For the longest time, running a mile under 4 minutes was considered to be impossible. Anyone who jogs / runs knows that sustaining any speed above 10km/hr for a long period of time is a physically & mentally demanding task. And running a mile (i.e 1.6km) in 4 minutes translates to an incredible speed of 24km/hr! For the entire existence of our species, no one had run a 4 minute mile.
That was until 1954, when Roger Bannister, at age 25, ran 4 miles in 3:59.4. The more amazing part is what has followed since then: the 4-minute barrier has since been broken by over 1,400 athletes. 🤯🤯
You can see this in athletics and even in business all the time. Something is thought to be unachievable, and once one person shows it is possible, it opens the flood gates for many more.
What changes? Just one thing: belief. Knowing ‘it can be done’ makes you give your 100% and more. When it was ‘impossible’, one would give up even before starting.
The elite performers in every field wake up every day staring at this ‘edge of possibility’. They strive to break the barrier, fully knowing it has been ‘impossible’ till now. Because they know that greatness lies just beyond that line. Just beyond what other say “can’t be done”.
What’s your ‘4 minute mile’? What floodgates will you open for others?