One Word to Redefine

My apologies for the long silence. During the run-up to dual citizenship I became quiet online. I live in the most surveilled society on Earth and I did not want a linguistic slip-up to jeopardize the citizenship I worked so hard to achieve.

That’s dealt with now.

I don’t much like using the word impossible. In the space program, at Outward Bound, and in my life, I tend to redefine it. When someone tells me a goal is impossible, I immediately start looking for ways to achieve it. Frequently I’ll give it a try.

That part of my attitude came from Outward Bound. The most valuable lesson my entire brigade learned there was the simplest.

My limits are almost never where I think they are.

Often my limits are beyond what I believe I can do. Sometimes they are a little short of that point. Either way, I won’t know exactly where they are until I try—really try. Easing up at what I perceive as my limit isn’t enough.

This matters over and over in life and in business.

For example, week before last, while reviewing a contract I discovered that a new customer of my client has clauses in their standard vendor agreement that take intellectual property from the vendors. This is not unusual, so it’s a detail I watch for.

When I pointed this out, my client believed trying to get that waived was hopeless. They’re small. The customer is huge. They were close to the end of the project before the customer even showed this to them and asked them to sign it, and they won’t be paid unless they sign. But they said I was welcome to try.

So I did—and I got the troublesome clauses changed to acceptable wording.

This didn’t require any drama. I simply pointed out that the clauses were designed for hardware instead of software, and would be not only a problem for us but difficult for the customer to apply. I suggested rewording along the lines of another clause elsewhere in their contract that fit better, and I made sure to praise the model clause.

As that example shows, redefining the word impossible as a challenge instead of a barrier isn’t just about technical or physical possibility. It applies to practically anything. So if you really want to make something happen, don’t stop just because somebody says it is impossible. Decide for yourself whether it’s worth a try, and if it is, go for it.

To paraphrase Disney, you might fall on your face—but if you do, at least you’ll fall forward.