Redefine Impossible

Impossible: im· pos· si· ble

Incapable of being or of occurring

Synonyms: Hopeless Unfeasible Unthinkable Futile

The word impossible has an air of finality to it. It sounds matter-of-fact, definitive. I want to share a simple, albeit not easy, shift I made in how I viewed this word. I do this in the hopes of acting as a catalyst for you to reflect on ways you can redefine your own impossible. I want to challenge you to think of it differently, as malleable.

When I started pilot training with zero flight hours, flying an F-16 was impossible. If I had found myself in the cockpit of a fighter jet at that moment, it would have been an epic failure. Running a marathon was impossible when I started ROTC without a consistent background in sports or a workout routine. I doubt I would have made it far if I had stepped up to the starting line that day. A few years after starting pilot training, I was flying the F-16. A few years after joining ROTC, I was running my first marathon. I'm sure you have your own equivalent today and similar examples from your past. This seems so obvious. Of course, we can learn and grow over time. Yet, so many of us spend time thinking about big goals and what it would be like to achieve them, but without actually taking any action toward them.

Think of something that you'd like to do but is currently impossible. You lack the skills, experience, or means to make it happen. One simple word can change how we frame these seemingly unobtainable goals. Yet. That isn't possible...yet. Or that is impossible… for now (I realize that is two words). The first step to redefining impossible is to change how you view challenges. Move away from "I can't do that" to "I don't know how yet, but I'm willing to learn."

There are a few keys to moving forward with this shift in mentality. You must be willing to embrace failure. It's human nature to fear failing for various reasons, like shame, judgment, or embarrassment. But with intention, you can start to view it as an opportunity to learn and to get better. Stop seeing failure as an endpoint and start seeing it as a stepping stone toward your goal. This is uncomfortable and feels vulnerable initially, but with practice, that starts to fade, and the rewards become apparent. Shifting my view on this was one of the single most impactful changes I made, and it had a massive role in getting me to the Thunderbirds and what I am doing now.

Many high achievers falsely believe that because they are so self-sufficient, they should be able to make it happen alone. Asking for help and relying on others feels like giving up control and showing weakness. I've been guilty of this, especially early in my career. I felt like I had to prove myself to others. Even in the F-16, where many of us take pride in the jet having a single seat, we always operate with a wingman.

Find your wingmen. Surrounding yourself with people that believe in your ability to achieve your goals is extremely powerful. Even if you are highly motivated, you will have days you doubt yourself. Having mentors, coaches, or like-minded friends who can offer advice or support can be just enough to help you keep moving forward when things get tough.

Be ambitious! Think big! This seems counterintuitive. The more difficult the goal is, the more we risk failing. However, every ambitious goal that is outside our comfort zone and challenges us raises our threshold for discomfort. After we do this several times, things that we previously didn't dare to start seem much less intimidating. With repetition thinking big becomes a habit, and suddenly, you're the person others admire for going after the impossible.

It's intimidating, daunting, and sometimes overwhelming. But make it a practice to start saying "yet," embrace failure, find your wingmen, and dream big.