I was a cross-country runner in high school and college. A fast one, in fact. I had a running scholarship and maintained an extremely low body fat percentage throughout the year. I achieved a PR almost every time I raced, and my ability to improve seemed limitless.
Fast-forward to adulthood, skimming through a couple decades, those days of running on air seem so long ago. In my 20’s, it was trying to break a 5-minute mile. In my early 40’s, it became about trying to break an 8-minute mile. The limits always seemed to exist, but the realities have somewhat changed over time. More importantly, the concept of limits is much more visible to me now.
We all face limits, both real and perceived. It’s nearly impossible to progress through life without encountering walls and barriers. However, there are a handful of ways to not merely overcome your limits, but to literally transcend and defy them. This is true relative to our physical health, as well as our entrepreneurial realities.
Here are five rules I’ve implemented in my life to defy limits on a consistent basis.
Separate your actual limits from your perceived ones
Your inability to run a two-minute mile is most certainly “actual” because human beings are not capable of that level of unassisted speed. Your inability to get in shape, eat healthy, or read more, however, is perceived. The only real limit is in your own head. Our perceptions form our reality, and when we believe we have limits that are insurmountable, we develop an actual state of limited functionality.
In order to defy your limits, you must first determine which limits exist merely in your head, and which exist in an objective, evidenced-based reality outside. Speed, endurance, and the limits of survival have all been tested and retested from the beginning. The average high school cross-country runner living today may have beaten the Olympic gold medalist 50 years ago.
If you are facing a limit in your life, ask yourself how that limit is defined. Is it because of the law of gravity or distributive law of mathematics? If not, question whether you’ve placed that limit on yourself because of some perceived barrier. Actual limits need to be removed or avoided; perceived limits can be defied.
Recognize that limits are often tied to other life factors
For well over four years, I tried to break the eight-minute mile as an adult. I sometimes ran up to ten miles in a single day, giving everything in me, but couldn’t break the barrier. Then I lost 20 pounds by adopting a healthier approach to eating, and miraculously broke an eight-minute mile without doing anything else differently. It was the added weight that was keeping me from increasing my pace, not a limit in my ability.
Oftentimes you can’t overcome a limit because outside factors are preventing you from doing so. In my case, it was 20 extra pounds of weight. In your situation, it may be an overbearing employer, your proximity to the donut shop, or depression. Every time you see a barrier in front of you, evaluate all the forces working to keep that limit in place. Your ability to defy the barrier will depend on your ability to address all the factors maintaining it.
Understand that limits may adjust (or cease to exist) over time
Our collective understanding of human limitations has naturally changed over time. Some of this is a result of research and science, and other reasons include the natural progression of mankind. If you are unable to achieve something today, it does not mean you will not be able to achieve it tomorrow.
Because limits are typically formed from a complex web of circumstances, psychological forces, and objectives, the minute one component changes, the limit itself is altered. This is why Einstein’s opinion on insanity is not always true: sometimes doing the same thing every time will result in a different outcome. Run five miles every day and you will get in better shape. Read ten minutes every day and you will improve your vocabulary.
Be prepared to go solo
Steve Jobs once said, “the people crazy enough to believe they can change the world are the ones who actually do it.” When it comes to defying limits, it’s critical to realize that you may have to go it alone, because uncharted territory is almost always charted by people who didn’t agree with the masses.
Believe that you can defy your limits
The research is there: your beliefs about yourself impact your ability to achieve. If you believe you can defy a limit, you are more likely to do so. Conversely, the more you feed the negativity associated with failing to overcome your limits, the more likely you will constantly struggle to test your own limits.
Now it’s up to you. Do you want to defy your limits and live a life that is virtually unstoppable? Implement these five rules and see the world as your playground.
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