In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the military historian Robert Cowley coordinated a fascinating series of books called What If? The series featured essays by prominent historians, each looking at a particular “what if” question in history.

For example:

• What if the Mayflower had never set sail?
• What if JFK had not been assassinated?
• What if Teddy Roosevelt had won re-election in 1912?
• What if Abraham Lincoln had not issued the Emancipation Proclamation?
• What if Martin Luther had been burned at the stake?

Those are fascinating questions, and these books allowed historians to let their imaginations run wild and speculate on what might have happened if history had turned out a little differently.

It’s a great exercise not just for history buffs but for you, as well. As you think about your goals, ask yourself, “What if?”

• What if you wrote that book you’ve been planning for the last three years?
• What if you started that podcast you’ve been thinking about?
• What if you wrote every morning for thirty minutes?
• What if you started calling yourself a writer when people ask what you do?
• What if you started writing for clients, and eighteen months from now, you were making as much money in your side business as you do in your day job?

Here’s the fantastic thing about these “What if” questions: They aren’t just imaginary scenarios cooked up by historians. These are real-life, flesh-and-blood situations that are possible.

And they’re not just possible—they are likely to happen if you do the work to make them a reality.

The Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky famously said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Isn’t it time you started asking yourself, “What if?” and finally took your shot?

Today’s Challenge: Take the next thirty seconds to write down your answer to the question, “What if?” Don’t overthink it.