Limitless - Jim Kwik Page 0,66

cortisol, a stress hormone that disrupts memory, depresses the immune system, and increases the risk of high blood pressure and depression,” writes Travis Bradberry, president of TalentSmart.6

If you don’t believe you’re going to accomplish anything of importance, you’ll guarantee that will be the outcome. If you go into a task doubting your ability to complete it, ask yourself these questions: Do I have the necessary skills to do this? Do I have all the information I need to do this? Do I have enough passion for this project to do this? If the answer to any of these is no, set the task aside until you can answer each of these questions in the affirmative. But if the answer to all three of these questions is yes, take this supervillain down and get into the flow.

BEFORE WE MOVE ON

The flow experience is one of the greatest highs any of us will ever experience. It is also fundamental to becoming limitless. By this point, you should have a better sense of what flow is and how to get there. Before we move on, take a little time to try out the following:

Reflect on a few times you’ve been in the flow. What were you doing? What was consistent about those experiences? How can you get back there more often?

Take out your calendar and find a spot in the next few days where you can carve out 90 minutes to two hours. This needs to be a time when you can free yourself of all distractions. Now, what are you going to do with that time to dramatically boost your productivity?

How often do you go into a project with one of the supervillains we talked about in this chapter stalking you? What can you do right now to defeat that supervillain before going into your next project?

PART IV

LIMITLESS METHODS

THE HOW

method

meth·od (noun)

A specific process for accomplishing something, especially an orderly, logical, or systematic way of instruction.

By this point, you’ve discovered how to unleash two of the elements necessary to become limitless. You’ve learned how to approach every day with a productive mindset, and you’ve learned how to do so with an optimal level of motivation. But there’s one more M that differentiates limitless people from those who are encumbered by their limitations: method.

Methods are the procedures or processes for accomplishing something. In this context, method is the process of learning how to learn, also called meta learning. When we go through the education system, we are taught very antiquated and inefficient ways of learning, such as sub-vocalization and rote memorization. As I mentioned at the start of this book, when I was struggling as “the boy with the broken brain,” I wasn’t incapable of learning; history has shown that. But I wasn’t succeeding at learning in the way I was being taught. It wasn’t until I mastered a new way of learning—a method you will see over the course of the coming chapters—that I could finally use my brain to excel.

In this section, you’re going to learn the science of accelerated learning and meta learning in five areas: focus, study, memory, speed reading, and thinking. These are the five flagship programs that we teach to individuals and organizations at Kwik Learning. Take special note of the lead-in questions at the start of these chapters, and make sure to try out all the exercises I’ve included. Once you start using these tools, I think you’ll find yourself using them all the time—and I think you’ll be amazed at what they unlock for you.

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FOCUS

What can I learn from what I’m like when I’m most focused?

How can I increase my ability to concentrate?

How do I limit my distractions and calm my busy mind?

What’s the difference between someone performing at superhero levels and someone failing to ever discover their superpowers? In many cases, it’s a matter of focus. I’m sure you’ve had numerous times in your life when you’ve really locked in on a task. Maybe it was writing a report that mattered a great deal to you. Maybe it was having a session with a mentor you love. Maybe it was attacking a bowl of your favorite ice cream. How did you do with these tasks? In all likelihood, you crushed them, writing one of the best reports of your life, learning huge amounts from your mentor, and devouring that ice cream like it was the last dessert in the world. This happened because you were able to train your focus on the task at hand,