Limitless Booklet
Limitless Booklet
EXPANDED EDITION
UPGRADE YOUR BRAIN, LEARN ANYTHING FASTER,
AND UNLOCK YOUR EXCEPTIONAL LIFE
JIM KWIK
CHAPTER 1
LIMITLESS MODEL
Think about a decision you need to make. Schedule some time to work
on that decision without the use of any digital devices.
Which of the four digital villains do you believe are currently most
disrupting your performance, productivity, and peace of mind?
Take a moment and write the name of this villain down:
As you are reading this book, when your mind inevitably wanders into
something else–and that something else is important but not urgent–
don’t try to not think of it. What you resist persists. Instead, keep a
notebook close by to capture that thought or idea by writing it down.
You can thus release it temporarily, to be addressed after the task at
hand is complete.
What is one thing you will do to make reading this book a more active
experience? Write it down here:
How motivated, energized, and focused are you at this moment? Rate
your current state on a scale of 1 to 10. What is one thing you will do
right now to increase that number?
Find a learning buddy to read this book with and hold each other
accountable. Name that person (or persons) here:
Before each reading, take a few minutes to talk about or write what you
remember from the previous reading.
I commit to being active in the process. I will do all the Kwik Start
exercises, take notes, highlight, and practice asking myself relevant
questions as I read.
And finally, I commit that even if I “mess up” with any of the above,
I won’t beat myself up. I’ll get back at it and do my best.
Signed,
These are your three magic questions: How can I use this? Why must
I use this? When will I use this? They will help you integrate the
knowledge from this book into your head, heart, and hands. Ingrain
them. Write these questions down where you can see them—on your
desk or in your phone.
Face down one limiting belief right now. What do you regularly
tell yourself you can’t do? Find the evidence that shows you that
this belief isn’t true.
PURPOSE
KWIK START EXERCISES:
What are your current passions? List three here:
1.
2.
3.
Do you know your life’s purpose? Even if you don’t yet, write down a
little bit about what it could be:
Create a list of the things you value the most. Now prioritize
that list and think about how this aligns with your definition of
yourself.
Get into the habit of asking the question “why” before you do
anything.
ENERGY
KWIK START EXERCISES:
What are your favorite brain foods? How can you incorporate one more
into your daily diet?
Set your phone alarm to remind yourself to move for a few minutes
every hour.
Who is someone you need to spend more time with? Reach out and
make a date with that person now.
Create an ongoing “To Learn” list. What are some things on that list?
Write two down here:
What is your favorite thing to do to cope with stress? When was the last
time you did it?
Think about how you’d like to expand your learning. What have
you always wanted to master that you haven’t found the time to
master? Is it a different language? Computer coding? A new sales
or marketing technique? What can you do to fit that into your life
right now?
Use one of the tools we talked about here to improve the amount
and quality of your sleep. Keep track of this for at least a week.
I made two videos for you on how to easily memorize the top 10
brain foods and my 10 brain energizing recommendations. Go to
www.LimitlessBook.com/resources to watch.
Can you identify the habits you want to break? What is that one habit
that’s holding you back from doing other important things in your
day? Write it down here, then identify the prompts that trigger you to
perform that habit:
1.
2.
3.
FLOW
KWIK START EXERCISES:
Have you ever experienced the flow state? Where were you? What
were you doing? How did it feel? What did you achieve at the end of it?
Visualize that state. Even if you can’t visualize, imagine that you can.
Take out your calendar and find a spot in the next few days where
you can carve out 90 minutes to two hours. This needs to be a
time when you can free yourself of all distractions. Now, what
are you going to do with that time to dramatically boost your
productivity?
FOCUS
KWIK START EXERCISES:
Rate your current level of concentration from 0 to 10. Now rate your
desire to increase this level. Your concentration is like a muscle. You can
train to become stronger with practice.
What is that one important thing that you’re avoiding that is affecting
your focus?
Practice a technique for calming your busy mind. Does it work for
you? If so, commit to using it regularly.
STUDY
KWIK START EXERCISES:
Think about a topic or subject you’d like to learn this month. How would
you go about studying this topic? What’s your current approach or
process?
While you are sitting in a chair, slump over, look down, take short
breaths, and put a frown on your face. Do this now. How motivated do
you feel to achieve success? How productive do you think you are in
this state? This is the posture a lot of students take while studying. Is it
any wonder they dislike studying and have to work hard to achieve bare
minimum results? Now sit up straight and smile. How much better do
you feel?
Find a music playlist that works for you. There are many of them
available, and the right music is likely to enhance your ability to
absorb information, so take some time to find one that you like.
Maybe you’ll even want to have it in the background while you
read the rest of this book.
MEMORY
KWIK START EXERCISES:
How would you rate your memory right now? What aspects would you
like to improve? Take our memory assessment at www.LimitlessBook.
com/resources to understand more.
Now let’s try something else. Take a minute and stretch. Take a few deep
breaths. Clear your mind and relax more with every breath that leaves
your body. Just take a moment and relax. When you are done, continue.
Take each of the tools I’ve provided in this chapter out for a spin.
There’s a good chance you’ll see a noticeable difference in your
memory right away.
SPEED READING
KWIK START EXERCISES:
If you can read faster with greater comprehension and enjoyment, what
books would you start reading this month? Create a list of three books
you want to start reading.
If you can save two hours each day, what would you do with this extra
time? Take a moment to write down how you would spend those extra
two hours daily.
Block out at least 15 minutes each day for reading and put it in your
calendar like an important appointment. Commit to making reading
part of your daily habit.
Make a list of the books you would like to read this month and
write down what can change in your life when you finish reading
them.
THINKING
KWIK START EXERCISES:
Think of a problem you need to be solved right now. It can be anything
from “How can I get that job,” to “How can I communicate better with
my family?” Use the Six Thinking Hats model to run through the
different perspectives of looking at the problem you’re trying to solve.
3. You are staying in a hotel and have a rental car. You would like
to visit a friend whose address you do not know. Would you like
them to:
a. Draw you a map?
b. Tell you directions?
c. Pick you up in their car?
5. You are going to cook a dessert as a special treat for your family.
Do you:
a. Cook something familiar?
b. Look through a cookbook for ideas?
c. Ask for the advice of others?
6. You are about to purchase a new sound system. Other than the
price, what would most influence your decision?
a. A friend speaking about it
b. How it makes you feel
c. Its distinctive look or appearance
11. You are not sure whether a word should be spelled “separate” or
“seperate.” Do you:
a. See the word in your mind and choose the best way it looks?
b. Sound it out?
c. Write down both versions?
12. A new movie has arrived in town. What would most influence
your decision to go or not go?
a. Friends/family talking about it
b. You have an intuition or sense about it
c. You saw a preview of it
Your answers will give you a good sense of the kind of learner you
are. In all likelihood, you’ll be some mix of audio (A), visual (V), and
kinesthetic (K). But you might see a real dominance in one of these,
and that can prove to be extremely useful as you embark on unlimiting
your thinking, as you can make a conscious effort to bring the others
into the mix.
Now that you know what your learning style is, what can you do to
incorporate the other styles into your thinking?
Try on all six thinking hats during a test case. Give yourself a
relatively simple task, and approach it using Edward de Bono’s
method.
LIMITLESS AT WORK
KWIK START EXERCISES:
How has your work environment changed in the last few years? Take a
few minutes to write down the positives and negatives.
What are three new areas you’d like to explore in your professional life?
Write them down and schedule time in your calendar to work on the
next steps.
1.
2.
3.
Find a team to work with that will help you strengthen certain
skills and build new ones. Even if you’re separated by an entire
continent, you can collaborate on learning.
C.O.D.E. QUIZ
And if the largest number of your answers were CODE E, then you’re an
empathetic Elephant.
Share the quiz with some of your colleagues and discuss your results.
For a full experience, I highly recommend taking the free digital quiz at
mybrainanimal.com where you’ll receive a detailed report.
Think about the people with whom you interact most. What light does
your new understanding of brain type shine on your interactions with
them?
“Cast” each of the four animal brain types the way you would if
you were casting a movie. Who would play your ideal Cheetah or
Elephant? This can be a very effective way of bringing these four
types to life in your mind.
BRAIN NUTRITION
KWIK START EXERCISES:
Take a minute to assess your current brain state. Do you feel like you’re
firing on all cylinders, or do you feel like you could use some time in the
shop? Now think about your diet over the past few days. Do you see any
correlation?
6. How often do you consume foods rich in choline (like eggs, lean
meats, and tofu)?
a. Almost every day
b. A few times a week
c. Rarely or never
11. How often do you consume foods rich in magnesium (like green
leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds)?
a. Almost every day
b. A few times a week
c. Rarely or never
13. How often do you eat protein-rich foods (like lean meats, tofu,
beans, and lentils) that provide amino acids necessary for
neurotransmitter production?
a. Almost daily
b. Occasionally
c. Rarely or never
SCORING:
For every A answer, give yourself 3 points. For every B answer, give
yourself 2 points. For every C answer, give yourself 1 point.
• 25–34 points: You’re on the right track, but there’s room for improvement.
Look into adding more brain-healthy foods into your diet and maintaining
consistency.
• 16–24 points: Your diet could use some tweaks to better support your
brain health. Consider incorporating more brain-supporting nutrients
and foods on a regular basis.
• 15 points: Your current diet may not be fully supporting your brain
health. Now’s a great time to start incorporating more brain-healthy
foods and considering brain-supporting supplements.
Share this quiz with friends and relatives and discuss your results.
Come up with three ways you can add more color to your diet.
Think of two ways you can improve your brain nutrition quiz
score in the next week (and if you’ve already hit the maximum
score, pat yourself on the back).
1.
2.
3.
Open one of the various chatbots available and ask it a question about a
task you’re working on. Does the answer surprise you? Does it make you
think differently about the task in any way?