The world's most successful people have one thing in common: they think differently from everyone else.
This is how John C. Maxwell introduces his New York Times bestseller, How Successful People Think (he's also written a ton of leadership books, which have sold around 19 million copies worldwide).
Because we also believe that positive thinking will change your life, we picked up a copy from Barnes & Noble. Here are the best takeaways.
Thinking is a discipline. If you want to be better at it, you've got to work at it.
Figure out where you need to focus your energy, and then use the 80/20 rule.
Devote 80% of your energy to the most important 20% of your activities. Remember that you can't be everywhere, know everyone, and do everything. And avoid multitasking: it can cost you 40% efficiency.
Smart thinkers expose themselves to different ideas and types of people.
It's one thing to have an idea, another to follow through. "Ideas have a short shelf life. You must act on them before the expiration date."
Thoughts need time to develop. Don't just settle on the first thing that comes to mind.
Reject popular thinking (which often means not thinking at all).
and finally
Get over negative self talk. Winners think in terms of "I will" and "I can". Positive thinking is a key to SUCCESS.
