Limitless - Jim Kwik Page 0,13

any topic or problem.

While these four horsemen are the ones we need to contend with most vociferously, there’s another digital danger that is worthy of our attention. I call this digital depression, a result of the comparison culture that emerges when we let the highlight reels of the social media feeds of others cause us to perceive ourselves as less than. Now, I enjoy social media. I love staying connected with our community of students and podcast listeners and staying updated with the everyday lives of my family and friends. I appreciate it so much as not only a source of entertainment, but also education and empowerment. But I only recommend using it consciously, not mindlessly out of habit, and in a harmonious way so it doesn’t highjack your productivity and peace of mind.

In the upcoming Part II: Limitless Mindset, I share ideas to mitigate these feelings of not being enough, as well as fears of looking bad or missing out. Those are the same limits that stand in the way of personal growth and learning. In Part III: Limitless Motivation, I will show you how to add, break, or change these habits.

KWIK START

Think about a decision you need to make. Schedule some time to work on that decision without the use of any digital devices.

KEEPING THE VILLAINS AT BAY

In the hero’s journey, the heroes need villains just as much as villains need heroes. The challenges from trials and rivals make us grow and become better. The power and strength of the villain determines the necessary power and strength of the hero. If the villain was weak, there would be nothing to vanquish—and no need for the hero to rise to greatness. In my podcast interview with Simon Sinek, author of The Infinite Game, Simon refers to our “worthy rivals,” those who help point out the personal weaknesses we need to address. That is where your opportunity lies.

As I mentioned, I love the light side of technology—how it can connect us, educate us, and empower us, make our lives easier. What we’ve just described are a few potential drawbacks of technology, which is an inherent part of all the good that it brings into our lives. Like fire, technology has changed the course of human history. However, fire can cook your food or burn your home down—it’s all in how you use it. Like any tool, technology itself isn’t good or bad, but we must consciously control how it’s used. If we don’t, then who becomes the tool? It’s up to you to choose how you engage.

KWIK START

Which of the four digital villains do you believe are currently most disrupting your performance, productivity, and peace of mind? Take a moment and write the name of this villain down.

Conscious awareness is the first part to solving a problem.

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YOUR LIMITLESS BRAIN

You may be thinking, Jim, I see what you mean about technology. I wouldn’t want to live without it, but I do feel more overloaded, distracted, and forgetful than ever. Here’s the good news: You were born with the ultimate technology, the greatest superpower.

Let’s take a moment to acknowledge just how extraordinary your brain is. It generates up to 70,000 thoughts per day. It races with the speed of the fastest race car. Like your fingerprints, it is uniquely yours—there aren’t two brains in the universe exactly the same. It processes dramatically faster than any existing computer, and it has virtually infinite storage capacity. Even when damaged, it is capable of producing genius, and even if you only have half a brain, you can still be a fully functioning human being.

And remarkable stories about it abound. Like the one about the comatose patient who somehow developed a method of communication with his doctor. Or the woman who could recall important events by date going back as far as when she was 12 years old. Or the slacker who became a mathematical genius after suffering a concussion during a bar fight. None of this is science fiction or the product of a superhero comic. They’re just examples of the extraordinary function built into that remarkable machine between your ears.

We take so much of that function for granted. Let’s think about just what the average person has accomplished simply by being an “average” person. By the age of one, you learned how to walk, no simple task considering how many complex neurological and physiological processes are required. A year or so after that, you learned how to communicate through the use of words and