The Magic of Thinking Big

The other day I was walking through a friend's house and saw some boxes of books to give away. On the top of the pile was the Magic of Thinking Big. It practically jumped off the pile and said “read me” and so I did.?

The Magic of Thinking Big was written in 1959 by David Schwartz. If you’re going to read it I must first tell you that the first edition was written in 1959 so some of the language and references are old fashioned but aside from that there are some very interesting ideas apply now more than ever.?We hear everywhere the concept of believing you can succeed and you will but David Schwartz has broken it down into action items that lead you to believing you can succeed.?

Here are a few that have jumped out at me so far:

Stop Making excuses

Too old, too young, not smart enough, not tech savvy, not enough time, not enough money etc. What excuses do you make that keep you stuck?

Stop selling yourself short

I found this exercise to be very interesting:

1. List your 5 best business skills.
2. Look at each skill and think of a successful person you know that has that has that same skill.
3. Rate their skill level and rate your skill level.

I listed my personality as my top skill. Then I thought of a businesswoman I know that has been extremely successful - built and sold a billion-dollar company. I thought about her personality and then thought about mine, and I became aware that I have a more dynamic personality than she does. It was a huge revelation. Try this exercise and see what happens.?It’s interesting in itself to think about your 5 top skills.

See what can be, not just what is

“Big thinkers train themselves to see not just want is, but what can be”

The book gives an example of a realtor who specializes in rural property. He shows his potential buyer what can be done with the property. He studies the property and creates an entire sales plan around what the farm can be along with all the ideas to generate revenue by purchasing the land. He shows them the possibilities (a poultry farm, a horse farm with riding and collecting revenue from the rides and so on). I love this idea. How can you use it in your business? How can you get potential clients to imagine what’s possible rather than what is? How can you get yourself to imagine what’s possible rather than what is?

So there are 3 new ideas to get you motivated. Try them and let me know how it goes. I’ve had a few big revelations so far and I’m going to keep reading.?Stay tuned for more!

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