Impossible Means It's Not Your Priority | Patrice Washington

Impossible Means It’s Not Your Priority

A few days ago, I was reading through the MBA courses I need to take this semester for my Behavioral Finance degree. Each course listing said it required an average time commitment of 20-25 hours a week, and as soon as I read that, I started thinking about all things I have going on this semester, and I felt the words “This is going to be impossible” about to slip out of my mouth.

Now, if you know me, you know that I believe words are powerful, and what you verbalize, you magnify and magnetize. So, if I allowed myself to believe – before I’d even started – that it would be impossible, I would make it impossible.

In this episode, we’ll look at what it means when we say things are impossible, and learn what’s needed to shift our belief from impossible to possible.

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It IS Possible

Before I go any further into today’s discussion, I want you to know this:

[spp-tweet tweet=”One hundred percent is actually possible 100% of the time.”]

I learned this concept many years ago and it’s stuck with me. Whenever I’m feeling like there are too many things that need to get done, I think, “Okay, Patrice, nothing is truly impossible.” In other words, if I’ve said yes to something, I should have a good idea of what it includes.

Take my MBA program, for example. I know when papers are due, when the exams are, what assignments I need to complete and by when; therefore, all I really need to do is plan and prepare my schedule in advance. So, technically it’s not impossible, but rather it’s a question of what am I willing to do.

What am I willing to shift?

What am I willing to sacrifice?

What will be my priority?

A lot of times, we use words like impossible when what we’re really trying to say is, “This is not a priority right now,” or “I don’t care enough about that thing to stop doing these things over here.”

Any time we label something impossible, we allow ourselves to stay stuck in confusion. The truth is, you’re never confused, you’re just not humble enough yet to ask for the support and help you need, because there’s an answer out there – AND there’s always an answer out there.

[spp-tweet tweet=”“It’s not impossible. It’s that your ego is in the way or you’re just not that interested.””]

For me, I recognize that in order to increase my probability for success, I’m going to need to adjust my schedule and shift my priorities. But how do I or you do that? How do I or you make something a priority in my or your life?

Well, here are three things to consider:

1. Make It Meaningful

In order to make something a priority in your life, you have to make sure it’s meaningful. This means you’ll have to understand the purpose behind what you’re doing – the WHY, in other words.

One of the reasons why I wanted to do an MBA program is because back in the day I knew people’s money problems weren’t coming from their lack of budget or bank account balance – they were coming from a learned behavior and I wanted to help people shift that behavior.

So, I decided to get a degree in Financial Psychology and Behavioral Finance to understand this behavior more and to see if what I’d been teaching people for years was real.

It meant a lot to me to understand this and to separate myself from “someone who’d lost all her money and now wanted to help people with her story” to being someone who has more meat in the game and understands how to apply the theory with the practical. Now, of course, this would mean expanding my knowledge in a way that positions me to serve more of the people who need me most.

So, for me, it was worth the additional hours. It was worth the money invested. And it was worth the time away from friends.

[spp-tweet tweet=”“In order to make something a priority, you have to make sure that it’s meaningful to you.””]

2. Don’t Find Time, MAKE Time

I’m in the process of planning my weeks out well in advance. And for me, I start my schedule with the end in mind. So, for instance, if I know that at the end of this 8-week term I have a paper due, then I schedule days and times for me to do research for the paper, and time for me to write the paper.

For me, it’s not about finding time, but about making it.

[spp-tweet tweet=”“You don’t find time because time is not hiding from you.””]

If there’s something you want to do and if it’s meaningful to you, then in order to make it a priority, you have to approach it with a sense of, “I will get this done – by any means necessary.” That might mean some give and take of things, and that’s okay.

My family understands that for a year this is what I’m doing, and at the end of the day, there’s a greater vision for how this will benefit our family. My team, too, understands I will need greater support, so I’ll be delegating more to focus on this priority.

3. Invest in What You Want

Whether your investment is time, energy, money or all three, you have to be willing to invest in the thing you want.

[spp-tweet tweet=”“Where there is no transaction, there will be no transformation.””]

To me, anything that is worth it and will change your life, is going to take some level of drastic investment. And if it doesn’t or if it comes easily to you, then it probably wasn’t worth it.

Getting the desired results should motivate you to make whatever it is a priority. In other words, in order to make those impossible things possible, you have to be willing to invest in whatever it’s going to take for you to get mastery over it.

Be Committed, Not Just Interested

Your dreams, goals and aspirations are all possible. If you allow something to be impossible, it will be for you. The reality is, there are people in the same situation who are crushing it right now. The difference is you’re interested and they’re committed.

You’re interested and they’re committed. Think about that and decide how committed you are. If you say you want it or if you say you’re going to do it, decide now how you’re going to make it your priority and let me know in the comments what you’re committing to.

Need some help figuring out how to commit to what you want? Check out these past episodes:

Commitment Makes the Difference – In this episode, I talk more on the topic of being interested or committed? Interested people rarely achieve their goals. They may start, but they don’t finish. Committed people do it by any means necessary.

I’m Not Above Backing Out – Some of you can’t find time because you have so many things on your calendar that you’ve been doing for years just because. Not because you still love them, not because they bring you joy, but because you do them out of obligation. The truth is, in order to go where you’re going, you’re going to have to give somethings up.

Lisa Bilyeu – How All-in Am I Really? – If you’re saying you’re going to do something, then you have to be all-in. If I’m all in on this degree, then that means some of the other things I’d like to launch I have to delay. I have to be 100 percent all-in; I can’t be all-in on only 50 percent of things. Reality is, I have to choose each quarter what am I going all-in on and stick to it.

Two Words I’m Adding to Every Goal: Grace and Ease – For many of us, every time we want to go to the next level the thing that stops us is the fact we imagine the stress and struggle before we even get started. Instead of approaching things this way, I add a disclaimer to each goal –I will complete said goal with grace and ease. How would adding this disclaimer change you attitude or approach?