Overcoming The Insurmountable

Photo by Matt Ragland on Unsplash

Big problems are intractable. 

They’re hard to get to grips with, hard to manage and hard to overcome. 

No matter how much we believe in the cause, the scale of the mountain is daunting and, more often than not, can seem insurmountable. Which is why they’re ‘big’ problems. 

Our opponents - those diametrically opposed to our agenda, whether it’s because they don’t see it as a problem or because they’re incented to maintain the status quo - understand this and their job becomes clear. 

Plant that seed of doubt, so that we question whether the problem is even solvable.

Or add small obstacles here and there, delaying progress and moving the next milestone even further out. 

Or simply obstruct - not allow us to make any progress on the issue, because their participation in some form is required.

The goal in all of these cases is to break us, by either getting us to stop believing or simply exhausting us into submission. 

It’s a fruitful approach that often pays dividends. Simply because, when it comes to human nature, it’s easier to break down than it is to build up. That’s the sad truth.

The solution? Action.

Consistent, persistent action. Forward steps, no matter how small. Continued, incremental progress. Positive momentum over time ensures we have something to keep fighting for. 

That may mean redefining what constitutes ‘material progress’ at any given time. Something that’s meaningless at one point in time could be considered a big win at others. After all, there’s no such thing as linear, consistent progress. 

And that’s OK. The key is, simply, progress.

Yes, that requires a level of mental strength. It requires us to ignore the practical realities of the status quo (at times). It requires more than a measure of pigheadedness. 

But it works. Not as fast as we’d like, perhaps, but certainly over time.

And the ability to do that, requires continued belief in the cause, at all times and at all costs.

Therein lies the trick to solving the unsolvable: keep believing and keep going.