“The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief.”
– David J. Schwartz.
Last week we examined a number of mindsets and how they can impact your comfort zone. This week we are going to look at boundaries and choose the ones we want to change. By change we mean expand. Get ready to think big!
Let’s look at change and expansion in terms of what you truly want, not what you think you ought to want. A big distinction.
Most feel their ability to achieve success is limited. Sure, there are a lot of things they want in life, great relationships, a high-paying dream job, a fabulous car, and luxurious vacation home, but they just don’t think it’s possible. So, they let their dreams fade and settle for what they believe is realistic.
The problem is, if you think small, you will only achieve small, but if you think big you open doors to possibilities you may have only dreamed of. So, how do you become a big thinker, expand your boundaries, and achieve greater things in life?
Allow Yourself To Dream
Let yourself dream big, including the most impossible dreams you can think of. Use your imagination and picture yourself already where you want to be whether it’s owning all the amazing possessions you could possibly want or making an impact on the world.
Visualization is a powerful tool because it can elicit positive feelings. When you combine positive thoughts with positive feelings amazing things begin to happen. Not only will you be prompted into action, but you will find all sorts of opportunities begin to appear at your door. Life becomes easier and the success you’re searching for seems within reach. Imagine all the good things that can happen. Think about how you will feel when things start falling into place and all your doubts begin to fade away.
As Napoleon Hill said, “Whatever the mind can conceive, it can achieve.”
Write Down What You Want
According to scientists, people deal with 70,000 thoughts a day, so your mind is bound to bury a lot of details. Write down your dreams and post them somewhere you can easily see them and always be reminded of what you are striving for.
Break down your goals into smaller measurable accomplishments or milestones, which will help you believe that your big dreams are possible to achieve. Writing your dreams down brings a sense of clarity and opens you up to opportunities you may have previously overlooked.
Know Your WHY
What drives you to take action? Why do you want to achieve a certain goal? What’s in it for you? Define your why as a way to fuel your imagination and trigger your motivation. (Hint: your WHYs can usually be found in your values.) When you know WHY you want to achieve your dreams, you’ll start to figure out the WHAT and the HOW.
Make Time to Just Think
If you’re always busy and occupied with all the things on your to-do list, you’ll have no time to dream. If you want to be a big thinker, you need to allocate time for thinking. Squeeze it into your calendar, ideally when you’re most creative.
Turn off the radio when you’re driving and just allow your thoughts to surface. Fix yourself breakfast each day and permit yourself to sit, eat, and think in peace and quiet (a great way to start the day). Free your imagination and allow yourself to think big. 15 minutes a day can make a world of difference. Just let your thoughts flow freely. If they don’t come easily, don’t worry. Practice makes perfect. Try again tomorrow.
Take The Next Steps
Often what limits people from thinking big is doubting what they want is possible…why bother? Their doubts lead to procrastination at best and immobility at worst. The key to overcoming this roadblock is simply taking the first step, no matter how small, and then taking the next one.
When you consistently act on your goals, little by little you see them become reality. Ultimately, you will reach an enlightened moment, a tipping point, when they no longer feel impossible to reach and thinking big feels natural. You will find that almost anything is possible when you take action.
Believe Nothing Is Impossible
If you believe in a higher power, the universe, or some unseen force, you know that nothing is impossible. While it’s easier to stay practical and realistic, that will prevent you from thinking big. Remember, when you think small, you achieve small. Thinking big requires entertaining the impossible.
Winston Churchill said, “The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”
Keep Yourself Motivated
Stay inspired and motivated so you can continue to think big and strengthen your belief that nothing is impossible. Read more books and the success stories of other people. This will expand your knowledge and ability to think big because you see other people achieving amazing things, perhaps some of the same things you want. If you don’t already, start reading or listening to audiobooks. Reading transforms your thinking, shifts your perspective, and broadens your imagination.
Connect with positive and successful people to increase your motivation. You’ll gain insights into their experience, which may resonate with what you’re going through. Network with big thinkers and your way of thinking also becomes big. You become like the people you hang out with the most.
Be Comfortable With The Uncomfortable
Get out of your comfort zone. When your goals don’t excite you, it means you’re not thinking big enough. Face your fears and start getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Remember, growth begins outside your comfort zone. Be curious, explore, and take risks.
The above list of tips for thinking big addresses some of the boundaries we all encounter when reaching for more in life. Reread each of the tips above and imagine the boundaries that have surfaced for you.
Choose the tips you want to put into action so you can expand your boundaries and your comfort zone. Get specific. Pull out a sheet of paper and make three columns.
- On the left, list something you want to achieve. Think BIG.
- In the middle, describe the boundary as it exists in your mind today.
- On the right, come up with one small step that will start you on the journey to achieving your dream
- Take it one step further and come up with a belief statement to support it
For example:
| My Dream | The Boundary | One Small Step |
| In my professional life, I want to write a book | It will take forever | Write a description of the concept I want to explore in my book |
Belief Statement: I have a great idea and I want to share it with the world.
Whenever you encounter a new boundary or limiting belief related to that dream, list it on your sheet and think of one small step to move past that boundary and a belief statement to support it. Keep this up and before you know it, your dream will start to materialize.
Everybody wants to achieve something significant in life. You are always thinking anyway, so why not think bigger than you have in the past? Become a big thinker and achieve great things in any or all aspects of your life.
Thanks for reading. See you next week.
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