The Magic Of Thinking Small

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I once heard a success goo-roo preaching thinking BIG.

He went on and on about how all successful people have big goals, big dreams and big plans. And how all success is about thinking big, Big, BIG!

I don’t know about that.

I mean, I get what he was saying.

But there’s tremendous power in thinking small, too. Especially when goal setting — by making goals so ridiculously small, it’s harder NOT to do them than TO do them.

Take for example:

• Writing ads
  

  Kinda hard to have “writers block” if your ONLY goal when sitting down is to write one single word. Or capitalize the first word of each paragraph. Or make sure there’s a period after your sentences, etc.

• Learning new info
  

  Got one of those big tomes about marketing to read through? Client toss a giant new product file in your lap? Gotta learn a new language? Try one SMALL goal just to get started — like turning on your computer, reading ONE page, or sitting down at your desk.

  Small goals easily “snowball” into getting lots of work done.

• Finding bigger clients
  

  As “A List” copywriter David Deutsch revealed in The Copywriting Grab Bag — to get a big fish client, offer to do something small to get in the door.

  Like by offering to write an “about us” page, for example.

• Setting up joint ventures
  

  If you want to JV with someone with a fat list, don’t waste time pitching a big launch goo-roo. Instead, JV with someone with a SMALL list, first.

  Then, as your list (and influence) grows, work your way up.

• Exercise
  

  This works even for getting lean and mean, baby.

  I remember this one guy hitting the gym for the first time. His buddy asked what he wanted to do. The guy’s answer? “My goal was just SHOWING UP. I’ll probably watch TV.” Soon he was bored and hit a few weights, tread mill, etc.

Hey, laugh all you want.

But small thinking like this gets ACTION.

And action gets things done.

I know some of the success goo-roos may not agree — but even the goo-rooest of goo-roos had to start somewhere, right?

And it was probably one small step at a time.

Ben Settle