Limitless
Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life
Jim Kwik is a widely recognized world expert in memory improvement, brain optimization and accelerated learning and has “served as the brain coach to a who’s who of Hollywood’s elite, professional athletes, political leaders, and business magnates.” The best part of Jim’s story? After suffering a brain injury in kindergarten, he was described by a teacher as "the kid with a broken brain.” He struggled with learning for most of his life. Then he went antifragile on it and studied (and applied!) the science of how we learn. Fast-forward a couple decades and VOILA. Here we are. This book is REALLY (!) good. Big Ideas we explore include the Limitless Model (Mindset + Motivation + Methods), Supervillans (Digital: Deluge + Distraction + Dementia + Deduction + Depression), Learn FASTER (Forget + Act + State + Teach + Enter + Review), Learned Limitlessness (delete the LIEs and Optimize the BS!), and how to create sustainable Motivation (Purpose x Energy x Small Simple Steps).
Big Ideas
- The Limitless ModelMindset + Motivation + Methods.
- Superhero, meet your supervillainFour of them. All digital!
- Learn FasterForget + Act + State + Teach + Enter + Review.
- Learned Limitlessness (LIEs and BS)Delete LIEs. Optimize BS!
- Motivation: The EquationPurpose x Energy x Small Simple Steps.
“The Hero’s Journey is the perfect structure to lend power and purpose to your personal story. In Limitless, you are the superhero.
One of my core beliefs is that human potential is one of the only infinite resources we have in this world. Most everything else is finite, but the human mind is the ultimate superpower—there is no limit to our creativity, imagination, determination, or ability to think, reason, or learn. Yet this resource is also among the least tapped. All of us can be the heroes of our own story, dipping into the well of our potential every single day and never having that well run dry. But so few of us approach our lives this way. That’s why I wrote this book—to help you realize that no matter where you are, or where you’ve been, you absolutely can free yourself and go from limits to liberation. That might be the only ‘extra’ you need to transition from ordinary to the extraordinary world.
This book is going to provide you with the extra. What you’ll get within these pages is a series of tools that will help you cast off your perceived restrictions. You’re going to learn how to unlimit your brain. You’re going to learn how to unlimit your drive. You’re going to learn how to unlimit your memory, your focus, and your habits. If I am your mentor in your hero’s journey, then this book is your map to master your mind, motivation, and methods to learn how to learn. And once you’ve done that, you will be limitless.”
~ Jim Kwik from Limitless
This book falls into the category of books that Alexandra ordered, I took one look at, snatched and immediately read. (Thanks, babe! Your curiosity is a gift. :)
It also falls into the category of AMAZING books that come as close as we’ll get to me saying, “This is a must read!!” Other (recent) books in that category include James Clear’s Atomic Habits, Marie Forleo’s Everything Is Figureoutable and Mel Robbins’s 5 Second Rule.
Those books are all life-changers. So is this one. If the idea of being “limitless” sounds like fun, I think you’ll enjoy the book as much as I did. (Get a copy here.)
Jim Kwik is a widely recognized world expert in memory improvement, brain optimization and accelerated learning and has “served as the brain coach to a who’s who of Hollywood’s elite, professional athletes, political leaders, and business magnates.”
The best part of Jim’s story? After suffering a brain injury in kindergarten, he was described by a teacher as the kid “with a broken brain.” He struggled with learning for most of his life. Then he went antifragile on it and studied (and applied!) the science of how we learn. Fast-forward a couple decades and VOILA. Here we are.
The book is R I D I C U L O U S L Y packed with Big Ideas. We’ll barely scratch the surface of all its goodness but I’m excited to share some of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!
Download MP3
Download PDFWe do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already.
Get the BookThe Limitless Model
“You can learn to be, do, have and share with no constraints. I wrote this book to prove this to you. If you are not learning or living at your true potential, if there is a gap between your current reality and your desired reality, here’s the reason: There is a limit that must be released and replaced in one of three areas:
A limit in your Mindset—you entertain a low belief in yourself, your capabilities, what you deserve, or what is possible.
A limit in your Motivation—you lack the drive, purpose, or energy to take action.
A limit in your Methods—you were taught and are acting on a process that is not effective to create the results you desire.
This applies to an individual, a family, an organization. We all have our own unique story of struggles and strengths. Whatever your situation happens to be, here’s the best part: You’re not alone. I’m going to help you become limitless in your own way, within the three-part framework you’re about to learn: Limitless Mindset, Limitless Motivation, and Limitless Methods.”
Welcome to Part 1, Chapter 1 in which we get introduced to The Limitless Model.
Jim has an elegantly cohesive model to help us “unlimit” ourselves. The coherence of his model (and the book) makes it incredibly obvious that he’s spent decades (!) honing his craft.
So…
The Limitless Model features three Ms: Mindset + Motivation + Methods. Each gets its own section in the book in which we walk through practical tools to rock it.
As Jim says: “Let me break it down:
Mindset (the WHAT): deeply held beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions we create about who we are, how the world works, what we are capable of and deserve, and what is possible.
Motivation (the WHY): the purpose one has for taking action. The energy required for someone to behave in a particular way.
Method (the HOW): a specific process for accomplishing something, especially in an orderly, logical, or systematic way of instruction.
”
Ready to unlimit? Let’s get to work.
But, first… Jim offers a definition for unlimiting that I love: “The act or process of casting aside inaccurate and restrictive perceptions of one’s potential and embracing the reality that, with the right mindset, motivation, and methods, there are no limitations.”
We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.
We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.
Superhero, meet your supervillain
“I’m a firm believer that we all have incredible superpowers that are waiting to be awakened. I’m not talking about the ability to fly, create iron-clad armor, or shoot lasers from your eyes, but real-life practical abilities like flying through books, iron-clad memory, laser focus, boundless creativity, clear thinking, mindfulness, superior mental attitude, and more. We are all superheroes in one way or another.
Just as every superhero has powers, so do they have arch nemeses. Enter the supervillain. Think the Joker to Batman, Lex Luthor to Superman. The villains we face may not look the same as they do in the movies, but they’re still the bad guys—the ones you, as a superhero, need to vanquish and hold at bay. Modern-day supervillains get in our way and make life harder, keeping us from our potential. They hold us back and rob us of our productivity, prosperity, positivity, and peace of mind. And it’s up to us to recognize and defeat them.”
Jim is a huge fan of superheroes. As a kid, when he was struggling to read, he found solace in comic books as they were both easy to read and packed with inspiring models.
He’s a remarkable storyteller and tells us the remarkable story of his fascination with the X-Men. He loved them the most because they were mutants with special powers who were often rejected by people who didn’t understand them and their powers. He felt like a mutant as a result of his learning challenges and shyness. Only, without the superpowers. :/
He grew up in New York and, one day, he learned that X-Men’s school, Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, was located near him in Westchester County, a suburb of New York City.
So, you know what he did as a nine year old? He rode around his neighborhood on his bike looking for the school!!! (He actually has a picture of him on his bike as that kid. It’s epic.)
Fast-forward a couple decades. He’s coaching the Chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox and his executive team. They hit it off. As it turns out, they’re in the middle of producing the latest X-Men. And, laughing as I type this, guess what Jim gets to do? Fly on the X-Jet with the crew to the set where he gets to hang out and coach the actors.
First scene? Well, of course, that was in Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.
So… Back to YOU. You’re the Superhero of your life’s story. And, as with any and all great superhero adventures, you have some supervillains with which you need to contend.
You know what Jim tells us is the ultimate bane of our existence? Technology.
Well, to be fair he says: “To be clear, technology is a vital part of progress and being limitless. It allows us to do everything from connecting to learning, making our lives that much more convenient. But it is possible that we are consuming digital technology at a rate that even its creators would find extreme. Much of the technology available to us today is so new that we don’t know the level at which we need to control our interaction with it. …
Our community has expressed a growing concern about their overreliance on technology and they come to us to upgrade their brains to find relief from these ‘four horsemen’ of our age: digital deluge, digital distraction, digital dementia, and digital deduction. It’s important to note that overload, distraction, forgetfulness, and default thinking have been around for ages. While technology doesn’t cause these conditions, it has great potential to amplify them.”
Jim calls those four “digital” supervillains the 4 D’s.
Digital deluge. Digital distraction. Digital dementia. Digital deduction.
First, we’re DELUGED with an overload of information. Get this: “Compared to the 15th century, we now consume as much data in a single day as an average person from the 1400s would have absorbed in an entire lifetime.” ← WOWsers.
Second, we’re DISTRACTED by all this digital stimuli. “Instead of relaxing into the downtime that we might experience when waiting in line, waiting for a bus or an appointment, etc., we pull out our phones and train our distraction muscles.“
Third, we’re experiencing DEMENTIA or a “breakdown of cognitive abilities” as a result of our overreliance on technology. “There’s research that says our brains are more like a muscle, rather than a hard drive that fills up. That the more you use it, the stronger it gets, and the more it can store. The question is: Are we making those choices consciously, or are we acting out of unconscious habit?”
Fourth, we’re losing our power of DEDUCTION when we can so quickly turn to digital sources of information to let us know how we should be thinking about something in our lives. “The upshot is that deduction—an amalgam of critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity that is an essential skill for being limitless—is becoming automated.”
Those four are bad enough but… Jim tells us that there’s a fifth D: Digital Depression which he says is “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.” (I’d add that the Depression naturally goeswith the “Enervated Anxiety” we feel when we’re constantly plugged in and don’t give ourselves the time to truly unplug and replenish our Energized Tranquility.)
Of course, we talk about this a lot. Check out Conquering Digital Addiction 101 and Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism 101 for more.
Here’s to removing Digital Kryptonites as we vanquish supervillain #1 and get our limitless on!
Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that its stupid.
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 is weak, there would be nothing to vanquish—and no need for the hero to rise to greatness.
The human brain has 100 billion neurons, each neuron connected to 10,000 other neurons. Sitting on your shoulders is the most complicated object in the known universe.
Learn Faster
“To get the most out of this book, here is a simple method for learning anything quickly. I call it the FASTER Method, and I want you to use this as you read, starting now.
The acronym FASTER stands for Forget, Act, State, Teach, Enter, Review. Here’s the breakdown:
F is for Forget – The key to laser focus is to remove or forget that which distracts you. …
A is for Act – Traditional education has trained many people that learning is a passive experience. You sit quietly in a class, you don’t talk to your neighbor, and you consume the information. But learning is not a spectator sport. The human brain does not learn as much by consumption as it does creation. …
S is for State – All learning is state dependent. Your state is a current snapshot of your emotions. It is highly influenced by your thoughts (psychology) and the physical condition of your body (physiology). …
T is for Teach – If you want to cut your learning curve dramatically, learn with the intention of teaching the information to someone else. Think about it: If you know you have to give a presentation on what you learn, you will approach how you learn the topic with the intention of mastering it well enough to explain it to someone else. …
E is for Enter – What is the simplest and most powerful personal performance tool? Your calendar. We enter important things on our schedule. … Do you know what a lot of people don’t schedule? Their personal growth and development. If it’s not on your calendar, there’s a good chance it’s not getting done. …
R is for Review – One of the best ways to reduce the effects of the forgetting curve is to actively recall what you learned with spaced repetition.”
Want to learn F.A.S.T.E.R.?
Remember: Forget + Act + State + Teach + Enter + Review.
Let’s do a quick recap. (Note: I’ve gotta teach this so I can remember, folks! ;)
Jim tells us to FORGET (at least temporarily) three things: forget what you already know about a subject, forget other not urgent or important things (“Contrary to popular belief, your brain doesn’t multitask.”), and forget about your limitations.
Then we need to ACT on the information we’re attempting to learn. Take notes. Note1: He has a whole section on this. Note2: Handwritten notes are MUCH more effective than typing.
Then we need to Optimize our STATE. Get your psychology right via empowered thinking and get your physiology right via eating, moving, sleeping and breathing and all that!
Then go TEACH whatever you *really* want to learn. Seriously, this is big.
Don’t forget to ENTER your learning time in your calendar and REVIEW (via recall not simply re-reading) whatever you want to remember at “spaced intervals.”
P.S. Pop quiz: Can YOU recall the FASTER Model? Awesome. Now, go teach it to someone else!
P.P.S. While we’re pop quizzing… Can you recall the 3 Ms of the Limitless Model? :)
P.P.P.S. Speaking of FASTER, Jim is a speed reading guru. In the “Methods” section, he gives us a quick download of some of his best practices. I used to have a less-than-positive perspective on the subject. He changed that. And, I increased my reading speed (which was already pretty good) by over 50% in less than 30 minutes. (Yowsers!) (Seriously. The book is worth it just for that.)
Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few people engage in it.
I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow.
The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.
Learned Limitlessness (LIEs and BS)
“All behavior is driven by belief, so before we address how to learn, we must first address the underlying beliefs we hold about what is possible.
We’re not born with pre-installed mindsets about what we’re capable of achieving—we learn these fixed and limited ways of thinking from the people in our lives and the culture we experience growing up.
Think of a young elephant tied to a stake in the ground. When it’s a baby, the elephant isn’t strong enough to pull the stake up so it eventually stops trying because it learns the effort is futile. As that elephant grows, it gains more than enough power and strength to pull out the stake, but it remains tied up by something as inconsequential as a rope and a flimsy piece of metal because of what it learned as a baby. In psychology, it’s called learned helplessness.
Most us behave like that elephant. At some point, we had an experience that gave us an impression of what we’re capable of, and our belief about our potential has been set ever since. But just as helplessness is learned, it’s just as possible to learn to be limitless. In this section, you’re going to learn about the seven lies we’ve been taught about our potential and how to replace them with new beliefs.”
Imagine that cute little (200 lb) baby elephant tied up to a little stake. It yanks at it a few times and realizes it can’t do anything about it so it gives up. Fast-forward a few years. It’s put on over 10,000 (!!!) pounds and is now THE strongest land animal. Get this: It can carry nearly 20,000 pounds—the equivalent of 130 adults. It can EASILY yank that stake out of the ground and cruise around wherever it pleases. Yet… It doesn’t even try. Why? It’s learned helplessness.
Good news: Just like we can learn optimism, we can learn LIMITLESSness. How? Jim tells us we need to deal with seven of the lies we’ve been told that.
“I use the term LIE intentionally. In this case, LIE is an acronym for Limited Idea Entertained. If you are like the vast majority of people out there, you are entertaining ideas about yourself that define you as something less than what you truly have the potential to achieve. You’re giving these ideas energy and allowing them to take residence in your mind, but they’re really nothing but BS (in this case, an abbreviation for Belief Systems). … you will discover … how they imprison you, and what you can do about it. And keep asking yourself this question: How many of my perceived constraints are nothing more than LIEs and BS? I think you’re going to be stunned with the answers, and that these answers are going to be liberating.”
LIEs and BS. Limited Ideas Entertained that can wreak havoc on our Belief Systems. Jim walks us through the process of identifying those limiting beliefs and replacing them with more empowering ones.
LIE #1? The idea that “Intelligence is fixed.” He combats that one with some Carol Dweck growth mindset wisdom we talk about in our Notes on Mindset (and Self-theories).
Other LIEs include LIE #3 that “Mistakes are Failures” (they’re not; as Einstein said: “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”); LIE #4: “Knowledge Is Power” (it’s not; APPLIED knowledge is power); and LIE #7: “Genius Is Born” (it’s not; it’s MADE!).
P.S. Other books Jim references that we have Notes on include: Atomic Habits, The Magic of Thinking Big, Think and Grow Rich, The Talent Code, Change Your Brain Change Your Life, Stress Less Accomplish More, Flow, and The Rise of Superman.
Moving forward incrementally is a significant sign of progress. Every step you can take in the process of becoming limitless is a step in the right direction. But what if you could move your genius forward exponentially? After all, if we take 30 normal steps forward, we’ll wind up somewhere down the street. But if we took 30 exponential steps, we’d circle the Earth more than two dozen times.
Don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from.
Motivation: The Equation
“When you combine purpose, energy, and small simple steps S3, you get sustainable motivation. And the ultimate form of motivation is the state of flow. Think about it as energy management. Creating it, investing it, and not wasting it. A clear purpose or reason gives you energy. Practices you employ will cultivate energy for your brain and the rest of your body, and small simple steps require little energy. …
Purpose drives us to act, and our purpose must be clear enough that we know why we’re acting and what we’re hoping to gain. Generating sufficient energy is vital—if you’re tired or sleepy, or if your brain is foggy, then you won’t have the fuel to take action. Small simple steps take minimal effort and keep you from being paralyzed with overwhelm. And, finally, finding flow is the ultimate boon to motivation.”
That’s from the introduction to the section on our second M: Motivation. Want sustainable motivation? Here’s the equation: Motivation = Purpose x Energy x S3.
Get clear on your Purpose (WHY are you doing what you do?) x Optimize your Energy (Eat + Move + Sleep!) x Get to work on the next small simple step—when? NOW! Repeat.
It’s funny because I’m creating this a few days before I teach a session on Energy for Module IV: Carpe Diem of our Mastery Series. The basic theme? The idea that ENERGY Management is even more important than Time Management. One of the key ideas we discuss in the Module is the fact that if you want to create at an astonishing (!) rate, you MUST start with Energy. We chat about an equation as well: Astonishing Quality Work = Time x (Energy x Focus x W.I.N.)
Longer chat but basic idea: If your Energy is a 100 and your Focus (no distractions!) is a 100 and you’re working on a 100 “What’s Important Now!” (W.I.N.) target, you can work 1 hour and yield 1,000,000 points of awesome. If your Energy is a 1, you’d need to work 100 hours and you’d STILL not create anything as awesome. (Hah.)
Here’s to LIMITLESS motivation and astonishing awesomeness. TODAY.
To put it another way: flow is the telephone booth where Clark Kent changes clothes, the place from where Superman emerges.
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