I recently read Jim Kwik’s book, Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life. As the title suggests, it makes a bold promise and I was pretty surprised by my results. For one, I ended up reading twice as fast with just one of his tips and I’ve made strides in the weeks since finishing the book with my ability to remember things. 

Here are my 5 tips on a limitless mind:

My language.  This was an eye opener for me. If I walk around saying I have a bad memory, well, I’ll have a bad memory.  If I walk around saying, I’m a slow reader, well, I’ll be a slow reader. As Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” As Kwik writes, “Being aware of how you’re holding yourself back with your self-talk and spending some time to get to the source of these beliefs is extremely liberating, because once you’re aware, you can begin to realize that these aren’t facts about you, but rather opinions. And there’s a very good chance that those opinions are wrong.”  I don’t need to be telling myself that I have limits.  So instead, I say, “I’m working on improving my memory” or “I’m getting better at reading faster.” The secret is editing the language and self-talk that I use.

Use music.  I’ve always used classical music when I write.  I like to have background music that doesn’t have lyrics (so I don’t start singing along or get distracted).  It also sets the stage for me to write.  If I have classical music going, I know it’s time to get down to business. Andy Anderson wrote for Listen for Life, “Research has shown the benefits of classical music – in particular Mozart and Vivaldi – to help open specific neuron-pathways of the brain to enhance learning.  Orchestras are made up of different types of instruments that produce music rich in overtones, so attending live orchestral concerts could someday be prescribed just like medicine!” Kwik recommends baroque music and it’s 50-80 beats per minute. Music can help one to be limitless.

Pomodoro technique.  This technique was developed by a university student, Francesco Cirillo who had a hard time studying and completing tasks.  He found himself setting a kitchen time (in the shape of a tomato) for initially 10 minutes but eventually 25 minutes.  Pomodoro is Italian for tomato hence the name. He found that working for 25 minutes and then taking a 5-minute break was the secret to ending procrastination and getting things done.  The recommendation is to take at least a 15-minute break after four pomodoros.  The key also is to take an actual break away from your work station.  This helps clear your mind and creates better work.  

Visualize to a better memory.  This is not new to the Limitless book and is a method I am familiar with as my father used this method in the classroom.  You create a mental map of something you do daily like getting out of bed.  So, you envision the alarm, the bedside table, the lamp, the slippers, the robe, the bathroom door, the toothbrush, the toothpaste, etc.  The order of your early morning routine.  Since this is unlikely to change much, you then use that “map” to put a picture of an object or animal or word on each of the stops on your mental map.  I have to say my father always impressed his 5 classrooms of 30 students by having each student’s name memorized by the second day of school. I’m not to that level yet but having a mental map is the ticket to a limitless mind.

Reading speed.  I typically listen to books and I learned to speed up the pace of the book which is an option on my Audible app.  I can get books completed much faster this way.  Kwik also gives guidance on how to measure speed: Reading speed (WPM) = (60/participant time in seconds) × (number of correctly read words in the passage). I read a passage as normal for 2 minutes.  The second time I used Kwik’s suggestion of using my finger on the page quickly gliding past the words.  I was amazed to double my reading speed by this one action. He also says to stop saying the words in my mind. This is a very difficult habit to break but I’m trying.  Everything starts with awareness.  

As with many things, it’s best to start small.  I’ve been working on my language, especially my self-talk and trying to keep the volume on my Inner Critic turned down to a low hum (instead of a cheerleader with a bull horn).  Awareness is the first step.  What would you work on first?