Think Huge by Mark Arnold

Patrick Henry Hughes is Thinking Huge

Note: Thanks to Tom McWilliams for sending the video link to this inspiring story.

Below is a video that illustrates how one young man is a living example of someone who is thinking huge; he has persevered more than most folks could possibly endure to live his passion. Both father and son are amazing.

Note that of his disability, Patrick says, “It’s more ability than disability.”

 

Think Huge!

Start New Year by Thinking Huge

Welcome to 2010!

 

As the New Year begins, there is no better time to Think Huge. We’re already several days into January and many of us are off and running. Activity and business, however, does not always mean success.

 

As we said in the book, Think Huge means, “Going many steps beyond where you are today and pushing past your comfort zone. In other words, not limiting yourself. We sometimes put an invisible ceiling on what we can accomplish in life. Thinking huge means removing those barriers and accomplishing our dreams and ambitions. Maybe you want to be the teacher of the year. Or the top salesperson. Or the CEO. Or a more involved parent. Or a more loving spouse. Or _______. You fill in the blank with what areas you want to think huge.”

 

You are probably thinking (or have already set) your goals for 2010. One way to set goals this year is to break them into the six Think Huge areas:

 

• Vision
• People
• Passion
• Time
• Perseverance
• Learning

 

Here are some questions to consider in each area and then examples you can use for your 2010 goals:

 

(1)    Vision

 

Do you have a vision statement for your life, department, organization, etc.? One goal might be to write your six word personal and/or professional vision statement.

 

(2)    People

 

Who do you want to be close to or get to know this year? For example, there may be a family member you want to reach out to, an old friend to reconnect with, or a child you want to hang out with more.

 

(3)    Passion

 

Is there a particular hobby or interest you want to develop more this year? Maybe this is the year you buy the Harley! One of my passions is to speaking so one of my 2010 passion goals is to do multiple Think Huge presentations (if you want to book me, click here—how’s that for a shameless self-plug!).

 

(4)    Time

 

How can you maximize your time in 2010? Maybe it’s to reduce the number of meetings you are in or to better streamline your meetings. Other time goal examples could include spending “x” number of hours a week for yourself, spending less hours at work, or improving a particular skill you have by practicing it more.

 

(5)    Perseverance

 

Is there some area of your life you are discouraged and want to quit? Don’t give up—persevere. Perseverance goal examples could be running a marathon or half marathon, finishing school, changing your job if you’re unhappy, improving your marriage, etc.

 

(6)    Learning

 

If you’re not learning, you’re not growing. What are you going to learn this year? Examples include taking a college class, reading one business book per month, attending a conference, etc.

 

 

You probably have multiple goals for 2010. Hopefully you have some in all six Think Huge areas. What Think Huge goals have you set for 2010? Please share yours in the comments section below.

 

Think Huge!

Think Huge Lessons From UT's Championship Loss

Note: I am a University of Texas Longhorn alumnus so this post is written from that viewpoint (no offense to you Alabama folks, who deserve many congratulations on your great win)

I was all decked out in my burnt orange UT gear for the national championship game: burnt orange pants, two burnt orange shirts (it was cold!), UT socks and even burnt orange slippers. Then five plays into the game, disaster struck when Colt McCoy went out with a game-ending shoulder injury.

As I watched the rest of the national championship game (and Colt’s interview after the game) in agony, I realized there were several  Think Huge lessons the game illustrated:

Think Perseverance

One of the six Think Huge principles is “think perseverance.” In the book, we note that “thinking huge is not a ‘name it and claim it’ gospel. You will encounter trials in your life and that chapter helps with tools for overcoming those obstacles.”

Last night, the ‘Horns encountered a major early obstacle: the loss of the quarterback with the most wins in college football history. But they didn’t give up. They could have easily rolled over and quit. A lot of teams would. Instead they fought and fought and fought. Even with a true freshman quarterback, UT closed the score to 24-21 with under five minutes to go. But then Alabama’s defense took over the game.

As commentator Kirk Herbstreit said after the game, “They never gave up.”

That is thinking huge. Sure they were deflated after the McCoy injury but they continued to persevere. And that’s what you will have to do in life as you think huge. There are going to be times when you’re going to get knocked out (lose your job, family member get sick, have a mean boss, etc.). But you have a choice: you can fight through those difficulties or rollover and quit. If you think huge, then you’ll never give up.

Think Passion

I hope you stayed up after the game to see Colt’s interview. He said some amazing things that are “Think Huge” principles.

“I love this game,” McCoy said. “I have a passion for this game….I would have given everything I had to been out there.”

Click here to see the full interview:

 

 

Is there anything you would give everything to do? Then that’s your passion. Whatever it is, go do it. Don’t wait. Time is precious.

How do you think Colt feels today? Some may think he feels sad that his college career is over and ended on such a down note. But I’m also betting he has a sense of joy: that for four years he lived his dream by doing his passion of playing college football.

Are you doing your passion? Think Huge offers a passion quiz to help you determine if you’re in the your passion spot or just bidding time.

While losing the  game was disappointing as a fan, it reminded me to think perseverance and think passion.

 

Think Huge!

Adjusting Your Goals

I recently completed the White Rock Marathon in just under four hours. There is good news and bad news in that statement: the good news is I finished; the bad news is it took me four hours (which is 30 minutes slower than what I trained for and was expecting).

Here are some lessons I learned about goals (and missing them) during my fourth marathon:

Adjust Your Goals on the Fly

I was cruising and ahead of my goal pace all the way until mile 17. Then disaster struck. I felt a sharp pain in my right knee and my legs began to feel like mush. It was pretty obvious that a 3:30 marathon was not going to happen.

Let’s be honest: there will be times in your life that you will not reach your goals. So what do you do? Do you get depressed and feel like a failure? Do you quit? No—you adjust your goals.

It may not even be a matter of adjusting your goals. It could be layering your goals. For example, my number one goal for the White Rock Marathon was to not wind up in the medical tent (which happened at the Austin Marathon last year); the second goal was to finish; the third target was to run it in 3:30. So with the layered approach I actually attained my first two goals; it was only the third and final “stretch” goal that I missed.

Let’s be clear: it’s important to set goals for you, your family and your employees. And those goals need to stretch you. However, don’t be a slave to the goal: give yourself some flexibility and adjust if you run into problems outside your control.

Analyze Why You Missed Your Goals

Immediately after finishing the marathon and missing my target time I began to ask questions. What went wrong? What mistakes did I make? What could I have done differently?

If you missed a goal, you should analyze why you didn’t reach it. That involves a lot of questions (both to you and others). For example, I went to multiple online running groups and posted questions about what went wrong. I received a great deal of advice from fellow runners.
If your goal is work related or family oriented and things didn’t go the way you wanted it to, ask others for their thoughts. There are probably others that have walked similar paths you are currently undertaking. Pick their brains. Don’t just sit back and settle for a missed goal: research what you can improve.

Never Give Up

After the knee injury at mile 17 I hit the proverbial marathon wall at mile 20. Not only was my knee hurting, my legs absolutely left me. I had a choice to make: quit or keep going. There will be times in your personal and professional life you’ll have a similar choice to make.

Even if you aren’t able to hit your goal, you should never give up. That is a key Think Huge principle. No matter what is happening, don’t quit. Even if you can’t make your target, finish the task. If you don’t finish a marathon, there is a “DNF” on the results next to your name. That stands for “did not finish.” Don’t ever let there be a “DNF” next to your name with any life goal you set.

Life is like a marathon—there will be times when you don’t hit your goals. But instead of just stopping and feeling sorry for yourself, adjust your goals; analyze why you missed your goals; and never give up.

Think Huge!

Your Job: The Next Scary Movie?

Why do we look forward to watching horror movies? We know that we will be frightened and probably won’t sleep that night, but we continually subject ourselves to this experience.  These movies hook us for two main reasons; the rush of anticipation and fright as well as the thrill of the unknown/unexpected.

The rush from these movies is addictive because it is fun to not know what (or who) is around the corner. Classics such as "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Friday the 13th" use this anticipation to involve the audience with what’s going on. When you feel the urge to shout, “Don’t open that door!” at the screen, then you have been hooked. You are involved in this movie because you know that just behind that door is something scary. The fear of the unexpected keeps you on the edge of your seat.

What if you applied this to your life? Does this rush of not knowing translate into a fear of the unexpected? In your professional life, it may seem silly to think that you should feel this rush often, but this may be the key to career happiness. Your passion should be at the center of your career, with each opportunity providing that rush for you. Allow yourself to Think Huge and experience this. Dedicate your time to finding your professional passion (whether it is at your current job or if you are looking to pursue a new career path). That rush of adrenaline serves as a great motivator for completing the each new task at hand.

Also, unexpected tasks and opportunities should present an exciting challenge, not a fear of the unknown. Looking forward to the next task is a good indicator that you have found your professional passion. Each opportunity provides a unique opportunity to get past the unknown and discover something new about yourself. Now, I am not saying that each day at your job should be like a horror movie (if it is, then you may need to have a chat with your boss), but each new task presents a unique opportunity to learn and grow. Approaching your career with this attitude allows you to Think Huge.

And for those scary movie fans in need of an extra rush of adrenaline, here is a great list of the Top 50 Horror Movies. Remember to Think Huge and feel free to shout back with any feedback.

Finding Your Passion Quiz

Passion, passion.  Everyone wants passion in their jobs and in their employees. Is passion overrated? I don’t think so. In fact, passion is so important it is one of the six tenants of Think Huge. As we said in the book, “you need to love whatever you are doing in life.”

In our book, Think Huge, we spend an entire chapter exploring the issue of passion. But you have to start with finding your passion first. How do you do that?

You take the Passion Quiz. While the complete quiz is contained in the book, below are excerpts centered around four areas (your strengths, your interests, your love, and your assets).

To discover your passion, complete the following quiz. Do the quiz quickly, responding with the answer that first comes to mind. Don’t get bogged down. Just answer the question, what describes you most of the time in most circumstances, no matter how ridiculous it may sound. Come back to your answers in a week. See if you still agree with your initial thoughts. Then come up with any additional ideas you may not have considered at first.

The quiz is divided into four sections. Here are some of the easy questions in each:

—What are my strengths?  

•    What do people frequently compliment or praise you on?
•    What are the things people ask for my help?

  —What are my interests?
•    What are the things I enjoy most?
•    What would I still do even if I won the lottery?
 
 —What do I love?
•    What are things I’ve overcome that others may struggle with?
•    What are some things that bother me deeply?
 
 —What are my assets?
•    What are some things I have done as a job, a volunteer, or through general life experience?
•    What are the things I have education or training to do?
 
In addition to the Passion Quiz, here are some additional questions to help you discover your passion.

•    What do you spend hours reading about?
•    What books and magazines do you buy? Is there a hidden passion in there?

If you want a complete passion quiz, just order the book (sorry for the shameless plug!). Are there other questions you can think of to include? If so, just submit a comment.

Think Huge!

Dubai Proves that Nothing is Impossible

What do you think about when you hear Dubai? Do the words progressive and modern come to mind? Over the past decade, Dubai has progressed from a sandy desert to a tourist hub. It has based its economy on free trade and tourism by thinking huge. Sheikh Zayed Al-Maktoum’s leadership brought these changes because as a leader, he aimed to be progressive and followed through on his goals for the state. Even after his death, his vision is still being implemented through constant change and innovation throughout the state. In one of Al-Maktoum’s interviews, the interviewer asked, “You have the tallest skyscrapers, largest malls, and the highest-rated hotels. Why are you setting records for the tallest and biggest architectural work?” His answer was quite simple, “Why not?”

Innovative projects such as Burj Al Arab, the Palm Trilogy and The World all work together to form a progressive and modern image of Dubai. Some people may have the misconception that the Middle East is not progressive, but when it comes to Dubai, that thought is thrown out the window. Dubai has exceeded all expectations; they have even made it possible to snow in a desert with the Ski Dubai project. They have truly become the desert rose and all within a decade, under one ruler. Continuously, there are more and more projects added to the list.  Right now, an architecture model of a rotating tower (Dynamic Tower) is the going to be the newest edition to the Dubai skyline. This state has continued the vision of Al-Maktoum and the passion to continue progressing ahead of the pack is what keeps Dubai progressive. One man removed ‘impossible’ from his vocabulary and decided to Think Huge.

Do you currently hold a leadership position? You may not be the head of an entire state, but you still have the ability to do great things by thinking huge.  Did you choose to go along with how things are normally done, or do you think about leaving an impression and setting standards for your successors? Think about the roles you may get, whether it is at your workplace, at a place you volunteer for, a student organization, or even at home. You may think your role is small, but you have the ability to make a difference. For added motivation, think about this; Dubai is a dot on the map, but has done such powerful things by thinking huge and using its resources well. Think about how you can leave your mark in the world and take advantage of this opportunity. Set high standards and continue to expand on these. Aim to inspire those around you as well as those that may follow in your footsteps.

Shout back and let me know how you have taken a leadership opportunity and left an impression on the position for others to follow. Remember to Think Huge as a leader!

FIRST GRADERS INSPIRE ADULTS TO DREAM BIG

After hearing this inspiring story from Jenn Bills of PTP NEW MEDIA, I asked her to share it as a guest blogger for the Think Huge blog.

I always look forward to chatting with my friend Britt, a first grade teacher. Of course, I enjoy spending time catching up, but I also enjoy hearing the silly (but very honest) things that her students say. At this age, her students are interested in everything, but have not developed the ‘adult’ censor quite yet. Britt said this refreshing dose of honesty is one of her favorite things about working with this age group.

At my most recent meeting with her, she added that along with honesty, her students still maintain their ability to dream big. She elaborated that their dreams could be grand and huge because they did not even think to add limitations or stipulations. Britt felt that her students opened her eyes and reminded her to Think Huge about her dreams. She said her “Whoa!”  moment came when she let each student say what they wanted to be when they grew up. Doctor, teacher and firefighter were at the top of the list and Britt was moved to see the look of true excitement on each child’s face. Nothing stopped these kids from Thinking Huge, they were open and honest about what they truly wanted to do.

At the end of the this exercise, one of the more outspoken students raised his hand and asked Britt what she wanted to be when she grew up. She laughed, but then realized she actually was what she wanted to be. Her dream was to become a teacher and she succeeded. The sense of satisfaction through a recognition of her passion and having the vision to see it through is why Britt could smile.

Children have the ability to open our eyes and teach us great life lessons, some that we may have even forgotten along the way. In your professional life, are you happy with your career choice? Are you passionate about what you do? If you are unable to answer ‘yes’ to both of these, then take a step back and allow yourself to THINK HUGE. What is your huge dream?  Take a cue from Britt’s first grade students and remind yourself to THINK HUGE!

Overcoming Cynicism

"Cynicism is a lousy strategy."--Seth Godin, author, Tribes

I recently read the above quote in Godin’s book Tribes. It hit home on multiple fronts. Whenever you’ve been doing something for a long time, you can get cynical. If you’ve been doing your job for awhile or served at the same company for any length of time you’ve probably heard these statements (or made them yourself):

• “Nothing ever changes.”
• “We talk about the same stuff over and over again.”
• “Let’s do something different for a change.”

These statements don’t just apply to your job. We can get cynical whether we’re a stay-home mom or a manager of thousands. We can get cynical in our jobs, in our marriages, in our hobbies, in our lives. This can be especially true if we’ve been doing one thing for a long time. So how do you overcome cynicism? Here are a few tips I’ve found useful (and trust me, I have to do this in my own life as well).

(1)    Reflect on your core—Why are you doing what you’re doing? Why are at the job you hold? Why did you marry the person you did? Why do you love your kids? Sometimes when we get cynical we need to reflect on the “why” questions. Maybe you went into sales because you love people and are now burned out. If that’s the case, remember you are in your job to help people. The same principle applies to all areas of your life.

(2)    Catch yourself before making negative statements—Cynicism breeds more cynicism. If you talk negatively don’t expect it to end there. In fact, your cynicism will spread. Swallow those comments before making them.

(3)    Engage in activities that energize you—Whether it’s exercising, playing with your kids, reading a book or something else entirely, when you are doing actions that renew your spirit you are much less likely to turn into a Cynical Cindy. For example, running renews my mind as much as it does my body. When I’m not running on a regular basis I can tell a huge difference in my cynicism meter.

(4)    Take a break—It doesn’t hurt to get away. Of course, you can’t take a break from being a parent or spouse but every now and then it’s important to renew yourself. When it comes to work, be sure you are taking vacations on a regular basis. And there is something about “road trips.” Getting out of town and seeing new things is a great source of doing something different.

(5)    Mix up things—If you feel like nothing ever changes, then make change happen yourself. True change will only start with you. Sit in a different seat (at church, at meetings, etc.), change the meeting agenda, discuss an item everyone is afraid to mention, etc. It doesn’t matter what it is; just do something you haven’t done lately.

Cynicism and burnout are like bear traps. If you’re not careful, you just might step into one and start screaming before you realize what got you.

What else have you done to avoid having cynicism in your life?

Think Huge!

Think Huge With Kerrie Hilton

I first came across Kerrie Hilton on Twitter.  As I do each week, I look for inspirational stories of how others Think Huge and then share them with those who follow me on Twitter.  However, how I found Kerrie’s story was different.  I first saw @12monkeys had congratulated @runkerrierun for her inspirational story.  As I Think People (one of the six Think Huge principals), I joined the conversation and asked @12monkeys to share her story.  Kerrie then sent me a link to her blog post where I was intrigued and excited to see Kerrie living out the six Think Huge principals in her own life.

To begin, Kerrie started out with Think Vision.  One can’t Think Huge unless they know exactly where they want to go. For Kerrie, she had a vision, “I decided to do something, I did it, and as a result I lost 55 lbs. and ran a marathon in 7 months. ”  However, it was not always easy and there were many personal obstacles Kerrie had to overcome.  Kerrie notes, “In Feb. 2009 I was an overweight stay-at-home mom that was happy, but didn’t like the direction ‘my’ life was going in. With 3 kids it’s easy to lose sight of your own needs. ”

Next, Kerrie begin to Think People.  Thinking huge will get one absolutely nowhere unless they involve people in their life.  For Kerrie she had support. “I started a weight loss plan with my friend Jackie’s help and started running, which isn’t something I was ever particularly good at,” Kerrie stated.  In addition, Kerrie also mentioned, “I decided to run a marathon after consulting my husband, who said, “Go for it.” Without the support of my husband and oldest daughter it would not have been possible.”  By having the support of those around her, Kerrie was able to put her vision into action.

As she begin to run the marathon, it became clear to Kerrie that she needed to Think Perseverance.  Thinking huge is not a “name it and claim it” gospel. One will encounter trials in life and thinking huge means overcoming those obstacles.  Kerrie had to do just that and recalls, “Soon, I started to feel sick and by mile 15 I was slowed almost to a walk. It felt like I was running though knee-high mud though I was pushing as hard as I could. This had never happened in training and actually 15 miles became ‘no big deal’ for me. I decided not to panic; no way would I have ‘DNF’ beside my name (the dreaded “did not finish”).”

In reflection of the race, Kerrie realized she had accomplished something incredible was able to Think Learning. One will only grow as much you are learning.  For Kerrie, she mentioned, “This was more incredible than any race I’ve ever run because the training was such a sacrifice and juggling schedules with 3 kids was such a struggle. I learned that no matter how prepared you are, you have to run YOUR OWN race, or the outcome will not be what you expect.”

Throughout her entire marathon journey Kerrie, it was important for Kerrie to Think Time.  Truly thinking huge means we are investing our time in the right way.  Kerrie recalls, “The best part for me was looking at my picture at the end of it all. I went from a size 16 to a 6 and ran a marathon in 7 months.”

Finally, a key reason Kerrie was able to achieve her goal was because she was able to Think Passion.  One needs to love whatever they are doing in life.  Kerrie remembers, “It really was as easy as deciding to do something and then taking the steps to make the changes to get it done. I truly think that anyone can do whatever it is they want as long as they have a goal, motivation, and most of all, support. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things”.

What’s your Think Huge story?  How have you been able to use the six Think Huge principals in your life.  Shout back and leave a comment with your thoughts.  I would love to hear from you.