Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
The Magic of Thinking Big summary
David J. Schwartz
Read this to succeed at anything – really
19 mins
Brief summary
The Magic of Thinking Big teaches us how to set high goals and achieve them through positive thinking and strategic action. It provides practical advice to boost confidence, overcome obstacles, and unlock our fullest potential.
Topics
Table of Contents
The Magic of Thinking Big
Summary of 9 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 9
If you believe you can accomplish your goals, others will start supporting and believing you too.
Everyone has goals throughout their lives. These range from small tasks, like cleaning out the garage before the weekend, to life-changing achievements, like saving $20,000 in ten years.
When you are ready to start working toward your goals, you may wonder. How do I even begin?
The best approach to overcoming this daunting question is to start by believing in yourself. This means honing a mindset in which you feel 100 percent capable of doing anything you set your mind to.
This works because once you start truly believing you can accomplish something, the mind releases creative power – the mental focus necessary for finding ways to accomplish your goals.
The more you believe in yourself, the more creative power is released. This means even the most challenging goals, like becoming vice president of your company, become feasible as long as your level of belief matches the task’s difficulty.
Believing in yourself also creates another great advantage: other people start believing in you too.
This is what a study by the McKinsey Foundation for Management Research found. They interviewed business, government, science and religious leaders to see what types of people they preferred to work with.
And their most desired trait in a candidate?
A sheer desire to get ahead – a trait which is contingent on how much a person believes in themselves.
This desire, or belief, is what societal leaders associate with success. It’s what keeps individuals motivated, regardless of any hurdles they encounter. This is a perfect quality in a candidate because it means they won’t give up.
By simply believing you can succeed, your mental power will shift to help you get the job done, and as a byproduct you’ll create a support system by inspiring others to place confidence in you.
Want to see all full key ideas from The Magic of Thinking Big?
Key ideas in The Magic of Thinking Big
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is The Magic of Thinking Big about?
The Magic of Thinking Big (1959) unveils why believing in ourselves is a pivotal key to success, and how we’re each capable of achieving any of the goals we’ve always dreamed of. The author’s methodology is supported by his work as a professor and leadership counselor, as well as by his innumerable interactions with people and businesses that have seen both sides of the success-failure coin.
Who should read The Magic of Thinking Big?
- Anyone who wants to know how successful people become successful
- Anyone who’s interested in achieving their goals – whether short term or lifelong
- Anyone who wants a method for sustaining long-term happiness
Categories with The Magic of Thinking Big
Book summaries like The Magic of Thinking Big
Active Listening Techniques
Nixaly Leonardo
30 Practical Tools to Hone Your Communication Skills
19 min
Words on the Move
John McWhorter
Why English Won’t – and Can’t – Sit Still (Like, Literally)
21 min
4.5
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
33 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth