THE MAGIC OF THINKING BIG
'A WISE MAN WILL BE THE MASTER OF HIS MIND, A FOOL WILL BE ITS SLAVE' - Publilius Syrus
Another really good book to validate probably some things that you may already know but provides an unique angle on breaking through limiting belief and living up to your true potential.
Here are a few learnings:
1. Believe You Can Succeed And You
When you have an “I-can-do-it” attitude, the how-to-do-it traits develops in your mind. Believing that you WILL succeed is the one of the basic and essential traits of successful people.
Schwartz says that it is great to admire and respect the leader; study and observe them. However do not worship them. Aim to be better than them.
How you see yourself, is how others see you.
Think success, not failure. Remind yourself regularly that you are better than you think you are. Believe Big. The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief.
It you sell yourself short by setting mediocre goals, chances are - that's how far you will go. (Your limits are set by your goals)
THINK DOUBT AND YOU WILL FAIL - THINK VICTORY AND YOU WILL SUCCEED
2. Stop Making Excuses (How to cure “Excusitis”)
We often put things off - we wait for the right time, we look for the right signs or we simply blame everyone & everything around us for not achieving our goals.
Eliminate the habit of making excuses; see reasons why you can succeed. The right attitude and one arm will beat the wrong attitude and two arms every time.
3. You are a reflection of the people you spent time with
The company you surround yourself with will surely have an impact on your success. It is up to you to surround yourself with people who uplift you and whose presence calls forth your best.
Analyse your crew, filter out the negativity, and dedicate time to relationships. Remember -people who tell you that it cannot be done are usually unsuccessful people.
It is true when they say 'You are the average of 5 people you spend the most time with.'
4. Failures are Essential for your Growth
Failures are opportunities to grow. In life, everyone without exception will go through pain and suffering in some form. Many of us will face disappointment and failure. Some of us will let life beat us down and we will remain on the mat. Others will pick themselves up, learn from their short comings and use difference strategies & approaches to reach their goals.
We need to look at failure as opportunities. If we are foolish enough to believe that we will go through life without hardships, then we will not be able to get off our backs once tragedy hits us.
5. Break your Goals up into small steps
Sometimes when I make up my mind to run a 10km marathon, I know that there is a point along that journey when my body protests and my willpower shrinks when I think of the finish line which is still a couple of kilometers away.
The best strategy I use for this is to break down my targets into smaller pieces. I look at the lamp post 300 meters and say to myself 'I am going to get there.' When I get there, I look at another target which is not too far away and set my sights on that.
You see, when you are chasing a goal - sometimes it is easier to break it down into smaller achievable bits and keep moving from there.
6. Don't fall victim to the 'Its not fair syndrome'
If you've lived as long as me, you will know that life is not fair. Sometimes you may not get that promotion you've been looking for, sometimes perceptions of others may deal you a bad hand. However, if you are to let it stop you in your tracks, then chances are that where you will remain.
The world still revolves and life goes on - and if you are going to let social injustices hamper you, then I'm afraid you may get stuck in a rut.
The book emphasizes the need to keep doing what you are doing and have the right thinking & attitude towards people and situations.
The answer for thinking right towards people when things don't go exactly our way comes from Banjamin Fairless, one of the century's most outstanding persons. Mr. Fairless who rose from very modest circumstances to become the CEO of the United States Steel Corporation is stated to have said this.
"It depends on how you look at things. For example, I never had a teacher I hated. Naturally I was disciplined like any other pupil, but I always figured it was my fault and that discipline was necessary. I have also liked every boss I have had. I have always tried to please him and do more than what was expected of me - never less. I have has some disappointments, times when I greatly wanted a promotion and someone else got it. But I never figured that I was a victim of office politics, prejudice or bad judgement on my bosses part. Instead of sulking, I reasoned things out. Obviously the other fellow deserved it more than me. I thought, what can I do to make myself deserving of the next promotion. At the same time I never got angry with myself for losing and never wasted any time berating myself."
Simply as yourself:
What can I do to make myself better to deserve that promotion
Do I have time to waste time and expend energy sulking. Or should I plan to win next time?
7. Think Like a Leader.
One of the best ways to think big is to always think like a leader, no matter who you are. T
o do so:
Trade minds with the people you want to influence – inhabit their perspective and ask how you would react if treated in the same way;
Think: What is the human way to handle this? – explain, sacrifice, empathize, respect, inspire and let your actions show you put people first;
Think progress, believe in progress, push for progress – think, act, live and believe in improvement and high standards at work, at home, in your community and with yourself; and
Take time out to confer with yourself and tap your supreme thinking power – make quiet, focused time every day to just sit in solitude and think: confer with yourself.
8. We receive the kind of Treatment we think we Deserve
When we are not confident in what we do, when we sell ourselves short and fail to market our personal brand to others, we are enabling them to create an impression about ourselves. From this, they tend to treat us in the same way we portray ourselves to be.
If you sell yourself as a nobody, they will treat you like a nobody.
If you are confident, smart and witty, chances are - they will treat you differently.
This is something we need to be conscious of. Sometimes we do often sell ourselves short.
9. Take the initiative to build friendships - be nice to everyone
Sometimes we may subconsciously treat certain people better because of a number of reasons. This could be because of social status, political affiliations, designations etc.
We need to make a conscious effort if we are truly good people to treat everyone we meet with respect. It doesn't matter if you meet the janitor or the CEO in the elevator. It is up to us to provide them with the same level of dignity and politeness.
On that same note, being approachable is also essential because the more approachable we make ourselves to me - the more people will be attracted to connect with us. I have made it a point to say hello or even strike up a conversation with everyone I meet (well, to as many as I can) because a little politeness creates a world of good. It builds our character, shows that we are confident, creates great energy & positivity, and helps foster relationships with people.