How to Become Your Version of Roger Bannister?
- Apr 15, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 23, 2024
Written by: Jola Pypno-Crapanzano, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
"The Bannister Effect" is the phenomenon of one person showing others that it can be done and, thus, prompting others to believe and achieve.
In case you are not familiar with this famous story from the athletic world of runners, let me briefly remind you: On May 6th, 1954, Roger Bannister was the first ever to run one mile under 4 minutes, clocking in at 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds. By crushing the 4-minute mile mark, he broke the nine-year-old record and allowed runners to dream of the impossible.
Before him, no one could do it, but afterward, many other people did it. His record lasted just 46 days. And even though some may point out that the tidy narrative of psychological breakthrough, unleashing humans' potential to realize they too can run under 4 minutes is a false one because, in other distances, the same phenomenon took place. The fact that we truly can achieve amazing things in sports and other areas of our lives is undeniable.
Let me illustrate this with my examples both in the running and in business. I am a sprinter by nature. Back in school, I was good at running the 100-meter dash and the 100-meter hurdles, but to run anything longer was quite a challenge for me. Distances like the 5 km, 10 km, Half Marathon, or the Marathon seemed unachievable.
Last year during the pandemic, I began to fantasize about running longer distances. I started to challenge myself as I downloaded an app on my phone, which helped guide me in taking all the necessary steps to prepare myself — ultimately leading me to run in a 5 km race that I tackled in the summer of 2020. Shortly after, I decided that I will try to conquer the 10 km, and again I started preparing by training consistently, increasing the distance by small increments. Fourteen weeks later, I completed the 10 km race beating my best record by 7 minutes. Currently, I am pleased to report that I am training for a Half Marathon, again without any crazy expectations, just proving to myself that I can do anything I put my mind to.
Another example from my business is related to copywriting. English is not my native language, and I was always super insecure about writing even the shortest posts on social media. Once again, in 2020, I decided to get out of my comfort zone, and after I got invited to participate in two collab book projects and write my chapters, even though skeptical, I agreed, and I did it.
The fact that both books:
One — Your wellness guide to body, mind, and soul.
Stay home when you can't go outside what happens on the inside?
...became an international bestseller on Amazon was astounding to me. More importantly, I started believing in my ability to write on a larger scale.
You, reading this article now, is another proof that anything is possible. I am an Executive Contributor to the amazing Brainz Magazine and another world-known online publication, which I consider once again as achieving my record.
I am my version of Roger Bannister, and I know you can become one too.
So how do you do that? I'm glad you asked.
Here are the ten necessary steps:
First of all, you need to want to achieve a specific goal.
Next, you must make the decision that you are going to do it no matter what.
Then you need to plan it
Schedule it in your calendar.
Begin without excuses and procrastination.
Challenge yourself in the process.
Get out of your comfort zone often.
Break down the goal into manageable steps.
Progress in small increments.
And finally, and most importantly, never give up.
Anything is possible! Really! Anything!
Jola Pypno-Crapanzano, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jola Pypno-Crapanzano is a Certified High Performance Coach™️, NLP and TLT®️ Practitioner, founder and CEO of Coaching Journey with Jola, two times International Bestselling Author of “One” - Your wellness guide to body, mind and soul and “Stay home”- When you can’t go outside, what happens inside?
She carries Masters Degree in Scientific Technical Information from Silesian University in Poland. She has over 30 years of combined experience in working with thousands of very unique individuals and groups of people serving them in many different capacities. First as a tour guide traveling all over the world (almost 70 countries visited so far) and translating into 4 languages, then working in entertainment and hospitality industry as part of operational management in large publicly traded company in NYC. Finally coaching people initially as a fitness, wellness and lifestyle coach and most recently more holistically as Certified High Performance Coach™️, NLP and Time Line Therapy®️ Practitioner. She also helps her clients in area of Positive Intelligence specializing in strengthen their Mental Fitness and supports them through various strategic interventions.
Her mission is to help one million people live their lives to the fullest, reach heightened and sustained levels of clarity, energy, courage, productivity and influence and show them that it is possible to live lives of their dreams, on their terms, without regrets, be fully engaged, joyful and confident and build incredible lasting legacy.
