Impossible Goals
A few weeks ago I wrote about the difference between being self-employed and being an entrepreneur.
For me, a big part of making the transition from flailing and fucking around to building with intention involved setting some big goals.
I'd always been afraid of setting goals. If I didn't set them, I couldn't fail them.
Guess how that worked out for me.
But then six years ago, I started thinking about divorce. It felt inevitable AND impossible because I was terrified I'd never be able to support myself on my own.
I had put my business on ice years before and it had been a minute since I'd made real money. And to be honest—I'd never really made enough to support my current lifestyle. But I knew I had to try.
Goals are scary. And important.
Just as I was making the first moves to resuscitate my business, a friend invited me to a goal-setting workshop she was hosting. The timing couldn't have been better. I was scared, but I knew it was important.
"Set an impossible goal and write it down," she said.
So I did. And immediately started sweating.
"Now cross it out and write an even bigger one."
Now I was REALLY sweating. And I was absolutely convinced that this goal was truly impossible.
Why this framework works…
But we didn't just jot down numbers. We got specific.
She also had us write down:
The exact date and time we'd hit our goal
All the reasons it felt impossible
Strategies our future selves could use to overcome those obstacles
Qualities we needed to develop to accomplish the goal
And the most important question ⤵️
→ How we'd take MASSIVE action towards our impossible goal.
I left with a list of 10 concrete steps.
If one didn't work? No problem. I had 9 more to try. And of course I kept adding to the list over time.
Within 6 months, I was close enough to my "impossible" goal to ask for that divorce.
What about you?
Okay—time to check in. We're just about halfway through 2025. How are you doing on those goals you set in January?
If you're crushing it—keep going.
If you're feeling behind or skipped beginning-of-the-year goal setting, don't panic. You've still got 6 months and a lot can happen in 6 months.
Let's do this.
It's time to get specific about what you want and how you're going to get there. Take a deep breath.
→ What would make the rest of 2025 feel like a win?
→ What's one big move you could make in the next 90 days?
→ What would you attempt if you knew you couldn't fail?
Now go and tell someone else about your goals. Or hit reply and tell me!
You got this.
Goodies Just For You
WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT: The filmmaker Celine Song has a new movie called the Materialists. The trailer looks a little cheesy, but I might need to check it out because Celine Song made one of my favorite movies a few years ago—Past Lives. It made me cry my eyes out (I even cried after we'd left the theater, just talking about it), but I really loved it. I think it's time for a rewatch. Maybe I'll do a Materialists/Past Lives double header. Side note—even though the Materialists trailer didn't appeal to me, I have been LOVING the press tour with Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans. They're all impossibly charming and adorable.
WHAT I'M COOKING: The NY Times' Ginger Lime Chicken. So easy. So delicious. Real crowd pleaser. The recipe says “15 Minutes” and it really might be true. Don’t worry—the mayonnaise cooks off and just leaves you with delicious, moist, perfect chicken.
WHO I'M ADMIRING: Laura Bercuson is a trademark and copyright attorney and the founder of Storylock Legal. She specializes in protecting brands and intellectual property for women founders—helping them avoid the nightmare of getting hit with a cease-and-desist letter. Nobody wants that! Lauren gets how devastating legal issues can be for business owners, so she's passionate about prevention rather than cleanup. The first time we got on a call, we immediately vibed—friends from the get. She's also a great follow on LinkedIn.
