Ask Yourself: “If I Know I Won’t Fail…”

Recently a colleague of mine unlocked a BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) when he was asked this question:

If you knew you couldn’t fail, what new thing would you do?

It’s easy to talk yourself out of a great idea, an ambitious and audacious goal, before even trying. Many of the limits to success come from within. Doubt and “imposter syndrome” kick in to talk you into maintaining the comforts of status quo rather than risking the discomforts of a failed venture.

But what if you took down those mental obstacles, just for a moment. Imagine no barriers at all - psychological barriers as well as external ones such as cost, time, etc.. What’s left? What would you try if you absolutely knew it would work?

Inspired by this question, I came up with a BHAG of my own: I will write a book. I’ve put aside all kinds of (mis)assumptions and fears (which are ample) so I can fully imagine how the project could succeed. Sketch out and jot down as much about that succeeding idea as you can; make it tangible, even if only a fantasy (for now).

Dreaming big doesn’t remove all the obstacles, of course. Some things in this world are simply less possible than others. (I don’t foresee playing center field for the Phillies, alas.) But there are far more authors in the world than pro baseball players, so at least I have probability on my side. :)

Let your end point be the starting point. Don’t let your inner voice talk you out of something prematurely. Build out the idea, fully and fearlessly, and work backward from there. It can spark motivation and courage. And, the obstacles your “future self” already cleared in this exercise will come into better focus.