Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time once said that “Impossible is not a fact. It is an opinion.”

If you look at the spelling of impossible, you’ll see the words “I’m possible”. Therefore, believing that something is impossible is an opinion.

Napoleon Bonaparte once remarked, “Impossible is present only in the dictionary of fools.”

If you look at history, you’ll see many people who have achieved the impossible.

For example, people thought it was impossible to go to outer space for centuries, but when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, it was no longer impossible.

Now the important question is – are people born this way or can they be changed?

Although believing in the impossible is difficult, it is not impossible. With the right set of tools, anyone can change their belief system to achieve the impossible.

Here are some important strategies to tackle the impossible.

Start with the basics

If you are too fixated on a goal, you will lose sight of the basic stuff.

For instance, if you want to become the next great tennis star, you shouldn’t only focus on the glamour of winning matches.

You must be focussed on the everyday practice of training as well.

Set both unrealistic and realistic goals

Successful people set goals relentlessly. They can break down a larger goal into simple, smaller goals so that they can achieve the big picture.

During Navy Seal training, the most unrealistic goal is to complete Hell Week. It is a draining week, where the participants don’t sleep and have to push their bodies to the extreme.

Instead of focusing on finishing the course, they set their sights on achieving smaller, more realistic goals.

Work hard

Working hard is the most obvious and the most crucial step in achieving the impossible.

If your goals are impossible, then you must be ready to work impossibly hard.

Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and Space X works for more than 16 hours a day. If you can’t prepare for future success then you will not be able to withstand the pressure when things get tough.

Excuses are not valid

There will be a thousand reasons why you couldn’t complete a task. Successful people will never make excuses for their shortcomings. The time you spend on making excuses should instead be spent working on your goals.

Work with others

Nobody is truly independent. You can’t do everything on our own. Asking for help is not a weakness. On the contrary, working with others will help you get better results more quickly.

Never underestimate others

Underestimating people is one of the worst things you can do. If you don’t even know what you are capable of, how can you judge what others are capable of?

Successful people measure others by qualities such as strength of heart and integrity. Instead of judging, try empowering them and you’ll be surprised by the results.

Start loving failure

If you want to be successful at anything, you should be ready to fail. Success, especially at doing something impossible, will come only after repeated failures. Instead of viewing failures as setbacks, treat them as learning opportunities.

Take ownership for your actions

Making mistakes is part and parcel of success. Taking ownership of your actions means you are learning responsibility, which is vital for success.

Rome was not built in a day

Navy seals always say, “I will not quit.” It is their relentless quest for success that drives them forward.

If you are aiming at doing something impossible, you have a long road ahead of you. Along the way, you may feel that you are not moving forward fast enough and that’s alright.

Success is not a one-time payment. Instead, it’s about repeated, consistent deposits over a long period of time.

Stay optimistic

Staying optimistic while pursuing an impossible goal is easier said than done. However, bear in mind that optimistic people are more likely to succeed in their undertakings.

Have a laugh or two at your mistakes. Tough times define your character. So, remember to laugh particularly when things get rough.

Make sacrifices

No success is possible without sacrifice. All successful people have made great sacrifices to reach where they are today. If you want to get that coveted A+, you’ll have to sacrifice your movie night or your game time with a friend. But the end-result will be worth it.

The path to achieving something impossible is never linear, but remember that even the most impossible tasks are achievable because the impossible is not a fact but just your opinion.

Erika Peres is a social media influencer, entrepreneur and director of multiple companies. She is a mother of two boys and has a passion for sports, fitness and lifestyle. She can be reached on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.