The word "goal” means many things.

If you’re studying for tests, it means “know everything I possibly can.”

If you’re looking for a partner, it means, “How do I attract someone?”

If you’re playing soccer, it means “that thing behind the guy with the big gloves.”

Merriam-Webster defines ‘goal’ as “something that you are trying to do or achieve.”

Let’s extend that and say a goal is “something you really want to achieve and are reasonably capable of achieving.”

A goal isn’t a pipe dream (like being un-athletic and competing for a gold medal), it’s something hard but feasible (like getting in shape to run a marathon).

Most of us have had someone claim our goals were impossible -- that there were too many limits keeping us from achieving them.

The truth is, often those limits aren’t as big as we think.

There are three reasons for this:

1. Hard Work is Hard But Pays Off

This sounds cliché, but if you work hard and persevere, barriers tend to disappear.

Screenwriter David S. Goyer – known for his work on the Dark Knight trilogy, “DaVinci’s Demons,” and “Call of Duty: Black Ops” -- once talked about this in a BAFTA speech.

Goyer explained that he started his screenwriting career by submitting a script to a film agent’s office and then calling the office every day, leaving the same message, for 45 business days.

Finally, the agent picked up the phone, demanded to know who Goyer was and why he kept calling.

Goyer told who he was, that he had sent him a script and that someday he’d be a big screenwriter and the agent would wish he was Goyer’s agent.

The agent laughed and told Goyer to send him the script.

Later, the agent told Goyer he would have signed him as a client even if the script was terrible because Goyer showed so much confidence.

Goyer not only showed confidence but also perseverance in that case.

He called the agent’s office repeatedly because if he didn’t, he couldn’t sell his first script.

Goyer knew how to reach his goal, and he persevered until he achieved it.

2. Limits are Often Opportunities

Limits make it hard to reach goals, but they also make your achievements greater.

For example, motivational speaker Nick Vujicic has an unusual condition: he was born without arms or legs.

This is obviously a huge limit, but Vujicic hasn’t let it get in his way.

He’s traveled the world, founded secular and religious organizations, and written books on various topics.

While reading his book “Life Without Limits,” I discovered he’s also surfed, scuba-dived, and played the drums.

Everything Vujicic accomplishes is amazing because his limits make things difficult. He’s built a career overcoming those massive limits.

As he says at one point in “Life Without Limits”:

“You should never live according to what you lack. Instead, live as though you can do anything you dream of doing.”

3. Pragmatics Aren’t Always a Reason to Stop

Sometimes we do have limits so great we have to realize “Yeah, I probably won’t achieve everything I want.”

That’s not actually a reason to stop.

In 2016, I took a college seminar on Speculative Fiction (as in sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and all the other weird genres).

I got to listen to advice from some very successful authors, but the best advice I got was from an editor and novelist who was one of the early champions of speculative fiction in the Christian publishing world.

This author was speaking to a room of students, some hoping to become novelists, and he refused to sugarcoat how hard it is to succeed writing novels.

He said many encouraging things but frankly told us very few people write novels full-time.

Most novelists -- unless they reach Stephen King level -- have secondary jobs which pay the bills.

Thanks to that honest advice, I’m very aware I may never write fiction full-time. I may work as a freelance journalist or editor so I can eat.

However, that isn’t going to stop me from writing fiction.

Conclusion: Never Give Up

Goals are hard.

But if you’re willing to persevere, to see limits as opportunities, and keep trying even though things may not work out, you will accomplish something.

This reminds me of a Winston Churchill story.

According to the Washington Post, Churchill visited Harrow School, his alma mater, in 1941. WWII was still at its height.

Churchill spoke to students, and during his speech, he said the following:

“Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.”

Remember that.

Never, never give up on your goals -- unless they somehow violate your morals or your good sense.

Never give in.