I recently picked up a copy of the book The Magic of Thinking Big by David J Schwartz. Stuart Ross and many members of the SFM community recommended it to me. These are people who definitely have the winning mindset and whose recommendations I take seriously. I’ve been working my way through it and am enjoying it plenty.
Although it’s now pretty dated – first published 1979 in my copy but I suspect older from language like: “A young fellow ….”, and “… for only $3000 – the price of a small city lot….”, It’s main thrust is pretty much timeless and makes perfect sense in the modern age: Traditional and small thinking is never going to let individuals fulfil their real potential. This is truer now than ever in fact with the opportunities that access to technology has made possible. Getting the winning mindset is just a matter of work.
If it Ain’t broke Why Fix it?
One particular section prompted to write about it today. It talks about being progressive in your thinking and urges us to get out of the traditional mindset that gives us the old cliché – If it ain’t broke – don’t fix it. The author rightly suggests that this type of thinking, if everyone did it, would lead to a complete lack of progress. It’s not a winning mindset.
He gives a great example: Imagine if the Ford (substitute any manufacturer) motor company’s top exec’s suddenly decided that they had now created the best product possible. As a result all research, experimental engineering and designing activities would stop. What would happen? Taken to a broader arena, that type of thinking would bring medicine, science, and progress in any field to a grinding standstill.
The Winning Mindset – Witchcraft???
Think progressively would you !!
Traditional thinking and resistance to (fear of?) progress has been an obstacle to human progress since the human race first appeared. People were burned at the stake as witches for having different ways of thinking in the dark ages, the train and the motor car were derided as insane ideas later on and etc… etc … till the present day. People with the winning mindset have tended to be victimised in less enlightened times.
Successful entrepreneurs usually have the winning mindset. They ask themselves questions like – “How can I improve on this?” and “How can I do better?”, and its that kind of progressive thinking that has been behind very step forward that has ever been made.
Today that’s truer than ever and the technology and knowledge that is accessible to almost everyone thanks to the internet means that we can leverage progressive thinking to make huge changes to our lives – if we want to – and to the lives of others. It’s almost our duty to get a winning mindset.
The Magic of Thinking Big is a worthy addition to your library and is very much the way of thinking followed by The SFM community. It’s very healthy eating for your brain. You can grab your copy on the link above and find out more about Stuart Ross and the SFM on the link below. Think BIG!!
