“For thousands of years, doctors and scientists said that breaking the four-minute mile was impossible, that one would die in the attempt. Thus, when I got up from the track after collapsing at the finish line, I figured I was dead“ – so said Roger Bannister, in 1954, immediately after doing the “impossible“ and breaking through that restrictive misconception. Bannister’s feat came through not only physical training and conditioning, but also as a result of him constantly visualizing the event in his mind over and over again, doing so with such passion that as far as he was concerned, he believed it was a fait accompli. The most significant aspect of his breakthrough was its influence on others: Prior to Bannister, no one in history had ever run a sub four minute mile; the belief that it was an impossible feat was so strong that even experts were reinforcing it with alleged scientific proof. It’s no surprise, therefore, that this indeed was the reality. A year after Banister broke the barrier, 37 other runners did the same; the year after that, another 300 runners joined the club.

Bannister’s belief that the “impossible“ was indeed possible allowed him to both realize his own vision and to influence and inspire hundreds (if not thousands) of other athletes to better their own records. This is the power of believing – belief creates reality.

Belief (The Coaching Game Book, page 30)

For the live workshop, make sure to have with you: