“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t,” says Major (retired) Deanna Brasseur, “either way you are absolutely right.”

In March, 2011, Brasseur – one of the world’s first female CF18 pilots – brought that message to NAIT as part of the Women in Technology initiative to encourage female enrolment in technical fields. Her presentation, “The Sky is Not the Limit,” stressed the importance of approaching your personal goals with the firm belief in your ability to achieve.

It also laid out a simple plan for realizing your personal potential, which she shared with techlifemag.ca. Watch the video above and get ready to overcome the obstacles you once thought stood between you and your ambitions.