The review of Chapter 1&2 of The Book "How Successful People Think"

Book Information

Author                : John C. Maxwell

Title                    : How Successful People Think

Publisher            : Hachette Book Group

Year                    : 2009       

Thickness           : 127 Pages

Sentence-Summary: How Successful People Think lays out eleven specific ways of thinking you can practice to live a better, happier, more successful life.

 The Review :

Chapter 1 ; Cultivate Big-Picture Thinking

“Where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches, or pounds, or college degrees, or family background; they are measured by the size of their thinking.” —DAVID SCHWARTZ

When somebody like Jack Welch tells a GE employee that the ongoing relationship with the customer is more important than the sale of an individual product, he’s reminding them of the big picture. Big-picture thinking can benefit any person in any profession. Big-picture thinking brings wholeness and maturity to a person’s thinking. It brings perspective. It’s like making the frame of a picture bigger, in the process expanding not only what you can see, but what you are able to do.

If you spent time with big-picture thinkers, you will find that they learn continually. Big-picture thinkers are never satisfied with what they already know. They are always visiting new places, reading new books, meeting new people, learning new skills. And because of that practice, they often are able to connect the unconnected. They are lifelong learners. In addition, they always listen intentionally when they meet with people who can do things you can’t. It’s a great way to partner and have an agenda with them so that you can learn. If you want to become a better big-picture thinker, then become a good listener.

After becoming a good listener, big–picture thinkers usually try to take the other person’s perspective. Big-picture thinkers realize there is a world out there besides their own, and they make an effort to get outside of themselves and see other people’s worlds through their eyes. Beside that, becoming a big-picture thinker can help you to live with wholeness, to live a very fulfilling life.

So, what benefit that you can get if you were be a big-picture thinker? The first is big-picture thinking allows you to lead better. Leaders who see the big picture discern possibilities as well as problems to form a foundation to build the vision. Once leaders have done that, they can sketch a picture of where the team is going, including any potential challenges or obstacles. The second is it keeps you on target so that you have to be focused when you want to get things done. Another beneficial is it allows you to see what others see, promotes teamwork, keeps you from being caught up in the mundane, and helps you to chart uncharted territory.

Well, to become a good thinker better, we should keep in mind the following suggestions: don’t strive for certainty, learn from every experience, gain insight from a variety of people, and give yourself permission to expand your world. The last message given by the author in this chapter is “Keep learning, keep growing, and keep looking at the big picture! If you desire to be a good thinker, that’s what you need to do.”

Chapter 2 ; Engage  in  Focused        Thinking

“He did each thing as if he did nothing else.” —SPOKEN OF NOVELIST CHARLES DICKENS

Sociologist Robert Lynd observed that “knowledge is power only if a man knows what facts are not to bother about.” Focused thinking removes distractions and mental clutter so that you can concentrate on an issue and think with clarity. Focused thinking can do several things for you , including :

1.    Focused thinking harnesses energy toward a desired goal

Focus can bring energy and power to almost anything, whether physical or mental. The greater the difficulty of a problem or issue, the more focused thinking time is necessary to solve it.

2.    Focused thinking gives ideas time to develop

To take ideas to the next level, you must shift from being expansive in your thinking to being selective. The author has discovered that a good idea can become a great idea when it is given focus time.

3.    Focused thinking brings clarity to the target

The author assumes that golf is the presence of clear goals because to be a good golfer, a person needs to focus on a clear target. The same is true in thinking. Focus helps you to know the goal—and to achieve it.

4.    Focused thinking will take you to the next level

The only way to get to the next level is to focus. No matter whether your goal is to increase your level of play, sharpen your business plan, improve your bottom line, develop your subordinates, or solve personal problems, you need to focus.

WHERE SHOULD YOU FOCUS YOURTHINKING?

Does every area of your life deserve dedicated, focused thinking time? Of course, the answer is no. Be selective, not exhaustive, in your focused thinking. Here are a few suggestions to help you figure them out:

1.    Identify your priorities

There are many ways to determine priorities. It begins by focusing on your strengths (the things that make best use of your skills and God-given talents) and focusing on what brings the highest return and reward. Do what you enjoy most and do best. Another way is to focus on exceptional opportunities that promise a huge return.

2.    Discover your gifts

Spend some time reflecting on past successes. If you’re going to focus your thinking in your areas of strength, you need to know what they are.

3.    Develop your dream

If you want to achieve great things, you need to have a great dream. If you’re not sure of your dream, use your focused thinking time to help you discover it. If your thinking has returned to a particular area time after time, you may be able to discover your dream there

HOW CAN YOU STAY FOCUSED?

Once you have a handle on what you should think about, you must decide how to better focus on it. Here are five suggestions to help you with the process:

1.    Remove distractions by maintaining the discipline of practicing your priorities and insulating yourself from distractions

2.    Make time for focused thinking

3.    Keep items of focus before you

4.    Set goals that clear enough to be kept in focus, close enough to be achieved, and helpful enough to change lives

5.    Question your progress from time to time.