By Shazad
“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.” John F. Kennedy (September 1962)
A “moonshot” is defined as something big or very challenging. It may be something almost impossible to achieve or never done before. In the early 1960’s, the USA committed, through president JFK, to literally send a man to the moon and bring him back safely before the end of the decade. This was achieved as a historic moment in the history of America and humanity as a whole.
Whether you are an organization, a country or an individual, you have the ability to create at least one moonshot goal in this life. It may take you years to achieve or even an entire lifetime but it’s something you commit to and work on continuously until it is achieved. Your ultimate success is the greatest reward but the process of working on a moonshot is also very rewarding and can lead to successful milestones that transform you for the better just like the 1960’s Moonshot program accelerated the scientific and technological progress in America that is still driving innovation today!
Your personal moonshot will require a lot of your energy, focus and dedication to complete and you will literally be changed by the whole process. Everyone will have their own challenges and obstacles in life which means everyone has the opportunity to create and work towards at lest one personal moonshot. Some examples could be achieving a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree, writing a best selling book, climbing Mount Everest, building housing for everyone in a given city or simply transforming your body from overweight to extremely fit and strong for the rest of your life.
Decide on what your moonshot is and truly go for it. To qualify as a moonshot, it should make you uncomfortable and somewhat intimidated. Once you achieve it, start on your moonshot #2 and so on. How many moonshots can you rack up before you make your final “exit” from planet earth?
The key to your moonshot in life is to gather your energies and skills; accept the challenge; be unwilling to postpone it and be intent on succeeding!
Actions:
Write out some challenging and long term projects you consider to be moonshots worth pursuing. What is your most compelling moonshot idea? WHY do you want to achieve it? WHEN do you want to achieve this goal? How will it make you feel?
Find a person who has already achieved the same goal or is working on the same project and learn as much as you can from them. What lessons have they learned? What roadblocks did they run into and how did they overcome them?
Create your detailed plan of what you will do each week to move you closer to your moonshot goal. Decide what you will give up so that you have the time, energy and resources needed and don’t get distracted or burnt out by pursuing too many things at once.