Tonight my family sat down together to create our Impossible Lists. Everyone present (Mom, Grandpa Ward, 12 yo, 9 yo, 5 yo, but not the 2 yo) created their own. It was awesome to hear the goals my kids set for themselves.

We don’t believe in selling our kids the story that “you can be anything you want to be!” It’s just not true. Not everyone gets to be President of the US. Not everyone can be a pilot or an astronaut. Aspiring to be such is fine, but it’s unhealthy to hang “success” on being a Pro NFL player or a Broadway Star when the chances are so astronomically slim. However, we adamantly believe in fostering the belief that setting specific, fantastic, and amazing goals…setting your sights on something that seems impossible (but probably isn’t) is healthy and worthwhile. To that end, we introduced them to the Impossible List. Here’s a video that talks about them.

Part of having an Impossible List is sharing it publicly for increased accountability. To that end, here it is! Hopefully, I’ll be updating it regularly.

Life

Perform live in front of 40,000 people (Boise, ID 12.31.99)

Audition for The Voice (Houston, TX 2.9.13, Dallas, TX 6.23.18

Help raise $10,000 to sponsor a well via Charity Water
Be voted Father of The Year (by anyone)
Perform live in front of 100,000 people
Perform on a national TV show
Raise four kids who accomplish 50% of their Impossible Lists by age 25

Education

Teach at my alma mater College of Idaho
Teach at my alma mater Indiana University

Spirituality

Serve a mission with my wife
Serve as a Mission President
Donate $50,000 in tithing, offerings, and charity in a single year
Read the entire standard works in 1 year
Visit my home teaching families more than 12 times in a single year.

Fitness

Medal in a forms division in a martial arts tournament (Victoria, BC 2008, many more since)

Earn a black belt in Kung Fu (Dallas, TX 2019)

Run a Spartan Race (Kalispell, MT 5.11.13)

Do 100 consecutive sit-ups
Do 100 consecutive pushups
Do 10 consecutive pull-ups
Do 10 consecutive planche pushups
Do 10 consecutive handstand pushups
Place 1st in the fighting division at a martial-arts tournament
Place 1st in all competitions in a martial-arts tournament
Win Grand Champion in a martial-arts tournament
Run a 5k
Run a 10k
Run a Half Marathon
Run a Marathon
Compete in a Triathlon
Compete in a Half Ironman
Compete in the Ironman

Travel

Ærowyn swam with dolphins and saw the Alamo (San Antonio, 5.21.16)

Take my family to Japan
Take my family on a Disney Cruise
Take my family to Harry Potter World
Take my family to Disneyland/world
Take each child on a special trip for their 12th birthday
Take a “Honeymoon” cruise (no kids)
Go into space

Adrenaline

Go skydiving (Boise, ID 1993)

Race in a legitimate car race
Go scuba diving in the Caribbean

Events

Depeche Mode Concert (Boise, ID 12.2.98)

Take Family to a Depeche Mode Concert (Dallas, TX 9.22.17)

Comi-Con with Family as often as possible (Dallas, 2004)

Guest on the Graham Norton Show
Guest on the Tonight Show

Business

Speak at a local conference (Big Design Conference, 9.5.15, many more since)

Speak at an out-of-state conference (UXPA Boston, 5.10.18)

Win a $250,000 contract for my company (Auto Manufacturer, 9.17)

Speak at an international conference
Get invited to speak at a conference
Get paid to speak at a conference
Win a $500,000 contract for my company
Win a $1,000,000 contract for my company
Make and successfully sell a product or invention
Write and publish a Sci-Fi novel
Write and publish a business book

Miscellaneous

Read every book I own
Become fluent in Japanese
Become fluent in Mandarin

My Impossible List