Maybe You Can't... Means Maybe You Can

And I Like Those Odds

I’ve got no interest in guarantees when it comes to setting great goals. Unless of course the guarantee is that there are no guarantees. A great goal needs to be something that is, at least right now, out of reach. It’s got to be beyond your grasp when you set it. And a truly great goal means there is no guarantee that you’ll ever snare it. Yup. You may never reach the goal. That’s the straight truth right there.

When it comes to the best kind of goals.. you may come up short. You may run out of time. You may not pass the test. You may miss the shot. Buzzer sounds. Game over. No qualifier. No medal. No ribbon. Heck, you’ll be lucky to even get back to the team tent in time to grab one of the orange slices that Mrs. McGillicutty carved up for the squad because all those sad souls that set easy goals with guaranteed success already made it back there and gobbled up those juicy and sticky cuts of citrus heaven.

I’m rambling?

Okay, my point here is that a great goal comes with no guarantees of success.

That’s why I need to tell ya… that great goal you’re thinking about going after… that great goal you’re wondering whether or not you can reach…. well…. maybe you can’t.

Hold on! Where are you going? Hear me out.

Maybe you can’t means… maybe you can.

Did you forget about that part? Because that’s the part I think about first. Maybe you can! Maybe you will achieve the goal. Maybe you will accomplish the feat! Maybe you will hit the time! Maybe you will reach the destination! Maybe you will pass the test! That’s enough to get me to the starting line to meet you. That’s enough to get me to stand out there in the rain or snow to coach you. Maybe you can’t but maybe you can! Those kind of odds are enough to get me to meet this version of you where you are right now. But this isn’t about me. This is about you!

And maybe you can’t is what dominates too many athletes thoughts. Maybe you can’t is what keeps you away from the starting line. Maybe you can’t is what keeps your sleep restless. Maybe you can’t is what tries to convince you that you won’t. Maybe you can’t is what tells you that right now there is no maybe about it… you can’t. And if you can’t now then you can’t later. Maybe you can’t is what stops too many people from setting big ass - kick ass - bad ass goals. I’m not here to tell you to stop thinking maybe you can’t. In fact, I don’t want you to stop thinking maybe you can’t.

Because maybe you can’t is what creates all those beautiful butterflies in your tummy. Maybe you can’t is what makes the other side of every starting line such a glorious adventure. Maybe you can’t is what allows for self-discovery out there on the run. Maybe you can’t is where epiphanies come from. Maybe you can’t is where upside lives. Maybe you can’t is a fun journey for weirdos like us! Maybe you can’t is why words like wow and bonkers and thunderjam were invented. Maybe you can’t is why you surprise yourself. Maybe you can’t is where the extraordinary lives.

So, this isn’t about getting rid of thinking maybe you can’t. This isn’t about pretending that there isn’t a possibility for an epic fail. There always will be that possibility when you chase after an epic goal. (Failing in an attempt to be extraordinary is stone cold badass by the way.) This is all just about remembering what maybe you can’t really means.

It means maybe you can.

Will you remember that the next time you set a wild and audacious goal?

Maybe?

I like those odds.