Chapter 4. The Magic of Thinking Big (visualized)
How to think BIGGGG
Key takeaway
How big we think determines the size of our success.
Start with you - don’t ever undersell yourself, it’s detrimental. If you struggle with this, get feedback and an objective view from others.
In communication with others (and yourself!), be mindful of your language. Big words convey big images, and small words small images. Think of the difference between “cost” and “investment”.
Make an effort to look beyond the now. Don’t be the acorn thinking of being an acorn, be the one dreaming of a majestic oak tree.
And don’t get distracted by trivial things. Keep your eyes on the ball and spent your time only on the big objectives.
My thoughts
I love this stuff. I wrote this part in one go, not even distracted by my son running circles around the table and Peppa Pig playing on tv.
Because it might sound fluffy, but if you take Thinking Big seriously, it’s powerful.
I work in a big corporate, so I see many people rising, falling or staying stuck forever. And I think without exception, people that get promoted also belief they should.
Don’t get me wrong.
It’s not that they’re cocky (some are), but most just see themselves doing the next job. They think and believe bigger than the current situation.
In contrast, I’ve also had people tell me that they were confident they could do 80% of the next job, but not the other 20%. So they didn’t even apply.
But what they do, is compare their current skills with the bigger responsibilities, while not accounting for the growth they’ll make during such a transition.
So they assess if the acorn can do what the big oak tree can, not understanding they’ll grow into that oak tree by committing to the journey.
Another negative result is that if you see others around you grow, while you stay behind, you tend to develop a negative self-image.
Sometimes it’s so blatant, I just want to slap people into stop thinking negatively about themselves. Because you’re a lot bigger than you think you are.
But most of us carry big self-doubts and a low self-image. And by voicing it aloud, you also drag the image others have of you down as well.
One of the most effective ways to battle this, is to get 360 degrees feedback.
Meaning, ask everyone around you for their objective view on you, because they probably think a lot bigger. But if you don’t ask, you don’t know.
So get that feedback (start with your mom) and think big!
More visuals
The topic of Thinking Big touches on a lot of other mindset concepts, for which I’ve selected two visuals by
(aka Wisdom Made Easy) and two by Bastian Klenow (aka heybaskle).Michael is one of the big established visual creators (click the links and you’ll understand why) and Bastian is on a rapid journey towards the same.
So to Think Big, you need to:
Be open-minded (by Michael)
Believe the impossible is possible (by Michael)
Work towards the bigger picture (by Bastian)
Quit the negative self-talk (by Bastian)
Let me know in the comments what other visuals you’ve seen that suit this concept!
Useful quotes
How big we think determines the size of our accomplishments.
See what can be, not just what is.
Many powerful people let petty, small, insignificant things block their way
Reading status
Next week, we’ll get to chapter 5 and discuss creative thinking.
Follow along by getting the book by David J. Schwartz here.1
✔ Ch 4. How to Think Big (this week)
Ch 5. How to Think and Dream Creatively (next week)
Ch 6. You are What You Think You Are
Ch 7. Manage Your Environment: Go First Class
Ch 8. Make Your Attitudes Your Allies
Ch 9. Think Right Toward People
Ch 10. Get the Action Habit
Ch 11. How to Turn Defeat into Victory
Ch 12. Use Goals to Help you Grow
Ch 13. How to Think like a Leader
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