Unashamedly Superhuman

"What if the most extraordinary abilities are already inside you, waiting to be unlocked and nurtured?" Unashamedly Superhuman by Jim Steele dares us to believe just that.

1. Everyone Has the Potential to Be Exceptional

The book begins by challenging the traditional notion of superhuman abilities. They are not about superpowers seen in comic books; rather, these abilities already exist within each of us. The key is learning how to uncover them.

Steele contends that high performance doesn’t mean sacrificing well-being. Society often feeds us the narrative that success comes at the expense of health and relationships. But this false dichotomy can be replaced with a new approach: balancing energy management to thrive in all aspects of life.

The essential foundation for uncovering our exceptional abilities starts with self-awareness. Recognizing what hinders our growth and addressing it can set the stage for personal breakthroughs. By combining achievement with mindfulness, you can outperform your expectations sustainably.

Examples

• Managing energy avoids burnout while increasing productivity.
• Viewing adversity as an opportunity leads to personal growth, just as fictional heroes do.
• Finding alignment in health, career, and relationships produces better results in all areas.

2. Challenge Sparks Personal Growth

Stepping beyond your comfort zone isn’t optional for greatness—it’s a necessity. Facing new, uncomfortable challenges forces you to develop new skills and perspectives.

Each challenge you tackle stimulates neural development and sets the stage for increasing personal growth. Steele introduces the idea of “Performance = Potential - Interference,” suggesting that pushing past distractions unlocks untapped talent. The discomfort you initially face grows into a transformative experience.

A crucial element in adapting to challenges is persistence. By celebrating small wins and maintaining gratitude, you can sustain motivation over time. Building this consistency ensures you emerge stronger from every challenge.

Examples

• Columbus ventured into the unknown, leading to remarkable discoveries.
• A shift in self-perception—like seeing yourself as a runner before completing your first marathon—can drive performance.
• Small adjustments, such as journaling wins and refinements daily, create momentum for sustained growth.

3. Stress Can Be Your Ally

Instead of seeing stress as an inevitable negative, Steele teaches that stress can serve as a powerful motivator. With the right approach, it can drive you toward better performance and resilience.

The mindset shift to seeing stress as helpful changes its impact on your health and performance. Steele introduces the “stress-enhancing mindset” as a tool to enable higher focus, creativity, and determination. Stress also acts as a gateway to flow—a peak state of focus and performance.

To achieve flow, you need to manage stress carefully. Steele highlights the flow cycle: initially struggling with a task, stepping back for a reset (low-intensity activity), entering intense focus, and ending with recovery. Balancing these phases efficiently enables remarkable results.

Examples

• Reframing daily stressors as growth opportunities improves mental strength.
• Using mindfulness practices causes neuroplastic shifts that improve handling pressure.
• Focusing on small doses of humor or positivity can help navigate stressful times effectively.

4. The Flow State: The Ultimate Productivity Tool

Flow is where everything falls into place. This state of deep focus unlocks creativity, productivity, and fulfillment, making it a key goal for any ambitious individual.

Steele describes flow as the state of being completely immersed in a task. Time feels irrelevant; distractions fade. However, achieving flow requires effort. Strategies such as breaking goals into clear, manageable chunks and aligning tasks with your skills enable entry into the zone.

Recovery is as important as flow itself. Downtime, relaxation, and mental reset bring balance to avoid burnout. This cyclical approach ensures long-term flow and sustained performance gains.

Examples

• Taking a short walk after struggling with a problem can switch your brain into flow.
• Following a “90-min work sprint + short break” strategy fuels peak productivity blocks.
• Journaling goals and gratitude primes the brain for sustained focus.

5. Adapt Your Approach, Always

Striving for greatness doesn’t mean sticking rigidly to a single approach. Constantly evaluating, tweaking, and improving simplifies your path to success.

This adaptability requires tuning in to what works and changing what doesn’t. Steele points out that maintaining a “win-learn-change” mindset shapes every setback into a lesson. It also opens up possibilities for continual refinement.

Emotional intelligence plays an integral part. Approaching life with curiosity increases your capacity to adapt, and shifting energy toward a positive outlook makes you more ready to handle change.

Examples

• Reviewing a failure to identify one valuable lesson turns setbacks into stepping-stones.
• Adopting daily gratitude practices raises motivation and resilience.
• Using positive self-perception—as a learner rather than a loser—keeps progress consistent.

6. Building Habits That Stick

Habits fuel transformation, and Steele emphasizes forming habits that align both with your emotions and rational mind. Without balance in these areas, habits cannot stick long-term.

Emotionally, you need to feel the burden of sticking to old patterns and the joy of new ones. Rationally, small steps, like adjusting daily routines or reshaping your environment, make changing habits doable. Setting yourself up for success smooths the transition.

Timing matters, too. Steele advises tackling mental tasks early in the day when adrenaline and dopamine peak. Over time, consistent changes compound into powerful routines that redefine what’s possible in your life.

Examples

• Using motivational tricks, like imagining long-term benefits, bolsters enthusiasm for new habits.
• Starting fitness plans early in the day feeds into body energy cycles naturally.
• Breaking tasks into 21-day intervals sneakily wires lifelong practices.

7. Sleep and Nutrition Aren’t Optional

The book stresses that physical well-being is your foundation. Good sleep fuels decision-making and productivity. While one-size doesn’t fit all for nutrition, identifying what energizes you is transformational.

Sleep is necessary for cognitive recovery. Incorporating relaxing practices like Yoga Nidra enhances this repair. On the meal front, Steele encourages finding a balance that matches energy levels to daily demands.

Tracking physical changes—beyond the number on a scale—offers real insight. By assessing indicators, like muscle-to-fat ratio or endurance, you can personalize improvements toward broader objectives.

Examples

• Journaling sleeping habits reveals patterns undermining effective days.
• Nutritional tracking paired with fitness keeps goals measurable and meaningful.
• Focusing on feeling energized during workouts instead of weight alone delivers better feedback.

8. The Wim Hof Method for Performance Boosts

Steele incorporates actionable methods like those found in Wim Hof’s teachings, aimed at enhancing mental resilience and physical energy alike.

Wim Hof breathing exercises, which stimulate adrenaline release, increase focus and emotional control. Cold showers, combined with these practices, release dopamine and reduce inflammation—both of which uplift your health and mood significantly.

These techniques are not just fun; they’re scientifically validated and replicable.

Examples

• Practice Wim Hof breathing daily—30 breaths and breath-hold cycles.
• Starting 10-second cold showers builds endurance.
• Alternating breathing techniques midday reduces workplace tension.

9. Prioritize Recovery

Steele teaches the importance of scheduled recovery. Rest is not a luxury—it helps you sustain high performance and avoid long-term fatigue.

Active recoveries relieve tension with light activities, like nature walks, which lower stress while energizing. Micro-recovery techniques fit seamlessly into packed schedules. By aligning breaks every 30-60 minutes, you sharpen mental clarity and energy.

More than physical recovery, these strategies prime your mind to handle challenges without losing momentum.

Examples

• Practicing 4-7-8 breathing signals your nervous system to relax quickly.
• Interspersing 5-minute mental health breaks during exhausting meetings builds focus.
• Gaming or puzzles recharge executives before decision-heavy hours.

Takeaways

1. Celebrate small wins each day to build momentum and motivation.
2. Incorporate flow cycle strategies, like focused work sprints with mindful breaks, for heightened productivity.
3. Add recovery-focused habits (e.g., Wim Hof methods or 4-7-8 breathing) to sustain long-term resilience and growth.