“I will only reluctantly deal with reality.” (Bill Routt, President MobiTV)
I love the saying, “You can be whatever you want to be.” It makes me feel like I can do anything. But let’s be real, I can’t.
I have ruled out wearing the Yellow Jersey in the Tour de France. I remember being glued to the TV as Greg LeMond raced into Paris to be the first American to win that European-dominated sport. Even at 21-years old I dreamed of being the second person to hold that coveted trophy while standing on the Champ Elysees with the Arc de Triomphe at my back.
Now in my 50’s, statistically I won’t be riding in the Tour de France, ever. The physiological peak of an elite cyclist is mid to late twenties. Since the average age of a Tour winner is 28 and the oldest was 36 years old (1922), I am playing the odds and focusing my goals elsewhere. But I still dream big.
When I interviewed several people for EPIC Performances and asked if they believed “You can do anything” they responded, “No.”
A successful venture capitalist said,
“That’s bullshit. I’d love to be a model in New York City, but that ain’t happening.”
One Chief Information Officer I interviewed said,
“My parents never told me ‘You could do whatever you wanted’ but they also never told me I couldn’t do whatever I wanted.”
Another person I spoke to who recently ran 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents said, “I have ruled out winning an Olympic gold in the 100 m sprint. I know my body and like to focus on goals which are realistic.” While still young for many accomplishments, 40 is a bit old to win an Olympic gold in that category.
In the S.M.A.R.T. acronym where goals should be Realistic, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be a stretch. In fact, they should be on the “Can I Do It?” side of the line versus the “I Can Do It” side if you really want to dream big. You know you are thinking big when you are nervous and there is a chance you will fail. If not, kick it up a notch.
My view and the view of so many I interviewed is that, while we can’t do everything, we can do more. I like the Army motto: “Be all that you can be.” And I would add, “You can likely be more.”
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