8 Achievements In History That Will Make Your Goals Seem A Lot More Reachable

We all have goals, dreams, and aspirations. However, these goals oftentimes seem out of reach and difficult, if not impossible. If we knew there was a one hundred percent chance of reaching our destiny, how hard would we work towards it? I doubt that any of us would quit. I think that employing contrast is a great way to put things into a proper perspective, so today I am going to list out some amazing feats of human achievement that will make your goals seem a bit more reachable:

1. Putting man on the moon – Keep in mind that this happened in the 1960s. It took billions of dollars and a collective effort of some of the world’s most intelligent human beings, but they figured out a way to get man into outer space and landed on the moon. Is that new business you want to start or career path you want to take harder than sending someone on a vacation out of this planet?

2. Learning how to fly – With no guidelines or manual detailing how to create a machine that can fly in the air like a bird, Man had long dreamed to create a flying machine for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The efforts of their developing their mechanical knowledge for more than a decade, mixed with their creativity and ingenuity, culminated into an event that would change the world. On December 17, 1903, the Wright Brothers sustained the first heavier-than-air human flight.

3. Helen Keller’s entire life – She lived the majority of her life without the ability to see or hear, and she authored several books. These weren’t just mediocre books either. She authored masterful pieces of literature with out the sensory capabilities of a normal human being. This one hits home for me, because I am working on writing a book myself. No excuses.

4. Stephen Hawking Studying the Universe from his Wheelchair – In his early twenties, Hawking was diagnosed with ALS. Instead of letting this debilitating disease limit his achievements, he went on to make groundbreaking discoveries in science. With most of his motor capabilities deteriorated or absent due to his disease, he wrote books by moving the muscles in his cheek. He wrote a book detailing a theory to describe the entire universe, with his cheek.

5. Bill Gates and the Ten Dark Years – Many of us see the finished product that is Bill Gates. The billionaire computer aficionado wasn’t always at the top of the Forbes list. He was quoted as saying “During my twenties, I never took a day off”. That’s 3650 days of excruciating mental work, in a row. How many days in a row have you worked towards reaching your goal?

6. Elon Musk Betting it all – Elon musk is the only person in the world who owns 3 separate billion dollar companies. He sold pay pal for more than one hundred million dollars, and subsequently re invested all of his money to create SpaceX, Solar City, and Tesla Motors. Talk about having some major stones. Think about this when you are worried about potentially losing money you invest into a business endeavor.

7. Thomas Edison Creating the light bulb – The estimates on how many failed attempts Edison made to create the light bulb ranges from 1,000 to 10,000 depending on whom you ask. That’s a ridiculous amount of perseverance. How many of us would have given up after the 10^th try, how about the 100^th try? Keep working until you get what you desire.

8. Nelson Mandela Liberating South Africa – Nelson Mandela was a political activist who fought for the abolishment of apartheid in South Africa. He was arrested (in my opinion wrongfully) for conspiracy to overthrow the South African government. He then spent 27 years in prison before being released. He then went on to become the president of South Africa, and won the Nobel Peace Prize. Many of us will give up on our dreams after a couple of years. Mandela maintained faith in his mission for nearly 3 decades. That’s persistence.