The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz

  • Chapter 1 - Believe you can succeed and you will
    • Your mind is a thought factory: Mr. Triumph vs. Mr. Defeat
    • Think success instead of failure
    • Remind yourself that you are better than you think you are
    • Believe big (you won’t accomplish less than you set out to)
  • Chapter 2 - Cure yourself of Excusitis
    • “My health isn’t good” ->
      • Refuse to talk about your health
      • Refuse to worry about your health
      • Be grateful that your health is as good as it is
    • “I’m not smart enough” ->
      • Don’t underestimate your intelligence and overestimate that of others
      • Remind yourself “my attitudes are more important than my intelligence”
      • Thinking is more valuable than memorizing facts
    • “I’m too old/young” ->
      • Look at your present age positively
      • Compute how much productive time you have left
      • Invest future time in doing what you really want to do
    • “I have bad luck” ->
      • Accept the law of cause and effect
      • Don’t be a wishful thinker
  • Chapter 3 - Build confidence and destroy fear
    • Action cures fear:
      • Isolate your fear and determine exactly what you are afraid of
      • Then take action against that exact reason for fear
    • Self-confidence: Deposit only positive thoughts into your memory bank, and withdraw only positive thoughts
    • Put others in perspective
      • Get a balanced view of others: they are important, but so are you
      • Develop an understanding attitude
    • Five confidence-building exercises:
      • Sit in the front row
      • Make eye contact
      • Walk 25% faster
      • Speak up
      • Smile big
  • Chapter 4 - How to think big
    • Don’t sell yourself short and don’t be self depreciating
    • Use big thinking vocabulary: big, bright, cheerful words
    • See what you can be, not just what you are
    • Get the big view of your job, which is the next step to your promotion
    • Think about important things rather than trivialities
  • Chapter 5 - How to think and dream creatively
    • Believe it can be done: believing a solution paves the way to a solution
    • Don’t let tradition paralyze your mind
    • Ask yourself “How can I do better?”
    • Ask yourself “How can I do more?”
    • Practice asking and listening, rather than talking
    • Stretch your mind, and associate people who help you to think new ideas
  • Chapter 6 - You are what you think you are
    • Look important to help you think important
    • Think your work is important
    • Give yourself a pep talk a few times a day
    • Ask yourself “Is this the way an important person thinks?
  • Chapter 7 - Manage your environment: go first class
    • Be mindful of your environment: the mind-diet makes your mind
    • Make your environment work for you, not against you
    • Don’t let small-thinking people hold you back
    • Get your advice from successful people
    • Get psychological sunshine: new groups, new stimulating things
    • Throw thought-poison out of your environment
    • Go first class in everything you do
  • Chapter 8 - Make your attitudes your allies
    • Results come with enthusiasm, so grow your “I’m activated” attitude:
      • If you’re not interested in something, learn more about it
      • Act alive
      • Broadcast good news
    • People do more for you when you make them feel important
      • Show appreciation at every opportunity
      • Call people by name
    • Grow a “service first” attitude and money will take care of itself
  • Chapter 9 - Think right toward people
    • Be likable
    • Take the initiative in building friendships; introduce yourself
    • Accept other people’s differences
    • Practice conversation generosity by encouraging others to talk
    • Be courteous
    • Don’t blame others when you experience a setback
  • Chapter 10 - Get the action habit
    • Be a doer, not a don'ter
    • Don’t wait until conditions are perfect
    • Ideas won’t bring success, they only have value when you act upon them
    • Think in terms of now
  • Chapter 11 - How to turn defeat into victory
    • Study setbacks to pave the way to success
    • Be your own constructive critic
    • Don’t blame luck
    • Blend persistence with experimentation
    • There is a good side to every situation - find it
  • Chapter 12 - Use goals to help you grow
    • Know where you want to be: create an image of yourself 10 years from now
    • Write out your 10-year plan
    • Surrender yourself to your desires; set goals
    • Let your major goal be your auto-pilot
    • Work toward your goal one step at a time
    • Build 30-day goals
    • Take detours in stride
    • Invest in yourself
  • Chapter 13 - How to think like a leader
    • Trade minds with the people you want to influence
    • In everything, put other people first
    • Think improvement in everything you do
    • Take time out with yourself and spend time thinking alone