BIG thoughts create BIG success
Only South African’s will get the joke: “We’re on Stage 2, Wave 3 and Level 4.” As a nation, we are quick to turn to humour in difficult times, but there’s always an underlying sense of frustration. It’s easy to give into despair when the going gets tough, but it’s at these times that we need to challenge ourselves to adopt “big-picture thinking”.
As inspirational author, Paulo Coelho points out: “If you think small, your world will be small. If you think big, your world will be big.”
Research suggests that successful entrepreneurs practice big picture thinking 30% to 48% more of the time than the average population. While we understand this intrinsically, life’s setbacks can result in the big picture shrinking to a small picture if we allow it to.
This is why it’s so important to maintain a big vision for the business. We need to challenge ourselves to constantly think of “what can be” instead of just reacting to “what is”. If we do this, we will continue to grow the business by finding opportunity where others see only misfortune.
In his book, The Magic of Thinking Big, David J. Schwartz says that success is determined not by the size of our brain, but by the size of our thinking. If we want to achieve the extraordinary, we need to broaden our horizons by practicing “Big-Picture Thinking”.
Here’s a summary of his six tips on HOW TO THINK BIG:
- Don't sell yourself short. Conquer the crime of self-deprecation.
- Use the big thinker's vocabulary. Use big, bright, cheerful words.
- Stretch your vision. See what can be, not just what is.
- Get the big view of your job.
- Think above trivial things.
- Grow big by thinking big!
Or as we say in our Kyocera Philosophy, Have an Open Mind: “Always reflect upon another's attitude; and watch oneself. Such a person attracts others of a similar mindset, enabling his or her work to proceed successfully.”
Gareth Fletcher - Corporate Sales Manager - KYOCERA Document Solutions South Africa
