Scrappy Challenge
Solve impossible problems,
with these Success Tips

Kimberly Wiefling, author of Scrappy Project Management invites readers to take the "Scrappy Challenge," a short process to help people break through seemingly impossible barriers in their business ventures or personal lives.

Wiefling starts her challenge with this question: "What seems highly unlikely or nearly impossible, but if it were possible, would make your life, job, relationship, project, or goals a thousand times more successful?" For any goal or dream that is highly desirable, but seems unlikely to happen, the Scrappy Challenge unlocks possibilities from which new cutting edge solutions emerge.

"To make progress on impossible problems, first start by acknowledging that there are things you are not even considering," says Wiefling, who reminds individuals that many commonplace things at first seemed impossible.

"Thirty years ago, if you said, 'I want to hold a little plastic device up to my ear and talk to somebody anywhere in the world', people would have said that only happened on Star Trek. Well, now it's called a cell phone."

Got something you want to get done that seems impossible? Take the Scrappy Challenge by answering these questions and following these 6 steps:

1) If you had a magic wand and knew that your success would be guaranteed, what would you instantly create today?

Think about things you don't think you could possibly achieve, and be sure to include things that you assume can't be done so you don't even think about them, let alone try to do them. Make a list of six impossible things that you would like to achieve.

Be sure there are things on the list that your parents would not approve of, and that friends would try to talk you out of doing! Include at least one thing that would never work, one thing that would get you fired, and one thing that would bring shame upon you and your family for generations to come.

2) From this list, choose the one thing that would most transform your life for the better.

Choose the thing that seems almost impossible, but if it were possible, would be awesome and you would feel entirely energized and jazzed about it.

3) Put on your creative thinking hat and brainstorm!

Write down 20 wild and crazy ways that this goal could happen. Pretend that you have infinite cosmic powers and could suddenly change anything automatically. What would make it possible?

4) Call up two of your most positive and energetic friends

... and ask them to brainstorm some ideas with you, too, until you have a list of at least 20 more ideas about how you could achieve your impossible goal. Offer them a prize for the wackiest idea!

5) Now, look at all of the ideas that you have collected.

Circle the three best ideas for achieving your goals and float them down to reality from the 'wild thing.' For example, if one of your ideas is to win a million dollars in the lottery, you might transform that idea into the possibility of creating a plan to save a million dollars over the next 20 years instead.

Or if your plan is to buy or build a nice new house, you might think about how you could buy a house that needs renovation and get some skilled roommates to live with you in exchange for renovating the place.

6) Roll up a piece of paper with your idea on it and carry it around in your pocket.

Let it 'marinate' in your brain for a week. Now that you have a clear idea of what you want you will be surprised at what shows up!

Our brains are powerful pattern recognition devices, and once you put a clear and vivid goal in your brain it will be working 24 x 7 to find ways to make that goal reality.

It's just like when you buy a new car. When you're driving down the road what kind of cars do you notice? The same kind you just bought, of course!

---