Self-Help
The Magic of Thinking Big
David J. Schwartz, PhD
4.4 (133) 9 min read 6 key ideas
A classic motivational guide arguing that thinking bigger — in goals, self-image, and ambition — is the key differentiator between mediocre and exceptional achievement.
Key takeaways
- Believing You Can Succeed
- Curing Excuse-itis
- Building Confidence Through Action
- Thinking and Speaking in Terms of Success
- Setting Goals Larger Than Present Fears
- Thinking Big as a Daily Practice
Action checklist
- Write down one goal you've been thinking too small about, and expand it
- Replace one 'I can't' thought today with 'how can I?'
- Take one action today that requires acting confidently, even before you feel fully ready
Final takeaway
Schwartz's consistent argument throughout the book is that the specific ceiling most people experience in their achievement reflects self-imposed, but genuinely changeable, patterns of limited thinking — and that deliberately, consistently practicing the specific techniques of curing excuses, building confidence through action, and setting appropriately ambitious goals provides a genuinely learnable path toward achieving considerably more than habitually cautious thinking would otherwise allow.
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