What Does ‘Boil the Ocean’ Mean?

If you are just entering the job market, chances are you may hear the phrase “boil the ocean.” You might be wondering what it means and how it relates to working in a business or office. The term “boil the ocean” is used in business to describe an overly ambitious, unrealistic, or time-consuming goal.

The phrase comes from the concept of attempting to boil all the oceans in the world. This is obviously an impossible task and serves as a metaphor for any project or goal that is impossible to achieve. It can be used in a light-hearted way to describe situations when colleagues set deadlines that are unattainable or when the scope of a project far exceeds the resources available to complete it.

For example, if a colleague assigns a project that would take two months when the team usually completes similar projects in two weeks, this could be described as ‘boiling the ocean.’ This phrase can be used to indicate that the goal is near impossible and is often accompanied with laughter. This phrase can also be used tongue in cheek to describe challenging but achievable goals in order to inspire the team to think creatively or to work harder.

The next time you hear “boil the ocean,” you’ll have an idea of what it means. Remember to take it in the spirit it was intended and don’t feel like you have to accomplish the impossible – use the phrase as inspiration to think creatively and tackle tasks at a reasonable pace with the resources available.