in a production of Cinderella. If you’re in the group of people smaller than the population of Antarctica that knows Cinderella is more than a Disney cartoon, then you’ll know it has a somewhat decent soundtrack. Hey, Rodgers and Hammerstein only had so much to work with.

Between songs about Cinderella’s dreams of a job that pays minimum wage and her commitment issues with the prince, comes a song called “Impossible” that Rodgers and Hammerstein didn’t know they were writing for the entrepreneurial minded, always hustling and dreaming, don’t take no for an answer, inventors, schemers, artists, and business owners.

Standing on the stage, still bitter that the beautiful blonde had taken my career-making role as Cinderella and left me with only a plastic wand in my hand, I had no idea I was singing an anthem to my future self.

For a plain yellow pumpkin to become a golden carriage.

When I published my first book, I accepted the fact I’d do more wrong than right, get slapped in the face by the criticism of my readers and publishing industry, and metaphorically (and probably literally) fall face first into a ditch. I was ready for chaos and disaster.

Impossible.

None of my dramatic predictions came true. My book was well received, I was able to show my face in the grocery store, and the only time I fell down was when my poor dog was minding her own business and we accidentally discovered the true meaning of a doggie pile. I published my first book and had made it out alive. While I’m grateful for this result, even if everything had gone to hell, it wouldn’t have changed the reality that I was a published author. Something I would have called impossible only a few years before had actually happened.

For a plain country bumpkin and a prince to join in marriage.

“Impossible” is not a synonym for “challenging,” “scary,” or “un-fun.” Yes, our goals are hard to achieve, but that’s exactly the point. I would argue there’s only a small amount of things that deserve to be labeled as impossible, as we have yet to reach the limits of human potential. I’m hoping teleportation will soon be removed from the impossible list.

“Impossible” is a word we use when we’d rather watch TV than write one more chapter, send one more pitch, or keep on with the endless hustle that comes with pursuing our dreams. It’s an excuse. “Impossible” tells us that the blame for our lack of success lies with the world, our circumstances, or the misalignment of the planets. It tells us that our success isn’t correlated with our effort and hard work. It tells us to give up.

For the world is full of zanies and fools. Who don’t believe in sensible rules. And won’t believe what sensible people say.

When we say something is impossible, what we mean to say is that we still have work to do. We mean to say that we are still persevering, still problem solving, and still searching for our answers. We mean to say that we have dreams and we are doing absolutely everything in our power to realize them. Even if it means we end up face down in a metaphorical ditch. Impossibilities are nothing more than unsolved puzzles with pieces that still need to be put into place. If the last piece ends up on Mars, it may be hard to get, but that doesn’t make it impossible.

We still have work to do.

And because these daft and dewy-eyed dopes keep building up impossible hopes…

This doesn’t mean we aren’t scared of the outcomes. Pursuing “impossibilities” comes with the risk of failure, wrong turns, and looking like fools. Big goals come with big consequences. The key is to keep going despite the fear, not using the word “impossible” as a scape goat. Your fear has nothing to do with your potential to achieve your goals. Feel the fear, keep working, and prove to yourself that the word “impossible” has no place in your dictionary.

And, if you forget, channel your inner Fairy Godmother and remember that…

Impossible things are happening every day.

If you’re ready to jumpstart your next goal, pick up my free “Goal Setting Guide” here or at dianafitts.com/guide