1. Introduction
1.1. David Schwartz
1.1.1. Professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta
1.1.2. President of Creative Educational Services Inc
1.1.3. Consulting Firm Specialized in Leadership Development
1.2. The Magic of Thinking Big
1.2.1. "Think Big and You'll Live Big. You'll live big in happiness. You'll live big in accomplishment. Big in income. Big in friends. Big in respect.. Start now, right now, to discover how to make your thinking make magic for you. Start out with this though of the great philosopher Disraeli: Life is too short to be little" - David Schwartz
1.2.2. This book deserves to be on your "Must Read" list for sure
1.2.2.1. The wisdom in this book is echoed by all of the great teachers
1.2.2.2. The book is based on ONE main priciple that can help you in all areas of your life
1.2.2.2.1. Business
1.2.2.2.2. Health
1.2.2.2.3. Wealth
1.2.2.2.4. Love
2. Believe Big
2.1. "Here is the first step towards success. It's a basic step. It can't be avoided. Step One: Believe in yourself, believe you can succeed"
2.1.1. The hardest part about success really is believing you can; but that's the catalyst to everything
2.1.2. Henry Ford said "Whether you think you can or you think you can't you're right"
2.2. How to believe Big
2.2.1. First ask yourself; Do I believe I can?
2.2.1.1. If you do! Great.. Skip step two
2.2.1.2. (Congrats)
2.2.2. Second.. Think about Excusitis
3. Excusitis
3.1. "Go deep into your study of people, and you'll discover unsuccessful people suffer a mind deadening thought disease. We call this disease Excusitis. Every failure has this disease in it's advanced form. And most 'average' persons have at least a mild case of it"
3.2. What are your excuses?
3.2.1. Examples
3.2.1.1. Too old
3.2.1.2. Too Young
3.2.1.3. Not enough money
3.2.1.4. Not enough time
3.2.1.5. Not smart enough
3.2.1.6. Overqualified
3.2.2. How are they untrue?
3.2.2.1. Tony Robbins says our beliefs are based on generalizations of our past.. The best way to get past those generalizations is to determine how they are wrong.
3.2.2.1.1. How is what you're telling yourself ridiculous?
3.2.2.1.2. How is it based on something untrue?
3.2.2.1.3. How is your belief that you can't currently serving you in a perverse way?
3.2.3. Can you create enough room for Action?
4. Action Cures Fear
4.1. "Fear of all kinds and sizes is a form of psychological infection. We can cure a mental infection the same way we cure a body infection-with specific, proved treatments.. condition yourself with this fact: all confidence is acquired, developed. No one is born with confidence. Those people around you who radiate confidence, who have conquered worry, who are at ease everywhere and all the time acquired their confidence, every bit of it"
4.2. No One is Born With it
4.2.1. Courage
4.2.1.1. “The willingness to show up changes us, It makes us a little braver each time.” - Brene Brown
4.2.1.2. This is true for everything.. When you first start at anything you aren't likely going to be very good! But if you can have the courage to take action you'll realize it's not so bad.. and maybe you could even be good at this!
4.2.2. Conditioning
4.2.2.1. Ask yourself what you're currently afraid of..
4.2.2.2. What action can you take right now towards that thing?
4.2.2.3. Take it; then stick to it
4.2.2.4. Remember: "Hesitation only enlarges, magnifies the fear. Take action promptly. Be decisive"
5. Untitled
6. Stickability
6.1. "Just enough sense to stick with something - a chore, task, project until it's completed pays off much better than idle intelligence, even if idle intelligence be of genius caliber"
6.2. Stickability is the ability to stick with something until it's done
6.2.1. First you must believe if you stick to something you can accomplish it.. Even if you only believe enough to get started Stickability will take over
6.2.2. Next you must start to take action
6.2.3. "Stickability is 95 Percent of Ability"
6.3. One Thing
6.3.1. Willpower is a finite resource but if used correctly you have all that you'll need
6.3.2. Decide what you will stick to for the next 67 days and after that it will become a habit
6.4. Ex. Creating Mind Maps
6.4.1. When I first started these mindmaps I didn't think I would be any good.. But I got over that excuse because not being any good at the beginning is expected..
6.4.2. When I first started I wasn't any good.. But here I am almost one month in and my skills have greatly increased!
6.4.3. Plus the habit of doing these mindmaps is getting easier and easier based on the principle of habit formation
7. Memory Bank Account
7.1. "Deposit only positive thoughts in your memory bank. Let's face it squarely: everyone encounters plenty of unpleasant, embarassing, and discouraging situations. But unsuccessful peopleand successful people deal with these situations in directly opposite ways. Unsuccessful people take them to heart, so to speak. They dwell on the unpleasant situations, thereby giving them a good start in their memory. At night the unpleasant situation is the last thing they think about.. Confident, succcessful people, on the other hand, 'don't give it another thought' Successful people specialize in putting positive thoughts into their memory bank"
7.2. What kind of deposits are you making?
7.2.1. Are you thinking about the positive things you did that day?
7.2.2. Are you thinking about the negative things you did that day?
7.3. Self Talk
7.3.1. “The brain simply believes what you tell it most. And what you tell it about you, it will create. It has no choice.” - Dr Shad Helmstetter
7.3.2. Re-Writing Self Talk
7.3.2.1. Notice where you are saying disempowering things about yourself or your situation
7.3.2.2. How can you re-write that talk into something positive
7.3.2.3. Example
7.3.2.3.1. I can't believe how far I've let myself go.. Look at the terrible shape I'm in!
7.3.2.3.2. I can't believe I have such an amazing body.. The ability for me to exercise is so exciting to me! Seeing even the smallest progress is such an beautiful feeling.
8. Act The Way You Want to Feel
8.1. "To think confidently.. Act the way you want to feel"
8.1.1. "Motions are the precursors of emotions"
8.1.2. This is not "Fake it till you make it" this is "Real it to you make it" act the way you know you should and your emotions will follow it
8.2. Ask Yourself:
8.2.1. What do you want?
8.2.2. Who do you want to be?
8.2.3. What would your ideal self do right now?
8.2.4. Then act AS IF you are already there
9. Don't Let Ideas Escape
9.1. "Don't let ideas escape. Write them down. Every day lots of good ideas are born only to die quickly because they aren't nailed to paper.. Cary a notebook or some small cards with you. When you get an idea, write it down.. People with fertile, creative minds know a good idea may sprout any time, any place. Don't let ideas escape; else you destroy the fruits of your thinking"
9.2. This is a cornerstone
9.2.1. Thinking big doesn't always happen on command.. Sometimes it's spontaneous..
9.2.1.1. A lot of great perception pushing ideas come from your right brain!
9.2.1.2. But those ideas are sometimes like slippery fish that go away once we start using our left brain again
9.2.1.3. They need to be written down so you remember them
9.2.2. Thinking big needs to be conditioned
9.2.2.1. Writing down or recording your ideas will condition your mind to continue to present them too you
9.2.3. Thinking big needs to be acted upon
9.2.3.1. Acting upon your ideas will constantly give you feedback about them and will allow your brain to be more accurate with your ideas
9.3. How to Capture Ideas
9.3.1. Have a journal to write in at all times
9.3.2. Take voice notes on your phone when occupied
9.3.3. Keep an idea note book and constantly go back to it
10. Compromise Perfection
10.1. "We must be willing to make an intelligent compromise with perfection lest we wait forever before taking action"
10.2. The perfect time will never come
10.2.1. Waiting for perfection before starting something will completely cut off the entire process of thinking big
10.2.2. Even when things seem to be perfect things will go wrong.. It's important to see that as empowering as opposed to disempowering
10.3. Mind Maps
10.3.1. The books I make mind maps for are very complex.. Much more complex than is possible to express in a relatively short video!
10.3.2. So instead of making the mistake of trying to perfectly articulate each and every point in the book.. I've decided to be ok with the imperfection! Learning along the way.
10.4. Where are you waiting for perfection?
10.4.1. Are you waiting to eat healthy before you exercise?
10.4.2. Are you waiting until you have a perfect business plan before starting?
10.4.3. Are you waiting for perfection in an area of your life that you don't even realize?
11. Good Ideas Need Action
11.1. "A good idea if not acted upon produces terrible psychological pain. But a good idea acted upon brings enormous satisfaction. Got a good idea? Then do something about it. Use action to cure fear and gain confidence. Here's something to remember: actions feed and strengthen confidence; inaction in all forms feeds fear. To fight fear, act. To increase fear-wait, put off and postpone"
11.2. Create an Action Habit
11.2.1. Anytime you have a big idea.. Think! What's one thing I can do immediately to move me towards that?
11.2.1.1. Write something down
11.2.1.2. Research something
11.2.1.3. Take a small action
11.2.2. Cultivating this habit will reduce your fear of action..
11.3. Antifragile Action
11.3.1. My friend has always wanted to create a more free life for herself.. But she struggled a lot with fear and inaction!
11.3.2. She would have an idea and instead of doing something about it she would ruminate on it.. Causing her fear, pain and anxiety and ultimately leading to her dumping the idea!
11.3.3. Here is what we did to overcome it:
11.3.3.1. Making Yourself Antifragile: (Vacation Edition)
11.3.3.2. 1. Decide to stay in a job that is not an ultimate end goal but is at least stable and helps to pay the bills
11.3.3.3. 2. Commit to testing at least 10 ideas for potential businesses
11.3.3.4. 3. Take action on the ideas you have and put $100 on the line for each of the first actions ($1000 total)
11.3.3.5. 4. Ask yourself what's the first step I can do to test this idea I have for $100?
11.3.3.5.1. Take a course
11.3.3.5.2. Job shadow for a day
11.3.3.5.3. Call a coach
11.3.3.5.4. Run a research ad and etc..
11.3.3.6. Happy to report that this exact structure got her out of fear and excusitis.. She is now happily working towards something she would love to do! Now is this idea perfect? No.. But with a little stickability she is working towards something big!
11.3.3.7. **Hint committing to the $100 action makes it easier to think big.. Because it feels like there is less skin in the game than say spending an un-determined amount to get a business off the ground.