Before the 6th May 1954, the idea of running a 4-minute mile was dismissed as inconceivable, impossible, out of the question. However Sir Roger Bannister did something quite remarkable that day.
In less than 4 minutes, he made people believe that goals considered to be unattainable could now be within their reach. What’s nearly as incredible is that his inspirational record time 13 lasted only 46 days.
And 60 years on, it has since been lowered by 17 seconds. Both a 17-year-old and a 40-year-old have also accomplished the feat along with thousands of others thanks to Sir Roger and pure human belief. In addition, Kenyan runner Daniel Komen, literally went ‘the extra mile’ in 1997 when he completed 2 miles in under 8 minutes for the very first time.
I’m now left wondering when the first woman will achieve the 4-minute mile. And why not because; ‘Anything is Possible.’
Throughout life and in any business career, adopting a positive mental attitude is what separates the winners from the also-rans. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there, focus on your goals and make it happen.
At a young age, my mother taught me to say the alphabet backwards, which of course ends in DCBA. This has always stuck in my mind and to me, those four characters spell out the title of my book…
● Dream
● Create
● Believe
● Achieve
As long as you excel at what you do and put yourself in the right place at the right time, there is no reason why you can’t achieve your dreams. Just keep going, no matter what, and maintain your self-belief.
During your career you will have times when you think that your goals or your dreams are not realistic or in fact achievable. With the right attitude, you will not only climb to the mountain top you’ll have the chance to see the infinity of possibilities that lie beyond it.
I set myself a target when I left school to retire by the age of 50 and although I do a bit of coaching now, I effectively achieved that goal when I sold my share in my company on my 48th birthday. So, if just an average lad from the streets of Leicester can do it then you can too.