One question I get asked a lot is how to set the right goals. People worry that they aren’t being realistic when they let themselves dream or that they might be setting goals that are way too big to achieve – all of which begs the question, “What dreams are too big to be realistic?”
As with most things, the answer to this question comes down to how important your dream is to you. The bigger the dream, the more dedication it may take. Does that keep you from setting big goals or inspire you to find a way to get the results you want?
I recently heard an amazing TED Talk featuring Neil Harbisson, an artist, colorologist and self-proclaimed “cyborgist.” Neil was born color blind, as is 4.5% of the general population. He quickly became aware of how integral color is to everything in his world – descriptions of things in books and movies, how certain colors are tied to emotions, and how color even dictates certain career choices. He was obsessed with experiencing this world of color and made it a life goal.
I think most of us would qualify this dream as impossible. But not Neil. First he applied to art school, telling them he was colorblind, at which point he was told that this was probably not the place for him. He persuaded the administration to let him do all his pieces in black and white, to which they surprisingly agreed. And yet he kept searching for other ways to get even closer to the emotional power of color.
At a lecture, he happened to hear researcher Adam Montandon speaking about how to change the way we see the world. Neil shared that he does not see the world the same as others due to his color blindness. They began to work together on ways to extend the senses and ways to create a new experience of color.
What followed was the development of an amazing tool that Neil had implanted in his brain that lets him experience color as sound. In doing so, he has found similarities between people that those of us who can see color would not make. His brain now also translates sounds into color – a totally new experience of the world that is his alone. Neil continues to speak about and research additional ways to extend our senses where there once was no thought of that possibility – all because of the single-mindedness of his pursuit and his belief in the possibility of achieving his goal.
Sometimes our goals are closer to home – emotional or physical healing, seeking to experience new places through travel, starting a foundation to make a positive change in the world, making a career change, or even enriching our relationships with loved ones. And sometimes our goals are tied to a specific longing, a passion that is worth going the distance, continuing to fight through barriers to find, inspiring us to do the seeming impossible. As Hannah Louise Shearer said, “Things are only impossible until they’re not.”
What inspires you? What would make a transforming difference in your existence? Whether it’s something in your daily life or taking steps to change the world, you have the power to create your own best year yet. Take a moment to think about what that would look like for you, then get started. The possibilities are yours to choose.
To hear the full TED Talk featuring Neil Harbisson click here. And let me know what Best Year Yet® has helped you achieve. Contact me at cathey@bestyearyet.com or on our Facebook page. Who knows who else you will inspire with your own results?
Cathey Stamps. Marketing & Partner Lead