17 Dec 2025 · 6 min
Brian Johnson uses Roger Bannister's 3:59.4 mile to show how reframing something from impossible to possible unlocks achievement. He argues that 4% incremental improvements and flow state are the path forward once you shift your belief about what's feasible.
Hey, this is Brian with a quick note before we jump into today's show. If you haven't signed up for the Optymyze premium membership yet, A, what are you waiting for? And B, you can now get the first 30 days of optimizing for free. Just cruise on over to Optimize me and sign up. Over 10,000 people now start their days with Optymyze so they can actualize their potential. Including best selling authors, leading entrepreneurs and even NCAA championship teams. Two of them. So again, 30 days of free optimizing at Optimize Me. If you're already a member, thanks for your support. Now for the show. You're listening to Optimize with Brian Johnson. More wisdom in less time. Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another micro class. This one's on 359.2. Inspired by the Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler. 359.4. Does anyone know the significance of that number? Oh yes, you are correct. That is the time in which Roger Bannister ran a mile. Sub four minute mile. Now what's fascinating about Bannister's story is the fact that forever, all of history, this was thought to be impossible. Like literally impossible. Like try this and you might, you're the guy trying it. You might die. Oops, that equals a sad face. Yet Bannister thought, you know what? I think I can actually do this. He went out and he did it. First guy to run a sub 4 minute mile. But what's fascinating about this is that this was impossible one day until it was no longer impossible. It was possible. The moment that that shift occurred from impossible to possible, something magical happened. Someone else did the impossible two months later. Within a decade, a number of people had done it, including a high school student. A high schooler did what was impossible. You're going to die from doing this. Less than a decade before. Now all of a sudden they can do it. What changed? Nothing changed in our biology, in the physiological setup. You still had to run a sub 4 minute mile. What changed was a mindset shift. It was reframed from impossible to possible. And all of a sudden people could do it. So that begs the question for us, what have we said is impossible? What in your life have you said is just impossible? Whether it's optimizing your health or creating a business, or getting paid to do what you love to do, or having an awesome relationship. What have you told yourself is impossible? That you need to reframe into possible. Very, very hard perhaps, but possible. And then have the discipline and the maturity to get on flow and to do the little 4% incremental gains that we talked about in that micro class such that the impossible right here you don't try to leap over in one leap. You go spend the weeks and months and years and decades, whatever it takes to move 4% at a time to a place where your possible is now here above what you currently see as impossible. We need to make the reframe if we're going to put in the effort to go make it possible. So again, what are you seeing as impossible? How do you reframe that as possible? Then what's the next little baby step to get 4% better in pursuit of that leveraging flow? Hope you enjoyed. Look forward to sharing more. Have another awesome day. See ya. Isn't it a bit odd we went from Math to Science to history but somehow missed the class on how to live? For some wacky reason, optimal living 101 never made the schedule. Of course it's too late to go back and change that and you're too busy to read full time to catch up. Yet. If you're like us, you're all about optimizing your life and actualizing your potential. So imagine this. Imagine having someone read the best books on optimal living and pulling out the big ideas that can truly change your life. You know those sections you asterisk and underline and mark all up? Then imagine that guy me connecting those ideas to other great books and helping you apply them to your life today. Well, that's what I do with something we call Philosopher's Notes where I break down each great book into a simple 6 page PDF, 20 minute MP3 and 10 minute Philosopher's Notes TV episode. Then imagine me taking the absolute best big ideas from those great books and sharing them with you in fun, inspiring, super practical optimal living 101 classes on stuff like purpose 101, confidence 101, business 101, meditation 101, that sort of thing. You've got a personal trainer? I'm kind of like your personal philosopher. Ancient Wisdom plus Modern Science plus Common Sense plus Virtue plus Mastery plus Fun. That's what our optimized membership program is all about. We'd love to have you join us. Check us out at BrianJohnson. Me join.
