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

by Jim Kwik

Bannister’s career, it was widely assumed that it was physically impossible for an athlete to run a mile in less than 4 minutes.

The key to making yourself limitless is unlearning false assumptions.

We look at two people who know everything: our parents,”1 said belief change expert Shelly Lefkoe in our podcast interview.

There are multiple forms of genius. Various experts differ on the number, but it is commonly agreed that genius expresses itself in one of four manners. Here’s a way of looking at it that has been around for thousands of years:

Dynamo genius:

Blaze genius:

Oprah Winfrey

Tempo genius:

Nelson Mandela

Mother Teresa’s

Steel genius:

Sergey Brin

What would you say is your genius? Write it down.

There’s a very good chance that your own genius is a combination of two or more of these.

“The positive thinking

And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits.” They note that these benefits include: Increased life span Lower rates of depression Lower levels of distress Greater resistance to the common cold Better psychological and physical well-being

I tell them that the difference between limiting beliefs and a limitless mindset is like the difference between a thermometer and a thermostat.

So, how do you minimize limiting beliefs and develop a superhero mindset? To me, there are three keys. Key 1: Name Your Limiting Beliefs

Key 2: Get to the Facts

Key 3: Create a New Belief

So, now it’s time to create a new belief. In this case, your new belief would be that no one triumphs at the most critical juncture 100 percent of the time, but that you should be proud of yourself for how many times you’ve performed at your best when the pressure was highest.

the New York Times best-selling author of Atomic Habits who you will meet again later in this book,

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limited ideas entertained (LIEs)

LIE NO. 1: INTELLIGENCE IS FIXED

7 lies

The IQ test actually measures current academic capabilities, not innate intelligence.5 To this day, IQ tests still don’t measure creativity or practical intelligence (which you can think of as “street smarts”), and they certainly don’t measure emotional intelligence6—

David Shenk furthers this idea in his book, The Genius in All of Us.

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Here’s the truth: It’s not how smart you are; it’s how you are smart. There are multiple types of intelligence (more on this later). Like so many things,

New belief: Intelligence is fluid.

LIE NO. 2: WE ONLY USE 10 PERCENT OF OUR BRAINS

Here’s the truth: What I want you to take from this is that you have all the power of your brain available to you now. The utopia that each of these movies and TV shows depicts is already possible for you. While we use all of our brain, some people use their brain better than others. Just as most people use 100 percent of their body, there are some bodies that are faster, stronger, more flexible, and more energized than others. The key is to learn how to use your brain as efficiently and effectively as you possibly can—and by the end of this book, you’ll have the tools to do so. New belief: I am learning to use my whole brain in the best way possible.

LIE NO. 3: MISTAKES ARE FAILURES

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

Here’s the truth: Mistakes don’t mean failure. Mistakes are a sign that you are trying something new. 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. When you learn from your mistakes, they have the power to turn you into something better than you were before. Also, remember that you are not your mistakes. Making a mistake doesn’t mean anything about you as a person. It’s easy to jump to the conclusion that you’re inherently worthless, but you make mistakes; mistakes don’t make you. Place them under your feet and use them as stepping stones to rise to the next level. It’s not how we make mistakes, but how we deal with them that defines us. New belief: There is no such thing as failure. Only failure to learn.

LIE NO. 4: KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Here’s the truth: Knowledge is not power. It only has the potential to be power. You can read this book and learn everything in it, but if you don’t take it and apply the knowledge, it will be useless. 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 easy to talk about what we learn, but I want to challenge you not to talk about it, but to show what you learned. It’s better well done than well said. Don’t promise, prove. Your results will speak for themselves. New belief: Knowledge × Action = Power

LIE NO. 5: LEARNING NEW THINGS IS VERY DIFFICULT

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

The truth is that learning won’t always be easy, but the effort pays dividends.

Here’s the truth: 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. New belief: When you learn new ways how to learn, the challenge of learning new things can be fun, easier, and more enjoyable.

LIE NO. 6: THE CRITICISM OF OTHER PEOPLE MATTERS

Maharishi International University:

Here’s the truth: 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. You will never know your true potential until you break the unfair judgements you place on yourself. Don’t allow other people’s opinions and expectations to run or ruin your life. New belief: It’s not your job to like, love, or respect me. It’s mine.

Here’s the truth: Genius leaves clues. There is always a method behind what looks like magic. New belief: Genius is not born; it’s made through deep practice.

Here’s the formula: Motivation = Purpose × Energy × S3

Among my favorite books is Start with Why by Simon Sinek,

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We hear the words purpose and goals used frequently in business, but do we really know what they mean and how they are the same or different? 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.