We all know the situation. Sometimes, when faced by a request or a challenge, we say “no, I can’t”. And in our heads, we determinedly tell ourselves “that’s impossible”. My clients often let out such responses to me, when I challenge them as their business mentor.

Just take a moment to understand that word “impossible”. Look at it from two levels; physical and …let us call it, logistical.

Starting with the physical aspect, we know today that even some of the most severe bodily restrictions have not stopped people running and jumping for Olympic gold. My favourite story is portrayed in this link of a young ballet dancer.

On a more practical level, many of us claim that we cannot draw. And yet, look how a fifteen minute ‘TED talk’ showed that such protests are complete nonsense. If you follow the presenter very carefully, all he is saying is “BREAK DOWN THE PROBLEM INTO SMALL STAGES”. Just start somewhere and then carry on in a modular manner.

But what happens when you shriek ‘impossible’, but you cannot state why? No full, credible, serious explanation is offered. You know what you want to do, but you feel you cannot get there…….for some undefined reason. In that case, what are the options?

Some blogs refer to that ‘epiphanal moment’, when we wake up. We realise that we are no longer losers, but can let our own actions determine our own future. Very true, and I have been there myself. I remember being in a lecture, when my peers decried a specific business model, which I thought could be effective. I simply decided on the spot that I had to ignore their advice and go-for-it. I have not looked back since.

But what happens if you cannot see what needs to be done? Many of us can identify troublesome issues. We know what is going wrong. However, we cannot move beyond that point. It is impossible….or it seems that way.

Quite often, what has happened is that we have bottled up our thoughts. We keep our worries to ourselves. We have been taught that we should not burden others with our problems. It is not fair. Anyway it is a sign of weakness, correct? Nonsense!

BY SHARING YOUR CONCERNS, VERBALLY, you are giving yourself access to the solutions of others, which you simply may not know about. IN parallel, physiologically, you are actually allowing your body to relax. This can only be beneficial.

Now let me explain how I know these suggestion are practical and do succeed. I write as the asthmatic, who was one of the worst at sports during my school days – many, many years ago. Yet about a decade back, I started to run on a treadmill. From two kilometers in the gym, I found myself running 10km outside and with yet more left in the tank. I pursued, constantly adding at little more distance each time.

Three months ago, it was suggested that I run a half-marathon. I said that I could not, but I had to justify my words, verbally. I could not. I was lost for an excuse. And so last Friday I clocked 21.1km in just over two hours in an event in Tel Aviv.

As they say, everything is impossible until you have done it.