Hi Brooke,
First I apologize for the lengthy email here. I hesitated to write at all, but I am at a loss. Let me begin by telling you how happy I am to be part of Scholars. After listening to your podcasts for almost one year, I joined in August 2107 when I also turned 73 years old.
I questioned whether it was a good idea at my age, like I question everything because of my age.
Now however, I look forward every month to the new “theme”.
This month has me really excited, but I am struggling with it. Finally I fine-tuned my Impossible Goal to make it succinct.
Let me tell you, it’s really out there, but here it is:

“By midnight of December 31, 2018, I will be healthily 100% addiction free and 100% medication free, Dr. approved. And I will have written and published (by a re-known published) a best selling non-fiction book that tells about my year long journey to achieve this goal.”

Like I said it is really out there for me. A little background to clarify this statement about my “addictions”: For the past 40 years, I have enjoyed At Least two glasses of wine, often more, Every Evening. And when the going gets boring or stressful, or even too happy for that matter, I turn to using slot machines, either at the casinos, which as you know are in every city in North America (I live in Victoria, BC Canada) or online, although that I do for “free”. I also have a tendency to over-indulge in sugary and salty snack type foods. And then there is the TV binge watching, usually at the same time as I am indulging in snacks, wine and playing online slot games.
What can I say, I’m a multi-tasker!
But I am also totally fed up with myself and have been for some time, and I am so eager to change these life-long habits and see who I can be without them. I am trusting it’s not too late in life. I have to believe that it is always possible for us to make changes.
So I made the impossible goal.
My dilemma is that I seem to be stuck. Not sure how to write the strategies to combat the Obstacles.
Everything I come up with is “Positive thinking ” type platitudes vs. real actions. I don’t seem to have a grasp on this.
Can you help.
Also struggling with the 25 Epic Fails. My mind wants to make this a more possible goal and then it goes really tiny with the fails, and they are no longer Epic at all. I can’t seem to think of anything other than reasonable possible fails/actions to take.
Thank you for all the time you take with us students. You are a treasure!
Warmest regards,
Elaine Hall
p.s. I think I now have the courage to go for the Live Coaching this Thursday, if you have space for me. I’ll wait to hear from you. Thanks again for all your wonderful coaching.