The 4-Minute Mindset
How Belief Redefines the Impossible
For almost a century the idea of a human being able to run a mile under 4 minutes was considered impossible and furthermore downright dangerous. Doctors, coaches and scientists deemed the human body unable to achieve this feat and in trying the human heart may burst due to the exertion required. Yet, on 6th May 1954 Roger Bannister in Oxford, shattered the conventional belief of what was possible by running 3:59.4. It was a triumph of the human body over what was believed possible.
Yet in the months to come it was proven a triumph of the human belief system, more than just the physical limits of the human body. Only 46 days later Australian John Landy would break the record and less than a year later multiple people were suddenly able to run sub 4 minute miles. Just four years later Herb Elliott dropped the record to an incredible 3:54.5. Bannister was quoted as saying “It is the brain, not the heart or lungs that is the critical organ. It’s the mind that makes the body” believing that our limits are built in the mind and not the body.
Pushing yourself beyond where you thought you were possible is within us all. We are all capable of achieving greater than we ever thought possible. Whether this be in a physical, academic, creative or other pursuit, it starts with a moment to dream big about the challenge in front of you and believing it’s possible. While belief isn’t something you just acquire, it is built over months and years as you work towards your goal.
Roger Bannister didn’t start with a belief that he could run a 4 minute mile, he worked towards improving his running. He used training methods to different others of the time, by running large amounts of intervals and spending much time devoted to visualisation and creating a mindset where the extraordinary was possible. To take his results beyond 4 minutes visualised seeing himself breaking under 4 minutes. When every expert and medical professional of the time was saying it can’t be done, he said ‘what if it can”.
When we face challenges in life and other doubts and questions whether it can be done, maybe the answer is ‘what if it can.’ What if you can achieve your goals, what if it is possible.
Belief is built through evidence. When you keep repeating the actions that move you towards your goal you’ll create evidence. Those who are consistent in their actions will see the evidence compound before their eyes.
When you begin any physical pursuit you’ll see little progress at first. Once you build the habit of physical activity it all starts to change. When you commit to the process consistently results will show.
Do you have a goal inside you that needs you to believe that it’s possible?
Perhaps you are capable of much more than you ever thought possible. You just need to dream big enough and then follow a process of committing your time and energy to be able to achieve your own level of greatness. Now this may not mean breaking a long standing world record, but is there a dream inside you that with effort, consistency and belief you can achieve.
The first step is identifying where you should focus your time and energy.
What is your vision? Where do you want to use your purpose and passions and is this something you already have a potential for?
Then go about by doing the work needed to move forward. Be consistent and be engaged in the process of doing the work. When you start to feel you are getting results, knuckle down and keep doing the work.
Test yourself often and measure your progress as required. But ultimately just keep doing the work and you’ll see results when the results are ready to show themselves. When you keep doing the work, you’ll keep getting further down the line and unconsciously you’ll create belief in your ability that will eventually compound, but not yet, just keep doing the work.
Allow the process to become part of you, and the only way to do this is to keep working on the process. Eventually the thing you do everyday when you wake up will become so instinctual that you’ll just keep doing it everyday. And you’ll start to see results and you’ll start to build belief within that you are improving.
Roger Bannister’s record breaking run in May 1954 is etched in history forever. What is rarely reported is that in November 1953 his previous fastest mile was 4:03.6. While the run was a triumph over the human limits, it was also a triumph over one mans belief in his own ability. In breaking 4 minutes Bannister needed to lower his own best time by almost 4 seconds, an unbelievable feat in itself. What Bannister did was truly train and believe like it was possible before achieving the amazing feat.
Bannister would break 4 minutes just once more, in August 1954 at the Commonwealth Games running 3:58.8 to win gold ahead of John Landy who also broke 4 minutes. And while Bannister would ultimately only hold the mile world record for 46 days his name is etched brightly in history forever.
Roger Bannister is a pioneer for the human spirit and the belief that anything is possible.
What have you achieved that you once thought you weren’t capable of?
What can you achieve in the future that today you think you are incapable of?
The answer is belief.