4 ways to expand your ability to see possibility

SMART goals are ubiquitous for measuring accomplishment. They are goals that are specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and timely.

But the problem with SMART goals is precisely that they can be measured. 

I’m more interested in impossible goals. Goals that transcend measurement. 

Science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clark, said, “the only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little bit past them into the impossible.” 

I’m interested in helping my clients stand in possibility. We do that by testing the limits of what feels possible. What feels just outside what’s possible? That’s where I take my clients.

In order to think in terms of possibility, we first have to be able to see possibilities. 

If our minds are clouded and our vision is narrow, we cannot see the possibilities around us. 

We need to work on the things that keep our gaze narrow in order to expand our vision for greater possibility. 

Photo by Simon Berger

4 Ways to Expand Your Ability to See Possibility 

1. Reduce stress. 

For as long as humans have been on this planet, our instincts have been trained for survival. Whenever there is a threat or a perceived threat of danger, our vision instantly narrows so that we can fight, fight, or flee. Fear causes your body to fill with adrenalin, makes your brain become hyper alert and your pupils dilate. Your breathing accelerates, your heart rate increases, and your blood pressure rises. It makes blood drain quickly from your belly to your limbs, in order for you to run. When you’re afraid, your body takes over, with the singular focus to remove you from the danger. Your gaze narrows and you cannot focus on the bigger picture, or think clearly or creatively. You don’t need to. You need to get to safety. 

In the modern world, most of what feels like danger to us is perceived, not real, yet the physiological response that happens in our body whenever we feel stressed is the same as if we were being chased by a lion or bear. 

Stress and anxiety feel like fear, but stress and anxiety are caused by imagining the possibility of something bad happening, rather than an immediate threat. But the stress response is very long lasting and can result in chest pain, dizziness, headaches, tension, shortness of breath, trouble sleeping, an upset stomach and a feeling of tightness throughout the body, especially in your head, neck and jaw.

These effects can last a really long time and they can be self-reinforcing. The more your body feels stress, the more the fear response is triggered and the more stress and anxiety you feel. 

You can reduce stress by completing the stress response cycle, which is a physical response your body would go through if you were running away from a lion and has a beginning, middle, and end. Because most of the things that stress us…I might lose my job….The world is in chaos….The economy is headed for recession…. don’t involve running away, the stress remains present in your body rather than completing its cycle. 

We can reduce our stress by moving our bodies through physical activity, hugging someone for 20 seconds until you feel grounded and safe, and by getting enough sleep.

We can also train our bodies and minds to appropriately categorize the stressor feeling (i.e. tell ourselves our lives are not in real danger) so that we shift out of the stress response sooner. 

As you reduce your stress, your vision begins to expand and new possibilities come into view.

2. Increase your energy 

We all have things that energize us. And we all have things that are a drain on our energy. And it’s different for each of us.

Maybe you are energized when you put effort into choosing your wardrobe and looking your best. Maybe you are energized when you have regular, vigorous exercise. Maybe you are energized when you are working on a project where you enter a flow state. Or perhaps after a conversation with a close friend you haven’t spoken to in six months. Maybe you feel most energized after you organize and make your work space beautiful.

We each have things that when we do them, our energy increases. You can actually feel your vibration increase. 

The Hertz vibration scale is a way to assess the relative lightness or heaviness of emotional energy, and it looks like this.

The higher your energy, the more creativity flows freely. You’ll see more possibilities and things happen serendipitously. Your mental load is lightened and you can solve problems more easily. You are willing to take more risks. You have clarity of thought and can sense your intuition more easily. You feel confident, capable, and empowered. You have more empathy and love for others.

When your energy is low, you are unable to see possibilities. Find ways to eliminate the things that are a drain on your energy, or shift your relationship to them so they energize you.

Increase your energy, and watch the possibilities appear within your vision.

3. Focus on process over outcome

In his autobiography, Bryan Cranston (Walter White of the renowned Breaking Bad) described the lesson he learned that helped him go from an average actor to an extraordinary one. His mentor suggested he focus on process rather than outcome. 

Cranston went on to say after he made this mindset shift, he felt much more relaxed and free. There was no longer any pressure, because the outcome was irrelevant. “Once I made the switch, I had power in any room I walked into,” he wrote. “Which meant I could relax. I was free.”

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Chad le Clos was in the lead in the men’s 200m butterfly final when Michael Phelps passed him and won the Gold medal. Le Clos was focused on winning rather than swimming his own race, and it cost him standing on the medal platform. This moment is captured perfectly in the photo below, where le Clos is more focused on his competition than on swimming his own race.

When you focus on process, you focus solely on the things in life and work that you can control: how you show up, your mindset, and your actions. 

When you focus on outcome, or things you can’t control, the more stress and pressure you will experience. And when you’re stressed, your vision narrows.

Focus on the process and the things you can control, and you will have mental energy freed up to see new possibilities.

4. Cultivate gratitude 

Developing a gratitude practice can be a huge game changer. Gratitude letter writing produces better mental health by shifting your attention away from toxic emotions, such as resentment and envy. When you write about how grateful you are to others and how much other people have blessed your life, it might become considerably harder for you to ruminate on your negative experiences.

Not only does science show us that gratitude leads to happiness, gratitude also reduces fear and anxiety by regulating the stress hormones. 

When we express gratitude and receive the same, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions, and they make us feel ‘good’. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happy from the inside.

Gratitude helps us see the positive things in life, fight negative ruminations and rebuild pessimistic thoughts with optimistic ones, stay grounded and accept the present situation, even if that is a harsh reality, identify and focus only on solutions, maintain good health by regulating our metabolic functioning and by controlling the hormonal imbalances, and sustain relationships and appreciate people who are there for us. As a result, we feel more loved, cared for, and more hopeful.

Start practicing gratitude, and notice your ability to see new possibilities.

A Bias for Action

Once you can see possibilities, your bias for action will kick in. You will know what to do. You’ll run with the possibility in front of you. 

It is the work to create space for possibilities to appear that trips up most people. 

Now you have a repeatable process to do this. 

Can’t wait to see what possibilities you see next.