Roger Bannister

What does Roger Bannister have to do with thought work?

Unless you have worked with Mary Dean, your first question is, who was Roger Bannister?

He was the first man to break the 4 min mile record.

This was back in 1954, and at the time, the belief from physiologists and other medical professionals was that running the sub four minute mile was impossible for an athlete, and that attempting to do so was dangerous to one's health.

Bannister had no logical reason to continue pushing for this goal.

According to Google, the first timed human race was in 1850, so there were 104 years of evidence to show that this was impossible.

But he continued to believe, and he did it.

This isn't a typical underdog narrative because it is about what happens next that is even more interesting if you ask me.

Roger Bannister only held his record for 46 days.

By doing the seemingly impossible, he was able to shatter a collective mental barrier and completely changed the expectations of other athletes.

People believed that it was impossible, until it wasn't. The accepted paradigm had been forever shifted. In the next 3 years, 15 men would go on to run sub four minute miles.

What are you believing is impossible? What is something that you would LOVE to do if no one was watching, if you had no limitations? Maybe you need to seek out your own Roger Bannister and borrow their belief until you have your sea legs.

Or contact me to talk through it- I would love to help.