The Magic of Thinking Big — Book Summary

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Introduction

The book The Magic of Thinking Big, written by David J. Schwartz, Ph.D., was published some time ago. Despite its age, it is still a bestseller today and has been motivating people to achieve their highest goals for decades, be it in the field of financial independence, the desired job, in the field of relations or any other field.

The key philosophy of the book is to set high goals and work on them so passionately and dedicatedly that you go beyond them.

According to Schwartz, your success is not determined by your level of intelligence, but your ambitions. This book focuses on concepts like discipline and commitment. It teaches you how to evolve as a person. The next big entrepreneur in history could be you. Have you ever thought about it? Losers think that people succeed by luck and natural talent. But the reality is that they succeed because of planning and ambition. They always want to grow. We live just once, so why not think big? In this book, there is an in-depth look at the techniques for achieving success.

Interesting quotes from the book

Summary of the book The Magic of Thinking Big

Goals

To achieve a big goal, we need to think big. Average people think more about stability than achieve great things. Instead of aiming high, they just want a good retirement plan. Beware! The average mindset can affect your chances of being hired because companies often don't see average employees as something that will benefit them. That's why you must believe in your goals.

If you don't believe it, there's no way to achieve success in life. Some people do not believe in the importance of it. For instance, when opening a business, people face challenges such as lack of money, no market knowledge, and unexpected bills. It's an unknown path. Believing makes the mind find unusual ways to solve the problem and move on. Also, when you believe, you have the power to inspire the people around you.

Sometimes failure is inevitable, but if you believe you will have a better chance of success than those who don't. To get a better life you have to start thinking big. And last but not least, you must believe in your success.

Cut Excuses from Your Life

People who aren't successful focus only on excuses. Something like 'I am too old', or 'I have no college education'. Stephen Hawking could have used his disability as an excuse. Instead, he worked harder and became one of the most renowned physicists of the 21st century. A man with one hand and the right attitude will be more successful than those who have two hands and no attitude. Besides, avoid talking about bad things, because it will attract more bad things. Be grateful for what you have, always there is someone in a worse situation than you are. Don't be sorry for yourself.

If You Don't Act, It Doesn't Matter If You Are Smart

It does not matter how smart you are. If you finished college, but have a negative mindset and have no attitude, your chances of being successful would be much less than those who have a positive attitude and no college.

Don't think too much, just act now.

Build Confidence and Destroy Fear

Confidence is something you develop, not something you are born with. For instance, when we learn to swim, we feel insecure before the first time we enter the pool. It is common to be afraid, but do not let fear to prevail over the will to act. Action cures fear. Destroy fear before it becomes uncontrollable.

Look to the future

It is common for people to complain about the lack of progress in life. One of the main reasons is that they focus on who they are today instead of who they can be tomorrow. If you have a goal to lose weight, you focus on how you will be tomorrow, not how you are today.

If you focus on what you are today, chances are that you won't be inspired to work out. However, if you focus on tomorrow (better shape, better lifestyle), for sure you will be more inspired to work out. Visualize your success. Don't be stuck in the present!

Business owners are another great example. Because of a day without sales, they simply think that there is no future. Don't see yourself as today's failure, see yourself as tomorrow's success. Forget the past, look to the future.

Creative Thinking

When we talk about creative thinking, there is an association with something big and very important, such as the invention of TV or the creation of radio. Yes, these inventions are also the result of creative thinking, but it's not just about that. Saving money to invest is also creative thinking.

Use your mind and be creative!

Believe in Your Dreams

Without believing, your dreams will not come true. When you truly believe, your mind finds ways to make it work. Remove the word 'impossible' from your vocabulary. 'Impossible' is for losers. Focus on why you can instead of focusing on why you can't.

Don't Be Afraid of changing

Average mindset: "if it's working, why change?" Don't be like that. In doing so, you will be avoiding success. Look, if changing something will make you or your company grow, do it now, don't be afraid of it. We only grow when we leave our comfort zone. Stop thinking about bad experiences!

Manage your environment

In the same way that your body is affected by the foods you eat, your mind is affected by where you live and the content you consume. If you were raised by your mother in Spain, it is very likely that you would be a different person than if you were raised by your father in England. The environment influences the way you think. When you are surrounded by losers, you will have a loser mindset. Losers are envious. Cut out toxic relationships and try to be around people who have a positive mindset. Ignore haters.

Connection with People

To achieve success, you must be accepted by people. People are the only thing between you and your success. There is no way to achieve success alone. You may have a good service or product, but without people buying it is useless.

In Companies

Companies only promote people who sold themselves well. They don't care about your resume; they only care about how you will help them grow the company.

The author gives some techniques that can help you promote yourself such as never losing an opportunity to say congratulations to anyone's achievement and when you are surrounded by coworkers, try to be interested and listen to what they have to say. Don't just talk about yourself and your projects. Nobody likes narcissists.

Don't Set Low Expectations

Many people feel that they do not deserve success. For them, a 9-5 job is enough. Don't be like that. You will not achieve success if your goals are average.

How to Turn Defeat into Victory

Failures are inevitable. Soon or later they will happen also to you. The way you react to mistakes can separate you from losers. The loser gives up, the winner continues until the goal is achieved.

Find out why your plans have failed and work to prevent this from happening again. Be innovative, don't be afraid to try new things.

Be financially independent

Never strive to be financially dependent on others. Work hard to achieve financial independence. Realize that nothing is easy. But with hard, persistent work and smart thinking, you too can achieve financial independence.

Review of the book The Magic of Thinking Big

I found the book The Magic of Thinking Big interesting, mainly because the book shows that being a genius is not required to be successful. It will help you to be more disciplined and achieve your goals. Thinking big is just the first step in achieving success.

In my opinion, it is an excellent book for those who want to make big changes in their lives.

Conclusion

The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz will help you to lose your fear of taking high risks. Do you want to be successful? Read this book!

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