You Can’t Do It... YET
You Can’t Do It... YET
That one little word changes everything.
Meet Salomon. Less than two years ago, he started his calisthenics journey. At the time, a single muscle-up felt impossible. He couldn’t do one. Not yet.
Fast forward six months of focused effort: breaking the movement into four key sections (Take-Off, Pull-Up, Transition, Dips).
Bit by bit, Salomon mastered each part, and finally, his first muscle-up came to life.
Yesterday, after relentless consistency and refinement, Salomon crushed a new personal record: 12 muscle-ups in a row.
What’s more impressive?
He’s a busy lawyer splitting time between LA and New York, balancing high-pressure responsibilities with the demands of his training.
No excuses, no shortcuts, just focused work.
So, What’s the Secret?
Whether it’s a fitness milestone or a life goal, daunting challenges often feel paralyzing. We’ve all been there, staring at a mountain, unsure where to begin.
The answer is always the same:
- Break it Down: Identify the components of your big goal.
- Simplify the Pieces: Break those components into actionable tasks.
- Focus and Build Momentum: Small wins compound into big achievements.
When you break a goal into manageable pieces, your brain shifts from overwhelm to clarity.
Small victories trigger a natural sense of progress and motivation. It’s like solving a puzzle, one piece at a time, until the full picture emerges.
This is how Salomon turned “I can’t” into “I can.”
It’s how I’ve tackled every calisthenics goal I’ve set for myself.
And it’s exactly how you can tackle yours too.
Add the Magic Word
Next time you think, I can’t do this, stop yourself. Add YET.
Then apply the puzzle-solving technique. Step by step, task by task, your once-impossible goal will move from a dream to a reality.
The only limit is your willingness to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the main message of the article about achieving difficult goals? The main message is that the word “yet” is transformative. It shifts a person's mindset from a fixed state of inability to a growth-oriented one where a goal is still possible. The article uses a personal story to demonstrate how a difficult fitness goal can be broken down and achieved with focused effort.
2. How did Salomon achieve his goal of doing 12 muscle-ups? Salomon achieved his goal by breaking down the muscle-up into four key sections: Take-Off, Pull-Up, Transition, and Dips. He focused on mastering each part individually with consistent effort over six months, which allowed him to eventually perform a complete muscle-up and later, a new personal record of 12 in a row.
3. What is the secret to tackling a big goal that feels impossible? The secret to tackling a big goal is to break it down into manageable components. First, you identify the parts of the goal, then simplify them into actionable tasks. By focusing on and building momentum with small wins, you can compound your progress until the full goal is achieved.
4. Why does breaking a large goal into smaller pieces work? Breaking a goal into smaller pieces works because it helps your brain shift from feeling overwhelmed to having clarity. Achieving small victories triggers a natural sense of progress and motivation, making the overall process feel less daunting and more like solving a puzzle.
5. How can you apply the "magic word" to your own goals? To apply the "magic word," you should stop yourself whenever you think "I can't do this" and add "yet" to the end of the sentence. Then, you can use the puzzle-solving technique to break the goal into small, actionable steps, moving from a sense of impossibility to a tangible plan for success.
6. What is the only limit to achieving a goal? According to the article, the only limit to achieving a goal is your willingness to start. Once you begin and apply the techniques of breaking down a goal and adding the word "yet," an impossible dream can become a reality.
