Setting a South Pole Goal: A Sure-fire Way to Achieve Your “Impossible”

Over 100 Years Ago A Team of 5 Made It To The South Pole… Their Lessons Are Vital to Our Success Today

South Pole Goal: A singular vision of a better future that is so audacious it is magnetic, pushing away most who don’t believe and pulling in those who do. 


I image it looking something like the montage from Ocean’s 11 or Armageddon. 

You know the kind I’m talking about. The one where the crew is assembled.

“We’re going to need an explosives expert,” the leader would say. “A driller. An acrobat. Someone who can cause a scene.”

Except in this case they weren’t robbing a casino or blowing up an asteroid. The were traveling to an unknown and unseen corner of the world.

It was around 1908 when Roald Amundsen starting assembling his crew.

Like Danny Ocean, he was looking to build a team, a group of badasses who were ready, willing, and able to do what other men deemed impossible.

Amundsen had it in his mind that he would be the first man to plant a flag in the North Pole.

To do this, he’d need help. He’d need a team.

So he sent word that he was assembling a team to do the impossible. He needed a dog sled expert. Someone that could fashion skis from anything. Nautical men. Hunters. Survivors.

Over the next two years, his team assembled, funds were raised, and the men made their final preparations for their voyage.

Then, just months before they were set to depart, two unique groups claimed they had made it to the North Pole and instantly the entire voyage was in jeopardy.

Would the backers pull out? Would his team still be inspired in the same way? He decided to continue on as if nothing had changed. His men followed suit.

They set sail for the great unknown.

Then, just days after casting off the coast of Norway, Amundsen sent a telegram back to his chief financier, “BEG TO INFORM YOU FRAM PROCEEDING ANTARCTIC–AMUNDSEN.”

The Fram, Norwegian for Forward, was the name of his ship. And the Antarctic is NOT home to the North Pole.

He made an executive order. They were changing course.

The overarching goal was the same — to do something that’s never been done before — but the destination was as different. As different as could be, actually.

They were now headed South, to the South Pole.

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Let’s pause for a second and think about this.

The year was 1910. Do you know what the world looked like in 1910? I sure don’t.

But I did a little research. I wanted to have some context.

Put it this way, the Wright Brother’s first flight was in 1903, tea bags hadn’t been created yet, and stainless steal hadn’t reached mass market appeal. And cars were very Model-T looking.

It was a different world.

Back then people weren’t leaving their hometowns, and a big trip was into the nearest city. World travel was prohibitively expensive and all but impossibly dangerous.

The Titanic, the biggest and supposedly safest streamliner ever, wouldn’t even launch until 1911.

Now imagine there was some lunatic saying that he was going to the North Pole.

Think. About. That.

Now here’s the cool part. Saying something like “I’m going to plant a flag on the North Pole,” forgive the pun, is polarizing.

Some people called Amundsen a kook. I’d argue most people thought he was a crazy man, destined to fail.

But some percentage, admittedly, a much smaller percentage, LOVED IT.

Those were his people. They were his financiers. They were his crew. They were on his team.

These people heard about Amundsen’s “North Pole Goal” and got on board.

There’s a certain magnetism of audacity, it pulls some people in and pushes others away.

The magnetism meant that Amundsen’s team was down for whatever. They shared his vision, they shared his work ethic, and more than anything believed in him.

And as we’ve talked about before on this site, a small team with a shared vision and belief can do some incredible things.

That’s why, when Amundsen changed course, I can imagine his team was ecstatic.

I hear, “Aye, Aye!” “Who-rah” — or whatever the Norwegian equivalent is — being hollered.

These people had a conviction, they wanted to be the first, they wanted to do something impossible, and they wanted to be on Amundsen’s team.

So when the North Pole Goal became a “South Pole Goal” the team didn’t flinch.

Learning From Amundsen’s South Pole Goal

At this point, you might be thinking, “but I’m not anything like Amundson”, and that’s ok.

Not all of us want to get to the furthest corner of the planet.

But all of us have our equivalent to the South Pole.  We all have something that feels so distant it might as well be impossible to achieve.

Your South Pole might be starting a business, losing 30 pounds, getting a Masters degree, becoming a better partner in your relationship, learning a language, etc.

Want to achieve something impossible? Act like Amundsen: State the goal, build the team, and do the work.

South Pole Goals and You

The working definition of South Pole Goals is this:

A singular vision of a better future that is so audacious it is magnetic, pushing away most who don’t believe and pulling in those who do. 

Your challenge from me is to start getting clear on your first version of your South Pole Goal, start building your team, and start doing the work.

My South Pole Goal

Here’s a personal example.

My South Pole Goal is to inspire, empower, and equip 1,000,000 good people to do good, meaningful work as they build financial freedom.

I want to help good people to feel able to change the world… to save the world, really.

Yes, it’s true, I believe that great businesses run by good people will save the world.

And while I know some people might find that crazy, I knew there was another type who will get it. They’ll hear that message and come along for the journey.

That wasn’t always my goal.

In fact, for the last 5 years, I’m not certain I could have stated my goal so directly.

I worked as a CrossFit Coach and a Stylist, I started a business as study abroad mentor, and today it’s all morphed into a role as a Strategic Coach and Consultant.

At each iteration, I focused on taking action, working hard, and serving as powerfully as possible.

In doing the work, I realized that didn’t care about if you’re car had a fresh paint of coat (fashion), or if the engine was supercharged (fitness), I wanted to make sure you were moving in the right direction (mentoring/coaching).

I became clear through action that really I wanted to help you build things.

I wanted to help you find your purpose and realize your dreams.

I wanted to help you get started or keep building.

Fashion, fitness, and the study abroad business got me close to that feeling and that’s why I kept gravitating toward those roles. I got to feel like I was helping to make a difference in people’s lives. I saw the visceral change in people before and after they met me and it made me feel… purposeful.

When I started helping other entrepreneurs that I began to realize my real purpose — the reason why I’ve been put on this planet — to inspire, empower, and equip hard working people with the mindset and resources to make the world a better place.

So, Would You Like To March With Me?

My South Pole Goal is to inspire, empower, and equip 1,000,000 good people to do good, meaningful work as they build financial freedom.

That will probably take a lifetime.

As I write this, there are 271 people on my email list. I have a long way to go.

It’s montage time.

I’m building a team. A team ready, willing, and able to do something that’s never been done before.

The team will be a motley crew and we’re looking for someone just like you.

What’s the never been done before goal? Being the best version of ourselves.

So do you know your South Pole Goal? Because I want to be on your team. I want to march with you.

Don’t think you have one yet? Perfect, let’s set a small goal to start but let’s get moving.

You see, movement is the goal. Action is the key. Forward is the direction… even if todat it feels like you’re a Plinko coin.

I don’t care where you are or how far you think you are from your South Pole, it’s time to start marching.

Click Here to see what I have in mind.