Have you ever looked at a big goal, one you genuinely wanted to achieve, only to find the sheer scale of it intimidating? So intimidating that you never even started? It’s a common feeling.

It happened to me, and for a long time, it made me believe I simply wasn’t ambitious enough.

The Unattainable Dream: 1600km in 24 Hours 🏍️

When I first started riding my motorcycle, I was captivated by the Saddle Sore challenge from the Iron Butt Association (Its a real thing Iron Butt Association ): ride 1600 kilometers in under 24 hours. It was a massive undertaking, but I desperately wanted that finisher’s plaque on my motorcycle number plate. The cool factor was off the charts😎.

But then, the logical side of my brain took over, listing all the obstacles😟:

• Finding a smooth, safe road (a challenge in India back in 2010, where the Yamuna Expressway was one of the few viable options 🛣️ .
• Training my body to endure 24 straight hours in the saddle💪.
• Figuring out how to manage sleep deprivation🙂↕️.
• More importantly, how to keep my focus and stay safe for that long🧐.

The list was daunting. So, I parked the idea. There was no thought of, “Let’s just try and see what happens.” No consideration that failure could be a lesson for the next attempt. I simply put it on the backburner and walked away, convinced it was beyond me.

An Unexpected Proving Ground: The Bicycle 🚲

Fast forward a few years. I discovered cycling, which quickly evolved into a passion for endurance and then ultra-endurance events. Then, on an unsupported ride with three friends, I found myself pushing through challenges I’d never imagined. https://www.strava.com/activities/1523537150

I rode for nearly 18 hours within a 24-hour window, covering over 400 kilometers while battling traffic, managing nutrition, handling sleep deprivation and facing adverse weather. The ride even included a brief run-in with robbers around midnight-but that’s a story for another time 😅. The important thing was, I kept going and finished.

And then it hit me. I had just completed a quarter of the Saddle Sore’s distance, but on a bicycle, which is exponentially more physically demanding. I had faced obstacles far greater than the ones that scared me away from my motorcycle goal years ago.

Suddenly, that “big, scary” goal seemed small. What was the point of my old fear? The Saddle Sore challenge had lost its intimidating aura because I had unknowingly outgrown it. Even bigger challenges like the Bun-Burner (2400km in 36 hrs) no longer seem impossible.

Dream Bigger, Start Anywhere

After that, I started aiming for bigger goals. A 1000km cycling event in 72 hours was next on my list (still unfulfilled). I’ve failed to achieve quite a few goals since then, but that’s okay. I always give them a try, and I am no longer cowed by the scale of the goal.

I’ve learned that you don’t always have to face a challenge head-on. Sometimes, the path to achieving a big dream is a detour you never expected. You build the strength and confidence you need by simply doing, and one day you look back and realize you’re ready. You were ready all along.

What’s a goal that once seemed impossible to you? I’d love to read your story in the comments.

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.