Quote 44 - It always seems impossible until it’s done.Nelson Mandela

The Blueprint for Doing What Seems Impossible

A person standing at the base of a huge mountain, looking up at the summit, symbolizing an impossible task.

I remember the first time I thought about running a marathon. The idea was absurd. 26.2 miles? It wasn't just difficult; it felt physically impossible, a feat reserved for elite athletes, not for an average person like me. The entire journey, from the first day of training to the starting line, was shrouded in a fog of doubt. It seemed impossible.

And then, hours later, I crossed the finish line. The feeling was surreal. Looking back, the impossible task had resolved into a series of individual, possible steps: one training run, one mile, one footstep at a time. The "impossibility" was just a story I had told myself. My experience was a small echo of a monumental truth captured by Nelson Mandela:

"It always seems impossible until it’s done."

This quote comes from a man who achieved what the world considered impossible: dismantling apartheid. It’s a powerful lesson in perspective, perseverance, and the psychology of achievement.

The Wall of the Impossible

Why do so many goals feel impossible at the start? The "impossibility" is a mental wall built from the bricks of uncertainty. We see the enormous gap between where we are and where we want to be, and we can't yet see the individual steps required to cross it. Our brain interprets this lack of a clear path as a sign that the destination is unreachable.

But as Mandela's life shows, the wall is an illusion. It's a trick of perspective. Once the journey is complete, you can look back and see the clear, logical path you took. The act of doing it is what makes it possible.

Your Blueprint for Making the Impossible Possible

If you are facing a goal that feels impossible, don't focus on the wall. Focus on laying the first brick. Here is a practical blueprint:

  1. Map Only the First Five Steps: Don't try to plan the entire journey. That's overwhelming. Instead, ask yourself: "What are the first five concrete, physical actions I need to take?" This breaks the paralysis and starts your momentum.
  2. Find Your Proof of Possibility: Find one person—just one—who has done what you want to do. If another human being has achieved it, then your goal is not impossible; it's just difficult. This moves the task from the realm of magic to the realm of strategy.
  3. Reverse-Engineer the Miracle: Imagine for a moment that your goal is already done. Now, work backward. What had to happen right before you finished? And what happened before that? This mental exercise helps demystify the process and reveals the practical steps hidden behind the "impossible" label.

Conclusion

The feeling of impossibility is not a stop sign; it is a starting line. It is a signal that you are pushing yourself to grow beyond your current limits. Every great achievement in history, from ending apartheid to landing on the moon, seemed impossible until a group of determined individuals decided to start laying the bricks. Your impossible dream is no different.

What is one "impossible" goal you are working towards right now?

Explore This Idea on YouTube

For a short, visual exploration of this quote, you can watch our companion video.

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