I woke up this morning thinking about Roger Bannister. Anyone who has spent any decent amount of time around me knows how much of an inspiration he is to me when it comes to mindset. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Roger, he was the first person to run a sub-4 minute mile. What makes this feat even more impressive was that the common belief of the day was that this was physically impossible. Reputable doctors opined that if attempted the heart would most likely give out from the sheer strain being placed on it by such physical exertion. Every one (including athletes) had accepted this as par for the course…a bridge too far for mankind. Not Roger! In May 1954 Roger did what was at the time believed to be impossible. Here’s what’s even more thought provoking about the whole ordeal… after having gone all these centuries without anyone ever running a sub-4 minute mile, many athletes would go on to achieve the same feat in the SAME year after Roger. As a matter of fact, John Landy would go on to achieve the same thing about a month later on June 21, 1954. Why did the floodgates open all of a sudden? Why were so many athletes suddenly able to achieve something that was previously considered beyond their reach? Because Roger had shown that it was possible. All of a sudden, the mindset around running a sub-4 minute mile had changed. For the first time, people saw that it was actually doable. The shackle of limiting belief that weighed tons around their ankles was suddenly broken and they were able to run unencumbered. In subsequent years, many other athletes would go on to run a sub-4 minute mile. It wasn’t something outlandish to reach for anymore.
Limiting beliefs can weigh a lot. As I look towards 2024, I ask myself certain questions. “What are the things I did well in 2023 that I want to keep doing in 2024?” “What are the things I would like to do more of?” Being more intentional about working on my mindset is definitely one of those things. The mind is indeed a muscle. Just like any other muscle in the body, with exercise and exposing it to varying levels of resistance, it can grow and be made stronger. This year I want to be as diligent on working on my mind as I am on working on my body and spirit. Part of that is repeating my affirmations to myself until they start to take root. The other part though, is slowly building a reputation of myself, with myself. Reputation simply refers to a level of trust. Trust that a person will follow through on the promises they have made. So building a reputation with myself simply means that over time I know I will do the things I have set out to do because I have a track record of keeping the promises I have made to myself. First with the small things, then with the much bigger things. This is the foundation of belief. It is not about just reciting things to myself in the mirror everyday… it is evidenced by the tiny examples of everyday follow through, the summation of which constitutes a reputation.
As someone who played endurance sports for a long time, I know one thing: most times when it comes to endurance, the mind gives up long before the body does. That is natural. It is instinctual design for our minds to try to keep us safe and comfortable. Finding new limits, be they physical or mental requires a healthy dose of intentional training and practice. As I continue my quest for progression (not perfection), I want to take my belief to another level this year. The mind is indeed a terrible thing to waste.
Self improvement is a journey worth emabarking on