Impossible Goals as a Filter
Set a goal you can't yet achieve so it forces radically new decisions in the present.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 90%
Impossible goals work because their size makes them an intense filter: once you commit to something you don't know how to achieve, most of what you currently do obviously won't get you there, forcing you to hunt for new pathways, people, and strategies. Hardy pursues no more than three impossible goals every 90 days and expects to miss most of them, reviewing in the Gain and resetting. He argues you should throw away 'smart' goals in favor of impossibly high ones with impossibly short timeframes. The future functions as a tool for acting powerfully in the present.
Origin
Hardy draws on researcher Alan Barnard's work on impossible goals and constraint theory, combined with his own 90-day practice with his team.
Core principles
- 01The purpose of the future is to filter and shape action in the present.
- 02An impossible goal means you genuinely don't know how to do it, forcing new pathways instead of past knowledge.
- 03No more than three priorities or goals at a time.
- 04Pursue impossible goals in 90-day cycles, reviewing in the Gain even if you miss.
- 05Your present is a reflection of the future you are most committed to.
How to run it
- 1
Set an impossible goal you actually want
Pick a goal you believe is impossible but deeply desire, so you have no idea how to do it yet.
Pro tip Impossible timeframes work as well as impossible size; both sharpen the filter.
Watch out Limit yourself to no more than three at a time to avoid diluting the filter.
- 2
Run your calendar and to-do list through the filter
Test each commitment against the impossible goal and remove anything that doesn't move you dramatically toward it.
Pro tip A good assistant who understands the principles can help you cut ruthlessly.
- 3
Review every 90 days in the Gain
At the end of the cycle, extract learning from what you attempted whether or not you hit the goal, then set the next 90 days.
Pro tip Over successive cycles you become a master at making the impossible achievable.
In the wild
With an impossible goal to finish his next book by year-end, Hardy's assistant reviewed his schedule of roughly 25 great scheduled podcasts and told him there was no way. He stripped away at least 80% of his commitments, keeping only three or four.
→ The impossible goal forced him to filter far harder and protect deep work time.
Common mistakes
Setting realistic 'smart' goals
Realistic goals are achievable from your present system, so they don't force new pathways or hard filtering. Hardy's advice is to throw away smart goals and set impossible ones precisely because they are the most powerful filter.
Is it for you?
Best for
Ambitious operators willing to cut a packed calendar to protect a small number of transformational goals.
Not ideal for
People who need dependable, predictable delivery on committed obligations in the short term.
From the transcript
“the future is a tool for filtering and acting powerfully in the present the present your present is is basically a reflection of the future…”
“throw away your smart goals whatever your goals are they're not smart go for an impossible goal”
From the episode
Benjamin Hardy: 10x Is Easier Than 2x, How Dreaming Bigger Will Transform You and Your Business
Benjamin Hardy