{"id":"6041fa846cee070007be7c8a","slug":"its-all-possible-en","title":"It's All Possible","audio_url":"https://hls.blinkist.io/bibs/6041fa846cee070007be7c8a/6041fa846cee070007be7c8c-T1614936778.m4a?Expires=1653217982&Signature=UJXy1BWvPY9oSNfhGpOpFmBB8~vIGLnP4sR9uaENVE9oulvNr-8sGI-YjRcM3ilcb5diohh-CCu148mFjMbKQRrcjfWTXFvz6yLZaVafSseIzfs04G9a1C~TVWgG6~cyB~uSHh61J8BGNU8lTioYA934~StSyR9Caf5RYT991FEL3AM4aaLIv3LWmW0RMhrF87cQOQyGKL4qt~ztimEJMqQeLPhS~WmJg5suoBj373xyuBGS7wucurJ6sPinZuw5VFsFxtMb07ezfKnNls-afnxI93zDmvA4XJUQPMcTreTqMDuboF27vbyTkXzvXarK9opTeSlAHopvRikLqhoZFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJXJM6BB7FFZXUB4A","chapters":[{"id":"6041fa846cee070007be7c8c","title":"Life is about believing in possibility, not limitation.","text":"

Up until the 1950s, scientists believed no person could run a four-minute mile. Then Roger Bannister wowed the world by running one in three minutes and 59 seconds.

In his youth, people told Doug Flutie he was too short for sports. Yet he trained hard, honed his skills, and became an NFL quarterback.

When Jessica Cox was born without arms, doctors expected her to live a sedentary life. Undeterred, she earned a black belt in taekwondo.

Roger, Doug, and Jessica may sound like uniquely amazing individuals. And it’s true that each of them accomplished incredible things. Yet they all share one quality in common. They all refused to set limits on their lives. Instead of focusing on barriers and boundaries, they saw a world where anything was possible.

The key message here is: Life is about believing in possibility, not limitation.

All too often, we let our lives be defined by narrow constraints. Instead of striving to attain our goals or working to pursue our desires, we imagine them to be out of reach. Sometimes, we don’t even imagine better lives at all. We simply accept the world around us as permanent. However, the first step to making any big change is to start seeing the world as full of possibility.

So how do you become awake to possibility? First, you need to interrogate your own subconscious understanding of the world. The way we see reality is shaped by our habits, beliefs, opinions, and experiences, or HBOEs. Many of our HBOEs are so ingrained we don’t even notice how they’re holding us back. For instance, you may unconsciously believe you can’t land your dream job, so you make a habit of not even looking for opportunities.

After you become aware of your HBOEs, you can start making a conscious effort to change them. One strategy is to push back against recurring negative thoughts with positive, aspirational visualizations. Let’s say you often find yourself stressing about money or thinking, “I can't pay my bills.” When this happens, pause, take a breath, and imagine a scene in which you’re solving the problem. Envision yourself pitching your brilliant new product or opening a successful business.

With a little bit of practice and determination, you’ll adjust your mindset from one of limits to one of possibility. And once you truly start believing that positive change is possible, you’ll be ready to start taking action. In the next blinks, we’ll look at a four-step system to make this a reality.

"},{"id":"6041fa846cee070007be7c8d","title":"Nothing is possible without a positive mindset.","text":"

Imagine two colleagues. Both work at a big, flashy advertising agency downtown. Then, one morning, they get some bad news. They’re each called into the boss’s office in turn and told that they’re being fired. Bummer!

The first colleague immediately falls into despair. He declares himself a failure and spends the next few weeks wallowing on the couch. The second colleague takes a different approach. He’s disappointed, but doesn’t take it personally – after all, business is business. Instead of wallowing, he sees this setback as a chance to pursue his real passion: creative writing.

A few months later, which man is doing better? The answer is probably obvious. While the first man is just starting to look for work, the second is well on his way to publishing a best-selling novel.

Here’s the key message: Nothing is possible without a positive mindset.

Our attitudes have an incredible power to affect how we approach the world around us. A negative attitude can make the world seem dark, dangerous, and bleak, while a positive one can bring out the best in most circumstances. Our mindset can even change how we experience reality. The Russian psychologist K. Kekcheyev found that simply thinking positive thoughts can make food taste better and colors appear more vibrant.

One way to maintain a positive mindset is to reorient your thoughts with positive framing. For instance, if you’re struggling to stick to your fitness routine, consider how you talk about exercise. Do you tell people you have to go to the gym? Or, do you tell others you get to go to the gym? The second phrasing emphasizes the positive. After all, it is a privilege to have the time and energy to treat your body well.

Another trick is always to adopt a growth mindset. Many negative attitudes are rooted in a fixed mindset that says all our problems are permanent or intrinsic. We may think we’re “just lazy” or “can’t stay organized.” In contrast, a growth mindset recognizes that these are changeable, temporary conditions. In this mindset, these thoughts become “I’m working on staying motivated,” and “there’s room to improve my planning.”

Finally, if you’re feeling persistently negative, try surrounding yourself with positive role models. This could be anyone from a trusted friend to a close teammate or a mentor at work. These types of confidants can demonstrate that success is possible, and help check your attitude if you’re being unnecessarily pessimistic.

"},{"id":"6041fa846cee070007be7c8e","title":"Stay motivated by finding and pursuing your real passion.","text":"

A few years ago, Sarah Blanck had a problem. She had a good, steady job as a graphic designer, but she wasn’t happy. Every time she sat down to work, her eyes would stray from the screen. Instead of focusing on her latest design file, she’d spend hours staring out the window toward the sea.

Sarah’s passion wasn’t graphic design. It was sailing. No matter how much she tried to ignore it, she couldn’t stop picturing herself out on the water. So, fed up with merely fantasizing, she finally went for it. And it worked! She followed her passion all the way to the summer Olympics.

As Sarah’s story shows, when you find your true calling in life, it’s much easier to focus your energy and efforts.

This is the key message: Stay motivated by finding and pursuing your real passion.

Everyone’s life needs a driving force. For some people, it’s a concrete goal or milestone, like climbing the tallest mountain or winning a gold medal. For others, it’s an ongoing practice that fills them with passion, like building a new business or helping people in need. Whatever that force is, finding it is crucial, because it helps direct your actions and gives your days meaning.

While a few people are born with a specific calling, others need to do some work to find it. So if you haven’t settled on your specific goal, don’t be afraid to go looking for it. Try any activity or pursuit that sparks your interest. Have an affinity for art? Maybe take a drawing or painting class. Interested in serving society? Try out a few shifts at your local volunteer organization.

When you start to get a feel for what you want to do in life, it’s valuable to flesh out your idea of the future. Take some time to write out exactly how you imagine your ideal life. Don’t skimp on the details – think about where you’d be living, who you’d be interacting with, and what your daily schedule would look like. This exercise will help you see your goal as an achievable reality.

Once you have a clear future in mind, you can work toward your goal more easily. Every time you reach a fork in the road or need to make a decision, you can ask yourself, “Which path will bring me closer to my ultimate destination?” Moreover, if you ever feel discouraged or sidetracked, you can refer to your written vision, and renew your determination to make it real.

"},{"id":"6041fa846cee070007be7c8f","title":"Develop a strategy to make your vision a reality.","text":"

Sydney, 1975. George Miller and Byron Kennedy spend their days imagining a gritty, post-apocalyptic future in which roving gangs of motorheads fight explosive battles in the desolate Australian outback. The two friends know if they can just put their ideas on film, it will be a hit.

So they write a punchy, solid script. Then they use their work to recruit a promising young actor named Mel Gibson. Finally, they head out into the desert with dozens of used cars and a camera crew, determined to break all the rules of action filmmaking.

The result is Mad Max, a movie so original it becomes a cult classic and worldwide sensation. And the story behind it shows that with the right plan, even the wildest dreams can become real.

The key message here is: Develop a strategy to make your vision a reality.

Once you’ve settled on your goal, you need a strategy to bring it to fruition, involving all the steps you’ll take to make your vision real. When Starbucks launched, the company’s goal was to become the world’s leader in quality coffee. Their strategy involved owning and operating their own coffee houses, focusing on customer experience to build a strong brand, and slowly opening stores in every major city around the world. By working through each step, they accomplished that goal.

To get started on your strategy, consider all the Little Big Things you’ll need to achieve your aims. These are the items you must collect or benchmarks you must hit to achieve success. For instance, if you want to win a world-class bike-racing title, you’ll need to acquire a cutting-edge road bike, train your body to peak physical condition, and complete the required qualifying races to enter the main event.

Once you’ve identified your Little Big Things, develop a plan to acquire them all gradually. You can do this on your own by setting performance metrics to meet over time. Let’s say you want to become a leading salesperson. Instead of expecting a huge change all at once, aim to ramp up your sales volume slowly by reaching out to a few more leads each month. As time goes on, you can evaluate and adjust your approach to meet your goal.

Most success stories involve some type of teamwork. Carefully select collaborators who understand your aims and working style. Remember, though, not to be overly rigid about your plan. Be open to new ideas from your team – your colleague may know just the right trick to make your strategy more effective.

"},{"id":"6041fa846cee070007be7c90","title":"Put your plans into action with the CHAMPION process.","text":"

Let’s say you want to become an Olympic-level long-distance cyclist. It’s an ambitious goal, but you feel passionate enough to make it happen. In fact, it’s all you think about.

Each day, from dawn till dusk, you’re immersed in the world of bikes. You read cycling magazines, watch old cycling races on YouTube, and make frequent visits to the local bike shop to check out the latest gear. The only problem is that you hardly ever hop in the saddle and ride. With this approach, will you ever win a race?

Probably not. By not actually acting, you’re really just spinning your wheels and getting nowhere. If you want to achieve your aims, you’ll actually have to try to go for it.

Here’s the key message: Put your plans into action with the CHAMPION process.

By now, you should know your passion and have worked out a strategy to move toward your goal. Now it’s time to put that plan into action. At first, this can seem like an overwhelming task, but with the right approach, you’ll find that getting started isn’t so hard. One very effective method for structuring your effort is the CHAMPION process.

CHAMPION is an acronym in which each of the letters stands for a step toward your goal. The first letter, C, is for “chunk it out”; this involves breaking down your strategy into smaller milestones you can achieve one at a time. Then, H is for “have a go.” This means actually going out there and trying to hit your mark, whatever it is. A is for “assess your results.” Were you able to hit your first milestone? Why or why not? Consider what went wrong and what you can do better next time.

While you try and try again, always remember to M, P, and I. These letters stand for “maintain your mindset,” “hang out with the right people,” and “investigate the best.” These steps are all about staying positive, spending your time with people who support and inspire you, and always being open to learning new and better approaches to your goal.

Finally, there are steps O and N. O stands for “own the outcome,” and N is for “never give up.” These last steps are crucial. If you fail to meet your goal, don’t blame others or make excuses. Just admit you didn’t prevail, then refocus your energy and redouble your efforts to try again. If you keep working away at the CHAMPION process, you’ll eventually make progress.

"},{"id":"6041fa856cee070007be7c91","title":"Never stop developing your skills and knowledge.","text":"

Take a look at your CV. You probably have a section showing off your academic credentials. It might just list your college major and a professional license. Or maybe you went for higher degrees and you’ve got a master’s and doctorate there as well.

Either way, does this short resume represent all you’ve actually learned? Probably not. What about the survival skills you retain from childhood summer camps? Or the knack for showmanship you picked up from weeknight improv classes? What about the social skills and interpersonal touch you’ve developed from years of working with others?

The truth is, our education goes far beyond the grades we get in school. In fact, if you want to make anything possible, learning should always be a lifelong practice.

The key message is this: Never stop developing your skills and knowledge.

When you approach life with an “It’s all possible” mindset, you never know where it will take you. You also can’t predict what challenges you’ll face and what skills you’ll need to overcome them. That’s why it’s important always to be ready to expand your knowledge and develop new abilities, talents, and areas of expertise.

One trap people sometimes fall into is overspecializing in one topic and neglecting to explore other interests. Sure, it’s great to know everything there is to know about computer programming, but if you haven’t honed any other talents, such as the ability to give presentations, you may still struggle to find success. Always take the opportunity to recognize the gaps in your knowledge and push your education outside your comfort zone.

Also, don’t feel pressure to become the ultimate authority in every field. Sometimes, just getting a strong handle on the basics can go a long way. For instance, mastering basic social skills will open more opportunities than any technical wizardry. Sharpen your communication skills by practicing empathetic listening and asking curious, open-ended questions. Identify shared interest and find authentic overlaps to connect over.

Finally, never stop learning about yourself. Our identities and personalities are always works in progress. Part of lifelong learning is making time to investigate our own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Take the time to discover what truly works for you. What activities do you find stimulating? What exercises keep you feeling healthy? What type of interactions feel rewarding? These may change over time, but as long as you keep an open mind, you’ll be ready for anything.

"},{"id":"6041fa856cee070007be7c92","title":"Final summary","text":"

The key message in these blinks:

Life is more full of possibilities than we realize — in fact, almost anything is possible. You can unlock all this unlimited potential by keeping a positive mindset and following the four-step system. First, cultivate a positive attitude and build a vision of your ideal future. Then, develop a strategic plan to work your way there slowly. Finally, put your plan into action by giving it a go. Even if you stumble, each misstep is a learning opportunity.

Actionable advice:

Refine your practice with the KFC system.

No one succeeds on the first try. Usually, getting things right involves a bit of trial and error. No matter what skill you’re working on, perfect it with some KFC. First, Know what outcome you want, then Find out whether you’re achieving that goal with some critical self-assessment. If you’re not getting it right, Change to a different approach.

Got feedback?

We’d love to hear what you think about our content! Just drop an email to remember@blinkist.com with It's All Possible as the subject line, and share your thoughts!

What to read next: The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale

You just learned a four-step system to reach your true potential. Next, continue your developmental journey with our blinks on The Power of Positive Thinking.

Based on the self-help classic, these blinks lay out how approaching life with the right mindset can help you achieve your personal, professional, and spiritual goals.

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