Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life

by Jim Kwik

IT ISN’T ONLY IN YOUR HEAD

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

Unfortunately, mistakes are not often used as a tool for learning; they are used as a way of measuring one’s capabilities. Make too many mistakes and you fail your test or your class. We need to change that.

Instead of dwelling on the mistakes, they asked themselves what they learned.

You might think you have to be perfect, but life is not about comparing yourself to anyone else; it’s about measuring yourself compared to who you were yesterday.

you make mistakes; mistakes don’t make you.

It’s not how we make mistakes, but how we deal with them that defines us.

There is no such thing as failure. Only fa...

I quickly realized that possession of knowledge wasn’t going to differentiate me from the people around me—it was how I used my knowledge that would.

All the books, podcasts, seminars, online programs, and inspiring social media posts in the world won’t work until you put your knowledge into action.

It’s better well done than well said. Don’t promise, prove. Your results will speak for themselves.

Knowledge × Action = Power

Learning was hard for her, but she figured out how to work around her disability.

it’s not how smart you are, but how you are smart.

learning should be at least a little uncomfortable; otherwise you’re mostly reinforcing what you already know.

Approach your learning like a stonecutter. It will require you to cultivate patience, to have a positive attitude, and to be adaptive to your own needs.

Sometimes it is hard to learn new things. What’s more accurate is to understand that learning is a set of methods, a process that can certainly be easier when you know how to learn.

When you learn new ways how to learn, the challenge of learning new things can be fun, easier, and more enjoyable.

Jim said, “I act that way because I want to give the people who are watching permission to be themselves. The biggest travesty in the world is people preventing and limiting themselves from expressing who they really are because they’re afraid of what other people think.”

The effect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is. Everything you gain in life will rot and fall apart,

people have a hard time reconciling what they believe is possible with what is actually happening.

Creating the life you want can be scary. But you know what’s scarier? Regret. One day we will take our final breaths and not one of other people’s opinions or your fears will matter. What will matter is how we lived. Don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from. People will doubt you and criticize you no matter what you do.

It’s not your job to like, love, or respect me. It’s mine.

Genius leaves clues. There is always a method behind what looks like magic.

Genius is not born; it’s made through deep practice.

When you convince yourself that any of these are true, you’re giving yourself an unnecessary burden to carry around.

Motivation = Purpose × Energy × S3

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it, so it follows that if you don’t know why you do what you do, how will anyone else?”

A goal is the point one wishes to achieve. A purpose is the reason one aims at to achieve a goal.

S is for Specific: Your goal should be well defined. Don’t say you want to be rich; say you want to make a certain amount of money. M is for Measurable: If you can’t measure your goal, you can’t manage it. Getting fit isn’t measurable—running a six-minute mile is. A is for Actionable: You wouldn’t drive to a new town without asking for directions. Develop the action steps to achieve your goal. R is for Realistic: If you’re living in your parents’ basement, it’s hard to become a millionaire. Your goals should challenge and stretch you, but not so much that you give up on them. T is for Time-based: The phrase, “A goal is a dream with a deadline” comes to mind. Setting a time to complete your goal makes you that much more likely to reach it.

H is for Healthy: How can you make sure your goals support your greater well-being? Your goals should contribute to your mental, physical, and emotional health. E is for Enduring: Your goals should inspire and sustain you during the difficult times when you want to quit. A is for Alluring: You shouldn’t always have to push yourself to work on your goals. They should be so exciting, enticing, and engaging that you’re pulled toward them. R is for Relevant: Don’t set a goal without knowing why you’re setting it. Ideally, your goals should relate to a challenge you’re having, your life’s purpose, or your core values. T is for Truth: Don’t set a goal just because your neighbor is doing it or

your parents expect it of you. Make sure your goal is something you want, something that remains true to you. If your goal isn’t true to you, you’re far more likely to procrastinate and sabotage yourself.

interchangeably,

It’s about experimenting to see what ignites your joy. Passion

different passions can be cultivated simultaneously. You don’t have to choose one over the other when you’re exploring.

Once you find that

special person, it doesn’t just magically “work,” because it takes effort to build a relationship. Finding your passion is no different—it takes experimentation to see what clicks for you, and it takes effort.

To sum it up, passion is what lights you up inside. My passion to learn was born out of such a struggle that it became a...

What are your current passions? List three.

The greatest task we have in life is to share the knowledge and skills we accumulate.

This is so deeply ingrained

that I don’t have to force myself to do it—it comes naturally.

Do you know your life’s purpose? Even if you don’t yet, write down a little bit about what it could be.

If you identify as a smoker and regularly say, “I am a smoker,” it’s going to be

difficult to quit until you dismantle that identity.

If you’ve been telling yourself all of your life that you are a slow learner, or that you can’t learn, you might start telling yourself “I am a fast and efficient learner” instead. The highest drive we have is to act consistently with how we perceive ourselves—it is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. Use it to your benefit.

Take 60 seconds and, stream of consciousness, write down some “I am” statements.

Values need to be prioritized. My values are love, growth, contribution, and adventure, in that order.

When it comes to doing anything in life,

reasons reap rewards.