July
July 1
1
stst–
– July
July 30
30
thth,, 2009
2009
www.geniuscatalyst.com
A quick note from Michael:
Welcome to Creating the Impossible: 30 days to transform your world !
In this mini-workbook, you’ll find everything you need to get started. You may like to print it out and either bind it or punch some holes in it and place it in a loose-leaf binder.
Let’s begin by taking a closer look at how it all works:
1. Each day, you’ll get an e-mail with a link to an audio recording I’ve made especially for this program. Each recording will be less than 10 minutes long, and will contain a distinction, possibility or action step that you can use to assist you in moving forward on your “impossible” goal.
Some of these e-mails will also include links to additional support materials. These materials are optional – they’re there for you if you want a little
something extra to lift you up or launch you forward.
2. You can find the forums at http://www.geniuscatalyst.com/forums/. Use the forums as a place to share your impossible goals, find up what other people are up to, and borrow from the inspiration of the group in those moments where your own inspiration seems to have wandered off without you!
3. Every Tuesday and Friday (beginning on the 7th of July), we’ll be hosting an ‘Action Day’. You’ll get more information about action days during the course
of the program, but essentially they are there to support you in getting more done than you are probably used to by providing a structure in which to do it.
You don’t have to block out the whole day – just make whatever time you can and join in the fun!
And that’s it - everything else you need to know will be made clear as we move forward.
• If you are having any technical difficulties, contact [email protected]
and someone will get back to you within 24 hours.
• Any other questions or queries, try the forums first, as chances are that
solving whatever you’re having difficulty with will make life easier for someone else. Failing that, you can send an email to
[email protected] and someone from the genius catalyst team will be able to help you out!
Have fun, learn heaps, and let’s make the impossible happen! With love,
Choosing your Impossible Goal
“The great danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”
-Michelangelo
Here are a few guidelines for choosing your impossible goal for this program:
1. Choose something you don't really believe CAN happen, but you would LOVE it if it did.
2. Choose something that does not involve harming yourself or others in order to get it.
3. Choose something that is legal in whatever part of the world in which you are living.
4. Choose something that you want for its own sake, not because it would make you look good or prove that your parents/teacher/spouse were wrong about you.
5. Choose something where it is absolutely possible (and perhaps even likely) that you will fail to achieve it.
Planning to Fail
At some level, most of us know in advance why we are going to fail at something. We’ve already prepared our story and made out our excuses in advance.
Use the space below to answer this question:
If you fail to achieve your impossible goal or create disappointing results over the next 30 days, what will be the reason for that? What else? What else?
By getting your excuses out of your head and onto paper, you have a chance to look them in the eye and decide whether this time you want to do things
differently.
• If you treat whatever stands in your way as an obstacle, you can bring the
full creative resources of your mind (and the group) and find ways to get over, around or through it
• If you choose to use it as an excuse, you allow yourself to be tripped up or
otherwise stopped by it
There’s no shame or blame if you do – if creating the impossible is just going to become another reason to beat yourself up, you may as well stop now. As the saying goes, “suffering is optional – but you have to provide it for yourself.”
But I want you to know that the possibility to surprise yourself is always present – and the only one who can stop you from finding out what’s really possible is you!
Here are some of the most common obstacles to success. Once you’ve identified the ones which seem to be between you and your goal, you know where to look for the resources you’ll need to overcome them:
Obstacle Area Indicators
Information “I don’t know what to do and I don’t know
where to go to find out.”
Skill “I don’t yet have the skills I need to succeed
in this area.”
Belief “This is impossible, or at best unlikely to ever
work/happen.”
“Other people might be able to do this, but it’s just not possible or likely for me.”
Well-Being “I’m way too stressed/tired/unwell to deal with
this.”
Other People “My boss/spouse/child/friend/etc. make it
difficult for me.”
“It’s just not up to me.”
Motivation “I just don’t care enough.”
“I can’t seem to get started.”
“I can’t seem to create or sustain any momentum.”
Time “There’s not enough time in the day.”
Money “I’d love to, but I don’t think I can afford to.”
Fear “I feel sick at the thought of pushing myself
The Hundred Actions
“No one gets very far unless he accomplishes the impossible at least once a day.” -Elbert Hubbard
When you focus too closely on a result, especially a great big impossible result, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and even a little bit dispirited. But action is the great equalizer. No matter how difficult things may seem and no matter how large the task, there’s always something which can be done.
When I first began creating the impossible in my own life, I would sometimes be unsure as to whether or not it was even worth getting started. So I made a deal with myself – I would take a hundred actions towards my goal. If after a hundred actions it seemed no closer, I could step back and re-evaluate.
Here’s what I’ve discovered:
Once you’ve taken a hundred actions towards your goal, it is always more possible than it was when you began.
Use the chart on the following page to track the first hundred actions towards your impossible goal. Put it somewhere you can see it, or create your own if you prefer. The key is to realize that what gets measured gets done. Whether you complete your hundred actions in the first week or take the whole 30 days, you’ll be amazed at how much closer your goal will look than it appears to you right now…
My Goal:
The 100 Actions
action action action action
1 26 51 76 2 27 52 77 3 28 53 78 4 29 54 79 5 30 55 80 6 31 56 81 7 32 57 82 8 33 58 83 9 34 59 84 10 35 60 85 11 36 61 86 12 37 62 87 13 38 63 88 14 39 64 89 15 40 65 90 16 41 66 91 17 42 67 92 18 43 68 93 19 44 69 94 20 45 70 95 21 46 71 96 22 47 72 97 23 48 73 98 24 49 74 99 25 50 75 100
