What is an Impossible List?
I was first exposed to the concept of an Impossible List by Thomas Frank. Essentially an Impossible List is a cross between a Hyrda and Bucket List. As you cross items off of your Impossible List you replace those items with harder versions. This encourages perpetual growth. Here is mine:
Health Goals
Run a 5K(10/30/21)- Run a 5K in under 30 minutes
- Complete the healthy habits from my morning routine 365 days in a row.
Weigh in below 220 pounds(11/06/19)Again…(04/23/24)
- Get my body fat down to ≤ 20%
Professional Goals
Present at a national conference(2016 and 2017)- Present at a national conference for trainers
- Write and publish a book
Publish 50 blog posts on TheMikeBurke.com(April 2019)Publish 100 blog posts on TheMikeBurke.com(March 2021)- Publish 250 blog posts on TheMikeBurke.com
Publish 25 videos on my personal YouTube Channel(September 2021)- Publish 50 videos on my personal YouTube Channel
Develop an online professional development course for teachers(August 2020)
Knowledge/Skill Goals
- Earn a terminal degree in instructional technology
- Publish an iPad app with my son
Complete the Become an Instructional Designer Learning Path on Lynda.com(February 2017)- Complete the JavaScript Foundations Professional Certificate by Mozilla on LinkedIn Learning
Travel Goals
Domestic
Disney World(February 2019)- Disneyland
- Route 66 road trip
- US National Parks
Acadia(July 2020)Shenandoah(August 2020)Great Smokey Mountains(November 2020)New River Gorge(April 2021)Mammoth Cave(June 2021)Cuyahoga Valley(June 2021)Joshua Tree(December 2021)Death Valley(December 2021)Grand Teton(June 2022)Saguaro(November 2022)Hawaii Volcanoes(April 2023)Haleakala(April 2023)Mount Rainer(September 2023)Redwood(March 2024)Pinnacles(March 2024)Denali(July 2024)Kenai Fjords(July 2024)- White Sands (April 2025)
- Carlsbad Caverns (April 2025)
- Guadalupe Mountains (April 2025)
- Big Bend (April 2025)
- Rocky Mountain (July 2025)
International
Venice(June 2012)Paris(June 2012)Iceland(July 2023)- Switzerland
- Norway
- Sweeden
- Finland
- Denmark
- Amsterdam
- Ireland
- London
- Vancouver
- The International Disney Parks
- Paris
- Toyko
- Hong Kong
- Shanghai