How to Do Things That Seem Impossible

There is an amazing power in simply thinking something might be possible!

Most of the time we stay stuck with the idea of how something is impossible so we don’t even try or we give up too quick. Here’s how to do things that seem impossible to get you started.

I am writing this because I keep doing impossible things and now after 10 years or doing it myself and helping clients do the impossible, I want to share my experience so you can do the so-called impossible too!

Some things seem like impossible tasks, while others are some type of self-improvement that we keep putting off because of a variety of reasons. This is a great post that will help you take your life to the next level.

Thinking something is possible is empowering.

Believing something is impossible is disempowering.

For me, just knowing something can be different is so helpful! And over and over I’ve seen how powerful this can be for my clients because having just a little bit of belief changes everything in their personal lives. 

I’ll be talking some about my own life, because it is a good example of a midlife woman who chose to get out of her comfort zone and who grew an online business and had other adventures, one small goal at a time. 

But this in no way means that my impossible things are the same as yours. You get to create your own possibilities for yourself. The best place to get started is right where you are in the life you are living!

So, let’s get into how to do things that seem impossible and why you want to do that.

When I Discovered the Power of Possibility

10 years ago, I did not believe a woman could lose weight after 50. I’m serious! I stayed the same weight and size for 10 years, from age 43 to 53. I thought I saw the proof of that all around me.

I had done WW in my early forties and lost weight only to gain it all back and a little more. After that, I really truly believed that I needed to appreciate my body, my size, and my weight. And I maintained it for 10 years.

Then at age 53-ish, I lost what to me was a lot of weight (here’s that story) and I went down two sizes. That summer I wore a bathing suit for the first time in 20 years. I also added shorts and dresses to my wardrobe.

That experience led to my first “viral” blog post (another thing I believed might be possible). At that time, my only goal was to let other women know it was achievable, since I had myself believed it was impossible before.

Since that time, I have learned the power of believing something IS possible. It changes something in us and opens our minds to discover the “how-to.”

Nine years later, I am the exact weight I found myself at when I was 53. As I sit here in my favorite coffee shop, I’m having a cappuccino with whole milk and a pumpkin blueberry muffin I made myself. In the beginning, I would have had my coffee with cream and there would be no muffin!

Over the years, I’ve learned what my body can tolerate. The barista asked me if I wanted a treat and I said, “yes, but they don’t agree with me.” The only foods I don’t eat are the ones that make me feel bad.

A few years ago, I compiled what has worked for me and what tends to work for clients. And to clarify, when I say “works,” I don’t mean we are trying to get to some super skinny standard that isn’t sustainable for most of us. 

Anyway, just want you to think about some of the things you currently think are impossible and start just thinking, “What if this is possible?”

This applies to WAY more than your weight as you’ll read—so let’s have fun with this idea.

Why Believing Something is Impossible Keeps Us Stuck?

Everything you see in your life is the result of a belief, even the things we now take for granted. Beliefs are created when we think the same thing over and over building a strong neural pathway.

Beliefs are NOT always true! They literally are just things you have thought over and over. You think and say something often enough, it starts to seem true.

But believing our own beliefs holds us back! I’m not saying you can’t stand for things but it is important to question your beliefs too.

Throughout my adult life, I have seen so many dreams just wither away because someone started believing something was impossible.

So, it’s important to remember, even if you get started on something, you can lose belief in the middle. But I’ll come back to that later.

It’s also important to see the other side. The things you really believe you can do, you just go do them, right?

The bigger picture is that there is just more to each of us than we might currently believe there is. Your next breakthrough might just be a new belief away!

Things I’ve Seen Women Give Up on but I Didn’t

Over the years, I’ve seen women give up on so many things. I believe this is because we start strong but we usually underestimate how hard something will be and how long it will take.

I believe it’s fine to quit things at times. But I am most proud of the things that I didn’t quit and the things that seemed impossible but I made possible.

Other things that can keep us from going forward is what I call beliefs about ourselves: I’m too old, I’m too fat, I’m not smart enough, or even something is wrong with me.

None of those are true. 

Taking Care of Their Bodies

The underlying belief is usually something along the lines of “If I can’t be skinny, why bother?”

So, since they can’t achieve a mostly unachievable goal, they give up on their overall health and well-being leading to later health problems.

I put this one first because it is so detrimental to our health to define it just by our weight. 

Losing weight is hard and it’s more difficult because a lot of doctors and other people think it’s just about not being lazy.

If losing weight is the impossible thing, we often give up on taking care of ourselves. You’ll know you have given up when you catch yourself saying these kinds of things to yourself.

• It doesn’t matter
• What’s the use
• F**k it
• I don’t care
• It won’t make any difference

You matter, beyond what you weigh. I teach women how to take care of themselves, not just to lose weight but so they can actually enjoy their lives.

I also want you to see the bigger picture of your life as a whole. Even at my advanced age of 62, I still could have another 30 years or so left to live. It is worth taking care of my body so it feels good, not just so it can be thin.

Worrying about food and your weight is eating up way too much of your time and is probably getting you nowhere. You might even be gaining weight on a steady basis.

I teach women how to eat and not overeat or binge. I teach women to not center their life around food and weight. I make eating NORMAL.

My clients get the reward of feeling confident and in control of their eating. Aches and pains go away and they have more energy. They look better because they are eating more nutritious food and they are less stressed.

There are so many reasons to take care of your body beyond losing weight.

Your health and well-being are the most important thing. Once you are taking care of yourself, you can tweak your meals a bit if you need to. 

Dream Jobs

Who doesn’t sometimes dream of a side hustle, or doing something your love for a living? Over the past five years, I’ve built my dream job.

I’m able to work the hours that work for me, at home, and with people that I love working with.

It wasn’t easy in the sense that I knew how to do it at first. I had the smallest belief it was possible and I jumped in and learned as I went.

I hired professionals to help me at times to get over some of the roadblocks and tech issues including a web developer, a virtual assistant, and additional coaching certifications (over-drinking, weight loss, belief and somatic work.)

But the largest amount of work in my career has been building my belief in myself. I’ll tell you this—I am really good at life coaching and writing. However, I had to find a way to let women know about it. I was the proverbial needle in a haystack!

This particular part of having your own business is where a lot of people lose belief in themselves. They don’t believe in their own value.

Or they are so good at something, they don’t realize just how valuable it is. That thing you love so much, but doesn’t feel hard. That might just be the most valuable skill you have. 

Blogging 

Eight years ago I started this blog, My Think Big Life. I was 54. At that time, it seemed like a crazy idea to write a blog for women over 50. The experts said, “Women over 50 don’t read blogs.” I didn’t even read blogs.

I ignored this advice because really, who else would I write for?  At that time, most blogs were almost like online diaries.

While it started as a hobby, I always thought it might be possible for it to be popular and even make money. I decided to never give up.

In the beginning, I connected and worked with hundreds of other talented women bloggers. Many were wonderful writers with solid ideas. And over the years, I saw so many quit. Not me. 

Here I was writing about weight loss after 50, self-help, and being a grandmother. I didn’t see the kinds of information online I was looking for, so I created it.

I wasn’t crazy; I was first. (or nearly first)

The other thing I saw was a rise in blogs specifically for midlife women! I really believe that I was a trailblazer for women over 50.

Right from the beginning, it was my intention to help women love this time of their lives and the result was that I ended up absolutely loving this time of my own life.

Life coaching

I got my master’s degree in counseling thirty years ago as a young mom with three children under the age of six. After that, I did some counseling but I also spent time as a teen program director for a family center, a college advisor, and a career counselor.

Then I discovered life coaching about six years ago. That is where I knew all my skills, experience, and knowledge would be best put to use. I spent a year getting certified and have updated my skills every year since.

While life coaching is my favorite activity, learning to market myself was not as fun and this is where I’ve seen so many coaches give up in despair.

I get it. But I always held on to the possibility that being a working life coach was possible. Not necessarily easy but possible. That made the difference.

One of the things I have become known for in the industry is my unusual way of marketing. I use my blog and Pinterest to get my work out there.

While most people thought Pinterest was just for decorating, cooking, or fashion, I used it for self-help for women over 50. One of the questions I always ask new clients is how they found me. It’s usually some version of “I was scrolling on Pinterest and found you.”

Here’s where you can find me on Pinterest.

I didn’t give up on being a life coach because marketing was hard. I found a way to market that worked for me and that made all the difference.

Romantic Love

I’ve been single for over 10 years now and it’s still one of my dreams to find a forever partner. Despite the ups and downs, I still believe in the possibility.

You might think that after 10 years, I’d just give up! By now you might be realizing that when I have a dream, I keep going.

Instead of giving up, I feel more encouraged than ever. That’s because every single experience I’ve had during this time has helped me become who I am today. And I love the person I am today.

I did not love the person I was 10 years ago! So, this section has become a little long but I think it’s one of the best ways I can show you that even when you don’t get the “thing” you want, you might actually be getting so much more!

My husband asked for a divorce 11 years ago. 10 years ago it became final. That was really a tough time. But it didn’t sour me on love—it made me want it even more.

Spoiler alert. I am single and at this time not dating anyone in particular after my last break-up. That was sad, but it also helped me dig deep so I could process my sadness in healthy ways.

Some people, my mom and sisters have expressed sadness for me that I remain “single”. I was sad but I wasn’t stuck in sad. It turned out to be one of those pivotal moments in life and I feel much stronger from the experience.

Having a partner is a wonderful experience and one I definitely want to experience again. Yet, I’ve also learned to appreciate what my own life has been.

I was married for 30 years. I had children and now grandchildren. I had the big house and that feeling of having a place in my community along with my husband.

But in these 10 years, I’ve also had so many cool experiences. I’ve been in love a few times, including one engagement. I’ve traveled and done things I never even thought were possible for ME before.

My romances always brought new people and experiences!

Travel

I’ve now been to Europe, Canada, and many places in the US I had never been to before. I had my first trip to NYC and to Central Park and Broadway.

My cycling phase—my fiancé loved cycling and introduced me to it. I learned to pedal long distances around Texas. But some of my favorite memories were riding a bike throughout New Orleans, Central Park, and Colorado.

I also cycled hundreds of miles in Vermont and rode my bike right up to the Von Trapp Lodge. I’m a big Sound of Music fan and this was a highlight for me.

Hiking

This might be the best thing that I was introduced to from a partner. I will be forever grateful that my boyfriend took me hiking, taught me what to bring, and was an enthusiastic companion on the trails. I’ve seen views that I would never have seen if I hadn’t met this wonderful person.

And because of that experience, I’ve had the confidence to do some amazing trips on my own including the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.

Music

Every person I’ve been involved with expanded my appreciation of music. Songs remind me of the people I’ve known. I experienced huge music festivals and small intimate venues. I loved listening to a favorite playlist with my guy.

On a funny note, I posted a picture of me at a music festival about 7 years ago and one of my readers here was also had been at the festival. We haven’t met in person but we’ve been in contact since then.

Even the hard parts have gifts

I don’t relish the heartache when a relationship ends but I have learned that it adds a depth to me that I didn’t have before and it doesn’t scare me away from being open to a new relationships when the time is right.

That fear of getting hurt or picking the “wrong person” keeps so many women and probably men, from even trying because they don’t believe love is possible.

Everyone that I’ve loved has been “wrong for me” in some way. Yet, I treasure the time I spent with each of them because they were exactly right for me as well.

Work Life Balance

I’ve included this because so many women overwork and eventually it really burns them out. But they soldier on because they don’t believe anything else is possible.

In fact, they keep trying to work harder and harder and only find their work to-do list getting longer instead of ever catching up.

What surprises women I work with the most, is that they actually have more control of their schedule than they realize.

I have worked with multiple women who didn’t even take time to eat lunch when I meet them. Or they are in meetings all day long. And they are often spending their valuable time on things or with co-workers that aren’t essential to their own job.

If you don’t have “time to eat lunch,” then I recommend starting with that. Block that time off on your calendar and never compromise. Act like your life depends on it, because in a way it does.

Look, no one is going to rescue you. People will let you work as hard as you do because it makes THEIR life easier. People will expect you to overwork and may actually think you like it because you do it so well and probably with a smile.

Most of us believe that having a dream job or career is impossible. We settle for working at jobs that we hate and suck us dry.

One of the reasons I love helping women have better work/life balance is we need peace and space to take care of ourselves.

When I start working with women, almost all of them say they don’t have time to do the basics of self-care. Sure they get their hair and nails done but they don’t make time to plan meals, shop, and cook so they can eat healthy food.

This bleeds over to their home life too. So many women believe it is lazy to rest or to even sit and read a book.  

Cleaning up your work calendar will leave you with more energy to enjoy your non-work life too.

If you are reading this and think it sounds impossible—then challenge yourself to believe me just a little bit. I’ve seen women’s lives change because they began to believe they didn’t have to work themselves to death.

The Power of Possibility

Believing something is possible does not require a major life overhaul at all. But it does require being open and saying yes to things that may initially seem uncomfortable.

You don’t know HOW to do the thing at first; that always comes later as you feel your way towards the thing you want.

The process goes something like this.

• Build belief that something is possible
• Begin thinking thoughts about how it might be possible
• Create feelings that will move you forward: commitment, curiosity, determination
• Take aligned action towards your goal
• Notice and celebrate any progress!

The biggest barriers are things you believe about yourself. Of course there will be challenges along the way but those are always doable and in fact are what make proving something is possible so much fun.

Yes, FUN. Making the impossible possible is not just fun, it is life-giving. We aren’t meant to just live and grind through every day.

We can also have fun, do things that feed our soul, and create vitality in our bodies.

That’s what I do and what I’m here for. I’m here to show you possibility and then help you build the beliefs, thoughts, and action to do the thing.