How Important Is Your Attitude and Mindset?

In 1954, history witnessed a series of remarkable events. Yogi Berra married Marilyn Monroe, the Cleveland Browns won the NFL Championship (back when it wasn’t yet called the Super Bowl), and on May 6, Roger Bannister did the impossible—he became the first person to run a mile in under four minutes.

At the time, this achievement was considered the “Holy Grail” of athletics. Since the 1800s, runners, trainers, and scientists had been trying to break this barrier. The best coaches analyzed techniques, tested training regimens, and created models designed to produce the perfect runner. Some even resorted to extreme experiments—rumor has it, one idea involved using tigers to chase runners to improve speed. Yet nothing worked.

Bannister, however, was different. He didn’t rely on professional trainers, expensive programs, or elite facilities. In fact, he was a full-time medical student who trained on his own. Experts dismissed him as a long shot—a lone wolf who couldn’t possibly outperform the athletes backed by entire teams of specialists.

To make matters more challenging, researchers had concluded that breaking the four-minute mile required perfect conditions: a 68-degree day, no wind, and a hard, dry clay track. But Bannister shattered expectations. On a cold, wet day, running on a damp track, he achieved the unthinkable: 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds.

And then something even more astonishing happened. Just 46 days later, John Landy broke the same barrier. Within a year, three more runners did it in the same race. Today, over 1,400 runners have accomplished what was once thought impossible.

So, what changed? Not the athletes. Their mindset did.

According to a Harvard Business Review article analyzing Bannister’s breakthrough, success often depends as much on mental models as it does on data, resources, or calculations. In their book The Power of Impossible Thinking, Yoram Wind and Colin Crook ask:

“How is it that so many runners broke the four-minute barrier after Bannister? Did human evolution suddenly advance? Was there a secret training breakthrough? No. What changed was the mental model. Once Bannister proved it could be done, others believed they could too.”

This lesson applies beyond athletics. Your mindset shapes what you believe is possible—and that belief drives your actions and results.

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said:

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

The people around you influence your beliefs, conversations, and confidence. If you surround yourself with those who push boundaries and think big, you’re more likely to challenge your own limits.

Ask yourself: Has your mindset stalled? Are you holding on to outdated mental models about what’s achievable? Like Bannister, maybe it’s time to redefine your limits.

Yogi Berra summed it up best:

“I always thought that record would stand until it was broken.”

So, what’s your four-minute mile? The moment you shift your mindset, what once seemed impossible becomes inevitable. Find a mentor who can challenge your thinking, reshape your attitude, and guide your growth—and you’ll change not just your results, but your entire world.