How Successful People Think

Author – John C. Maxwell

Date Started – 29 July 2021

Data Finished – 11 August 2021

The Book in 3 Sentences

  1. CULTIVATE BIG PICTURE THINKING: Measuring your progress against your own personal best is vastly different from comparing yourself to others and this is a trademark difference in the way successful people think. Your goal isn’t to compete with other people. Your goal isn’t to be better than other people. Instead, your goal is to be the very best version of yourself that you can be.

  2. NEVER STOP LEARNING: Successful people understand that, in order to be successful, you must constantly adapt. Because as you adapt, you learn what does and doesn’t work. You learn to reject unhealthy thoughts and habits and replace them with better ones.

  3. GETTING PRIORITIES IN ORDER: It’s easy to get lost in the to-do lists as they don’t work on their own until and unless you work on them. Categorizing your plans in terms of “aims,” “objectives,” and “targets.” and priorities them in accordance will drive more success.

In Summary – All you have to do is cultivate big-picture thinking, give yourself the freedom to fail, never stop learning, and put your priorities in the correct order. That’s all there is to it!

Impressions

The school system has us wired to believe there’s only one answer to each question, but that’s not the case. Instead of looking for the one, the only option, think about how you can find the best out of many. That’s what creative people do.

How the Book Changed Me

  • Reaffirms my thought process on: ”Not knowing something is an opportunity to learn!” So, we should not be afraid to ask someone else for advice; chances are, they’ll be happy to let you learn from them.

My Top 3 Quotes

  • “If we dig deeper and find our greatest strengths, we can defeat our problems.”
  • “Thinking is hard” that’s why so few succeed” – Albert Einstein
  • “Stop being afraid to look silly!”

Who should read it

It’s one of many books on leadership and success. Don’t treat it as a checklist of habits to pick up but as a book which emphasizes of thinking – big-picture, focused, creative, realistic, strategic, possibility, reflective, popular, etc.

So anyone who needs a nudge on creative thinking and how it could help them in their journey.

Additional Notes

The 11-skillset program one should strive to possess:

  • Seeing the Wisdom of Big-Picture Thinking
  • Unleashing the Potential of Focused Thinking
  • Discovering the Joy of Creative Thinking
  • Recognizing the Importance of Realistic Thinking
  • Releasing the Power of Strategic Thinking
  • Feeling the Energy of Possibility Thinking
  • Embracing the Lessons of Reflective Thinking
  • Questioning the Acceptance of Popular Thinking
  • Encouraging the Participation of Shared Thinking
  • Experiencing the Satisfaction of Unselfish Thinking
  • Enjoying the Return of Bottom-Line Thinking