Breaking the Four-Minute Mile: Overcoming Limiting Beliefs
I just got back from a run, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the story of the four-minute mile (probably due to my 9-minute pace, which was a major challenge!). This story is one of the best examples of how limiting beliefs hold us back—how we unconsciously accept ideas, advice, opinions, and others’ viewpoints as “truth” without questioning whether they actually apply to us.
For years, people believed running a mile in under four minutes was impossible. Scientists even suggested it was physically unattainable for the human body. Then, in 1954, Roger Bannister shattered that belief, running a mile in 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds. What happened next? Less than 50 days later, John Landy ran a 3:58 mile. The following year, three more runners broke the four-minute barrier. A year after that? Five more runners. Today, there are over 1,700 runners that have broken the 4-minute barrier.
The shift wasn’t in human ability—it was in belief. The moment people saw what was possible, the impossible became achievable.
This same cycle plays out in all areas of life. We absorb so much advice, content, and information that we don’t even realize how often we accept limits without questioning them. “I can’t do that.” “That’s not for me.” “That’s just the way it is.” But have you ever stopped to ask: What makes that true for me?
In coaching, this is at the core of transformation—identifying and breaking limiting beliefs that keep you from what you truly want. So, as you absorb information (even this!), pause. Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and always ask yourself: What makes this true for me?
Because once you break through your own four-minute mile, who knows what else is possible?