How Successful People Think - Change your thinking, Change your life: John C Maxwell

My first full audio book, and 93rd of 2021 was How Successful People Think - Change your thinking, Change your life: John C Maxwell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjoJAHcGcP0

INTRODUCTION  

• Are you already doing good thinking?
• Changed thinking is difficult. - Only dandruff is on top of your head. Thinking is handwork, so few people do it.
• Changed thinking is a worthy investment - Human mind able to think well is a mine. 

To improve thinking:

1. Expose yourself to good inputs. What you put in comes out. Spend time with good thinkers and read good books, keep it in front of you 
2. Expose yourself to good thinkers. Sharp people sharpens one another. 
3. Choose to think good thoughts. Become intentional about the thinking process. Make it a priority. Have a thinking place, and write it down. 
4. Act on your good thoughts . Think things through and follow through.
5. Don't wait until you feel like thinking to do it. Use emotions to create mental momentum. 
6. Repeat the process. One good thought does not make a good life. Have a mine and not sit on one nugget. 

To discover and develop good thoughts:

1. Find a place to think/create your thoughts - for some it's spa, shower, car, garden, bed anywhere it could be. Then thoughts will find place in you.
2. Find a place to shape your thoughts - Stand the test of clarity and questioning. Fine tune them. Learning to write is learning to think. 
3. Find a place to stretch your thoughts - Don't take seed thought to solution, without discussing with others, good to have a team. The right thought+people+environment+time = right result
4. Fine a place to land your thoughts - Great ideas need landing gears and wings.  Land your idea first with yourself. Before teaching ask Do I believe it, leave it and want others to believe it? No idea will fly if the influencers will not take it. 
5. Find a place to fly your thoughts 

Skills need for thinking are the chapters which tell how to think, some you do well others you don't, shared thinking will compensate for week area:

1. CULTIVATE BIG-PICTURE THINKING: Become a good listener. Listening will help you grow. People recognize they don't know lot of things. Will help you know other persons perspective. It will help you live with wholeness. They expand their experience and world. They become tolerant. This will allow you 1) to lead see the vision before the people do , help people be good and show them where to go. Help connect future to past to make a meaningful journey. Finest hour of a persons life, is the moment when he realise why he was born. 2) Keeps you on target: Have focus, 3) See what others see. 4) Promotes team work 5) You will not be caught up in the mundane. 6) Chart, uncharted territory. Look beyond the immediate. How to acquire this wisdom? Keep in mind 1) Don't strive for certainty. Be okay with ambiguity. Be able to deal with complex and diverse idea 2) Learn from every experience - success and failure, be teachable. 3) Gain insight from a variety of people, be selective. 4) Give yourself permission to expand your world. Don't be in boxes or married to status co. Find new worlds to conquer. When your world gets bigger celebrate. Keep learning, growing. Thinking questions: Am I thinking beyond myself to be wholistic? 
2. ENGAGE IN FOCUSED THINKING  : He did each thing as he did nothing else is was said of Charles Dickenson. It removed distraction and mental clutter. It will help 1) Harness energy to desired goal. 2) Gives ideas time to develop. Be selective and not expansive. 3) Brings clarity to the target 4) Will take you to the next level. - Leadership, creativity, communication and networking are the priorities, where author apply focused thinking. Found based on strength, return, joy, exceptional opportunity. Charlie Brown - Immediate goal. Develop your dream. How can you stay focused? 1) Remove distractions - practice priorities, eat the frog; insulate yourself from distractions,  2) Make time for focused thinking - don't multi task. Focus on one task at a time. 3) Keep items of focus/concentration before you. 4) Set Goals. - Written. Gives direction. They should be clear, close, helpful. 5) Question your progress - Find one thing you do well, and don't do anything else. 10-80-10 principles, be in the beginning and end - put cherry on the top. Be well rounded. be willing to give up some of the thing you love . Am I dedicated to remove clutter to concentrate on real issues?
3. HARNESS CREATIVE THINKING : Creativity is pure gold. It's not original thinking, its composite of other thoughts that comes along the way. Characteristics of Creative thinker are, they value ideas, they don't relay on talent alone, are disciplined. They explore options. They embrace ambiguity. They celebrate offbeat path, is able to make connections. Think - collect - create - connect. They don't fear failure. Creativity = Failure. It needs willingness to look stupid. 5 specific things that creative thinking can do 1) It adds value to everything, See what all have seen, do what no body had done, 2) It compounds giving time and focus. 3) Draws people to you and your idea. 4) Helps to learn more, have options. It's teach ability. 5) It challenge the status quo. How to discover the joy of creative thinking? 1) Remove creativity killers  - ask questions, be different, be foolish, know there are different ways, 2) Ask right questions - If you don't ask why this, someone will ask why you? 3) Develop a creative environment . Risks failure. Trusts come from there. Nurture the nuts. Energy , ideas and laughter would be around you and there will be inventions and innovations. Dreams give power, goals give focus. 4) Spend time with other creative people. It's contagious. 5) Get out of your box. Read. People need not be born, it can be created. Am I be wiling to break out of the box and be creative? 
4. EMPLOY REALISTIC THINKING  - First job of a leader is to define reality. Difference between what we wish and what is. Optimistic people might not feel a need, but it will add value 1) minimize downside risks - you can plan for worst scenario. 2) gives you a target and game plan. Hope is not a strategy. 3) It's a catalyst for change. 4) Provides security 5) Gives you credibility. 6) Provides a foundation to build on by taking over the wish factor. 7)  Friend to those in trouble. - dealing with failure if it happens - it gives something concrete. 8) Brings dream to fruitation. - How to realize the importance of realistic thinking? 1) Develop appreciation for truth - it will first make you angry and then set you free 2) Do your homework , your cant think in the absence of facts, it need not be original, but should be solid. 3) Think through the pros and cons. 4) Picture the worst case scenario. 5) Align your thinking with your resources. Am I building foundation on facts with certainty? 
5. UTILIZE STRATEGIC THINKING - Most people spend time planning their summer vacation than their life. Plan your life, live your plan. have time for thinking, writing, entertainment, travel, and time for unexpected. Help maximize strength, benefits are numerous. 1) Simplifies the difficult. Simplify the management of everyday life. 2) Prompts you to ask right question - direction, organization, cash, refinement, etc.  3) Prompts customization - 4) Prepares today for uncertain tomorrow 5) Reduces the margin of error. 6) influence with others - One with plan is one with power Guidelines to practice : 1) Break down the issue - how you do it does not matter, doing it matter. 2) Ask why before how - 3) Identify the real issues and objectives. Remove personal agenda 4) Review your resources. 5) Develop your plan. Start with the obvious. Obvious elements build mental momentum. Build on the fundamentals. 6) Put the right people in the right place. Look what happens if you miscalculate. Person, place and plan need to be right. 7) Keep repeating the process. It's like showering. Am I implementing strategic plan to increase my potential for tomorrow? 
6. EXPLORE POSSIBILITY THINKING -  It increase your possibility - Embarrassing to see others do what you said, cannot be done. It will draw possibility and people to you. It increases others possibilities. It allows you to dream big dreams. Your dreams will grow from mole hill to mountain. It will help you rise above the average. It will give you energy. Eg. Winston Churchil  Keeps you from giving up. Determination+Possibility thinking+Talent+Knowing your craft. Begin by following these 1) Stop focusing on the impossibilities. 2) Stay away from the experts. Never tell a young person that something cannot be done.  3) Look for possibilities in every situation. Its easy to look at bad, look for good in what other people are doing and apply it. All it takes is the right attitude and anyone can cultivate it. 4) Dream one size bigger than you usually do. 5) Question the status quo. 6) Find inspiration from great achievers. Am I unleashing the enthusiasm of possibility thinking for getting solutions?
7. LEARN FROM REFLECTIVE THINKING - To doubt or believe everything is same. Most people act, rather than think. It is valuable exercise to visit past as 1) It gives you true perspective - what did you like best, what did you learn? - Will give experience - and not take things for granted. 2) It gives emotional integrity. 3) Increases your confidence in decision making. 4) Clarifies the big picture. 5) makes good experience valuable. Experience is a jewel because of the insights it give. How to embrace the lessons of reflective thinking? 1) Set aside time for reflection. 2) Remove your self from distractions, it needs solitude. 3) Regularly review your calendar or journal. 4) Ask the right questions 5) Convert learnings to action. Be intentional. Reflective thinking have 3 values - connect, gives direction for future. Am I regularly visiting the past to gain true perspective and gain understanding. 
8. QUESTION POPULAR THINKING  - I am not an answering machine, I am a questioning machine. If we had all the answers, then why so much of mess? Good thinking, intentional thinking, focused thinking, creative thinking, realistic thinking, strategic thinking, reflective thinking, popular thinking and all other kinds of thinking are ignored. Start being prepared to be unpopular thinking. Popular thinking means not thinking. The problem is 1) it does not require you to think at it. Good thinking is hard work. 2) It offers false hope. There is a difference between acceptance and intelligence. 3) Slow to embrace change. 4) Brings only average results. Popular=Normal=Average How to question the acceptance of popular thinking? Its  not difficult. Get started by 1) Think before you follow. Unpopular thinking has the seeds of vision and popularity.  2) Appreciate those thinking different from your own. 3) Continuously question the way you think. Greatest enemy to tomorrows success is today's success. Every tradition would have been revolution, but may not be good for the future. 4) Try new things in new ways. Ask questions and seek answers. 5) Get used to being uncomfortable . Thinking question. Am I rejecting uncommon questions? 
9. BENEFIT FROM SHARED THINKING - None of us is as good as all of us. 1) Shared thinking is faster than solo thinking. 2) It is more innovative. 3) It brings more maturity. 4) It is stronger than solo thinking. Two heads are better than one, if going in the same direction. A synergy comes in. 5) Returns greater value. - Relationship/interdependence. 6) Shared thinking is the way to great thinking. Steps to harness the ability - 1) Value the ideas of others. Hurting people hurt people. Do you value people? Open yourself to the ideas of sharing idea. 2) Move from competition to cooperation. Praise the idea than the source of the idea. 3) Have an agenda when you meet people. 4) Get the right people around the table. Choose people who can handle change, appreciate others strength, place what is best for the team before themselves, people who possess maturity, who will take ownership. Who we invite to the table make difference. 5) Compensate good thinkers who value others who are emotionally secure. Nothing adds value like lot of good thinkers together. Good leadership can put together right people at right time at the right place for the right purpose. Am I using the heads of others to get compounding result? 
10. PRACTICE UNSELFISH THINKING -  1) It brings personal fulfilment, great satisfaction 2) Adds value to others. 3) Encourages other virtues. 4) Increases quality of life. There is no life as empty as the self centered life. 5) Serve and profits will follow - Instead of trying to be great, be part of something great. 6) Learn - Earn - Return: These are stages of life, each leading to the other. Unselfish act lives legacy. How to experience the satisfaction of unselfish thinking? 1) Put others first. It needs humility and shift in focus.  Humility means not thinking less of oneself, but thinking less about oneself 2) Expose to situation where people need. 3) Give quietly and anonymously. 4)  Invest in people unintentionally. How relationship play out - If only one wins, its only once, if both win, we win many time, if both lose, we lose partnership. 5) Continually check your motives. What seems to be generosity is disguised ambition. People want to put themselves first. Check motives? - Ask daily morning and night: What good am I going to do today? What good have I done today? Give while you live. Be ashamed to die, until you have done something for humanity. Am I continually considering others, and their journey for maximum collaboration? 
11. RELY ON BOTTOM-LINE THINKING - How would you figure out the bottom line? Profit determine whether you are succeeding? Not always. Highest potential is determined not always in terms of money. What is our business, who is our customer? What is the value you  give? Identify the mission. When you are clear about the mission goals flow from it. Make activities relevant to the current culture. 1) It provides great clarity. 2) It helps you assess every situation. 3) Helps you make the best decisions. 4) Generates high morale. Hitting target is exhilarating. 5) Ensures your future. To be successful tomorrow, think of your bottom line today. How to enjoy the returns of bottom line thinking. Learning to become one is challenging 1) Identify the real bottom line. Be specific as possible. Satisfy the wants. Set aside emotions and remove politics. 2) Make bottom line the point. 3) Create a strategic plan to achieve the bottom line. Identify the core elements 4) Align team members with the bottom line. All team members should know the big goal, and how to achieve it. 5) Stick to one system and monitor result continuously. Changing leads to failure. Working and achieving should be way of life.  Am I staying focused on the bottom line to achieve the maximum result? 

Quotes:

“Dont ever be impressed with goal setting; be impressed with goal getting. Reaching new goals and moving to a higher level of performance always requires change, and change feels awkward. But take comfort in the knowledge that if a change doesn't feel uncomfortable, then it's propably not really a change.”

“Success comes to those who have an entire mountain of gold that they continually mine, not those who find one nugget and try to live on it for fifty years. To become someone who can mine a lot of gold, you need to keep repeating the process of good thinking.”
― John C. Maxwell, How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

Listening to a great author's masterpiece is a great privilege we have today. Hope this would help find  niche in contributing to the betterment of our world.

Thank you to the people who are behind this idea.