Limitless - Jim Kwik Page 0,22
you when you know that you can truly live a life without barriers? But choosing is an active thing, and the time to make this choice is right now.
So, I want you to resolve and commit. Most people are sincerely interested in doing something that they know they should do. But they don’t do it, because they consider it a preference not a promise. There’s tremendous power in making a real resolution. I want you to write down your commitment to complete this book. When we write something down, we’re more likely to do what we promise.
Below, I’ve included a commitment page for you. See eBook Supplemental Resources for a PDF download. If you want extra points, take a photo of your signed promise, then post it on social media. This public resolution will help you stay accountable. Tag me @JimKwik #LimitlessBook so we can cheer you on!
I, _________________________________, commit to reading this book in 10- to 25-minute increments until it is finished.
I commit to focusing by forgetting my prior understanding, distractions, and limiting beliefs of what is possible.
I commit to being active in the process. I will do all the Kwik Start exercises, take notes, highlight, and practice asking myself relevant questions as I read.
I commit to manage my state of being as I read, checking in regularly with my energy levels and being proactive in adjusting my motivation as needed.
I commit to teaching what I learn to others, so we may all benefit.
I commit to entering my reading time in my calendar, because if it’s in my schedule I will do it.
I commit to review what I have already learned so I can remember it better before moving on to something new.
And finally, I commit that even if I “mess up” with any of the above, I won’t beat myself up. I’ll get back at it and do my best.
Yes! I am ready to be LIMITLESS!
Signed,
___________________________Date: __________
THE QUESTIONS ARE THE ANSWER
Have you ever read a page in a book, arrived at the end, and could not recall what you just read? You may even reread it, only to forget it again. I don’t want you to experience this while you are reading this book, so why do you think it happens? The answer is, you’re not asking the right questions. Questions, in fact, are the answer.
Every second, your senses gather up to 11 million bits of information from the world around you. Obviously, if you tried to interpret and decipher all of them at once, you’d be immediately overwhelmed. That’s why the brain is primarily a deletion device; it’s designed to keep information out. The conscious mind typically processes only 50 bits per second.
What makes it through the filter is determined by the part of the brain called the reticular activating system, or RAS for short. The RAS is responsible for a number of functions, including sleep and behavior modification. It also acts as the gatekeeper of information through a process called habituation, which allows the brain to ignore meaningless and repetitive stimuli and remain sensitive to other inputs.
One of the ways to guide the RAS are the questions we ask ourselves. These tell that part of our brain what is important to us.
Let’s take my younger sister’s birthday as an example. Years ago, my sister kept sending me postcards, pictures, and e-mails of pug dogs. You know, the ones with the mushy faces and the bulgy eyes. They’re very docile; you can dress them up as ballerinas and they won’t care. Of course, I wondered why she was sending me photos of pugs—and then I remembered her birthday was coming up, and it became evident she was leaving clues because she wanted one.
Later that day, I was checking out at the health food store, and I looked over at the other checkout line. To my surprise, I saw a woman carrying her pug over her shoulder. Wow, I haven’t seen one of one of those in a long time—what are the chances of that? I thought. The next day I went running in my neighborhood, and there was someone walking six pugs.
The question is, where did the pugs come from? Did they just magically appear? Of course not. They were always there. But in the flood of stimuli, I had never paid attention to them before. Once pugs broke through my awareness, I started seeing them all over the place. Have you had an experience like this? Maybe it was a specific kind of car or outfit