Master Your Mindset
The Magic of Thinking Big,David Schwartz
Thinking Big
The Magic of Thinking Big is another classic that you should ask your reading list. The amount of helpful suggestions on array of topics such as how to move past common excuses, thinking creatively, improving one’s attitude, and leadership, to name a few, is invaluable.
Try the three-step process below to help you get started. .
1.Determine Your Five Chief Assets: Invite an objective friend to help, someone that will give you an honest opinion. Examples of assets may include education, experience, technical skills, appearance, well-adjusted home life, attitudes, personality, and initiative.
2.Identify Real-Life Examples: Next, under each asset, write the names of three persons you know who have achieved more considerable success but do not have this asset to as great a degree as you.
3.Discover How Capable You Are: Upon completing this exercise, you will discover that you may exceed many successful people in at least one asset. There is only one conclusion you can honestly reach: you are more capable than you think. Never sell yourself short!
Schwartz also suggests his Five Positive Steps To Build Confidence and Destroy Fear which you can find on page 74.
We can put these five procedures to work for us, and they are as follows:
1. Action cures fear: Isolate your fear and then take constructive action. Inaction-doing nothing about a situation-strengthens fear and destroys confidence.
2. Make a supreme effort to put only positive thoughts in your memory bank. Don’t let negative, self-deprecatory thoughts grow into mental monsters. Refuse to recall unpleasant events or situations.
3. Put people in proper perspective. Remember, people are much more alike than they are different. Get a balanced view of the other fellow. He is just another human being. And develop a compassionate attitude. Many people will bark, but it’s a rare one who bites.
4. Practice doing what your conscience tells you is correct. This prevents the poisonous guilt complex from developing. Doing what’s right is a very practical rule for success.
5. Make everything about you say, “I’m confident, really confident.” Practice these little techniques in your daily activities:
1. Be a front seater.
2. Make eye contact.
3. Walk 25% faster.
4. Speak up.
5. Smile big.
The Magic of Thinking Big is honestly one of the best books I’ve ever read. There are so many actionable steps and examples throughout the book, and many of them are found after the preface as What This Book Will Do For You if you prefer to skim through it or search for specific areas that suit you. I also thought it was fun, genuinely positive, and easy to read.