I recently rewatched Top Gun: Maverick. With the new Mission: Impossible in theaters, I went on a big rewatch of all the Mission: Impossible movies, which ultimately led me down a Tom Cruise rabbit hole. Despite his wackjob religious beliefs, the man has made some awesome movies over the years.

Top Gun is a bit more special to me than most franchises because I remember spending countless hours watching and rewatching it with my dad when I was a kid. So when they announced a sequel, I had high expectations. And to be frank, they blew them out of the water. It’s arguably one of the best sequels ever made (outside of maybe Terminator 2 and The Dark Knight).

I’m not going to recap or review the movie, but I do want to talk about one scene in particular. Since it came out in 2022, I’m going to assume you’ve either seen it or decided not to. So, spoiler warning: if you don’t want to know, stop reading here.

Iceman has just died. Maverick is out. It’s a bleak moment in the movie, the culmination of all the failures leading up to this point. Most of the film so far has emphasized how impossible the mission is—especially if everyone is to return home safely, which is non-negotiable for Maverick.

After Maverick vents to Penny about how he’s done nothing but screw things up, she tells him he’s going to have to find his own way back in. “Those are your pilots,” she says, “and you’ll regret not standing up and fighting for them.” Because if they do the mission the way Cyclone wants, somebody—maybe multiple people—is probably going to die. As Hangman puts it: “Either a man flies like Maverick, or a man doesn’t come home.”

So, the next day, Maverick breaks into Top Gun and steals a plane. He runs the course in 2 minutes and 15 seconds—a full 15 seconds faster than the time required—and reminds everyone exactly why he’s the most badass pilot in the Navy.

I won’t bore you with the rest (though seriously, it’s a great movie—you should watch it). But here’s the part I want to focus on: the course had to be completed in 2 minutes and 30 seconds. So why did Maverick do it in 2:15?

Because he wanted to show them something. That the limits we think exist are often the ones we’ve created in our own minds. And that’s the concept I want to talk about, the idea of doing more than is expected. Of being tougher, more driven, and more determined than even your most ambitious goals demand.

The Chinese Finger Trap

In a former life, I did some freelance writing. In one particular article for Tiny Buddha, I wrote about finding a way out of depression. In that post, I talked about an old toy called the Chinese Finger Trap. It’s a simple device: a flexible tube you put on your finger and someone else’s. When you try to pull away, you find that neither of you can escape. The more you struggle, the more trapped you become.

I likened depression and anxiety to that trap. The more you focus on trying to escape, the more stuck you feel (especially with anxiety).

No, the only way out of the finger trap is to lean further into it. It’s a counterintuitive move, but it’s the only one that works.

The Power of Leaning In

The point is this: the best way to reach our goals is to challenge yourself to go beyond them.

If your goal is to run a mile in six minutes, aim for five and a half. If you want to make $1,000 a month in passive income, aim for $2,000. And if you’re Maverick and the target is 2:30, then dammit, you do it in 2:15.

Something magical happens when you go beyond what’s required. I call it “radical acceptance”—and it’s the opposite of begrudgingly dragging yourself toward a goal. It’s a mindset. A source of inner power that says, Not only am I going to do this, I’m going to do it better than I need to.

This mindset is the key to breakthrough. It works in every area of life. In fact, it’s the same mindset that Jesus (not to get too religious here) taught as the path to true happiness, eternal life, if you will. How often should you forgive someone? Seven times? Nope. Seventy times seven. If someone takes your coat, give them your cloak too. If they force you to go one mile, go two.

You get the idea.

It’s also a powerful mindset for letting things go. We cling to the past. We want to hurt the people who hurt us. But in doing so, we only broaden our pain.

What if, instead of trying to get revenge, you did something kind for the person who wronged you? I know, it sounds crazy. Like the finger trap, it feels backward. But try it. See if it doesn’t completely free you from the burden you’ve been carrying.

It’s like a psychological cheat code. Letting go gives you peace. But leaning in, doing more than necessary? That launches you into a whole other level of freedom and strength.

So here’s what you do:
Think of a challenge you’re facing. Something you’ve been wanting to accomplish or let go of. Set a goal. Then double it. Go harder than necessary. Be kinder than necessary. Do more than what’s expected.

At the end of the day, most limits aren’t real—they’re stories we’ve accepted, ceilings we’ve quietly agreed to live beneath. But every now and then, something reminds us that we’re capable of more. Sometimes it’s a movie. Sometimes it’s a moment of pain. Sometimes it’s the quiet voice that says, You’re not done yet.

That’s the real power. Not just in hitting the goal, but in realizing you can push past it. You can forgive more than seems fair. You can rise earlier, stay longer, love harder, and keep going when the world says stop. You don’t have to wait for permission. You don’t have to wait for someone to believe in you. You get to be the one who chooses to lean in, to do the harder thing, to run the course in less time than anyone thought possible. Not to prove it to them, but to prove it to yourself.

That’s how breakthroughs happen. That’s how we change. Not when we meet expectations, but when we exceed them on purpose.