| TAKE ACTION: Big thinkers understand the value of various strategies. Go to your notes to consider your strategies. 
"Big thinking always precedes big achievement." -SMB 1. Check your assumptions and expectations periodically. False assumptions will cause you to be "stuck" and unable to access your creativity. They will stop your imagination. And, if they are wrong, your assumptions can halt your efforts before they begin. Here's what you can do:  State your assumptions about your mission
Decide on their validity Outline any actions you need to take to change or validate your assumptions State your new expectations for the future To get a "reality check" on your assumptions, make a statement about what you believe to be true about: Yourself (health, spiritual beliefs, educational status) Your relationships (spouse, children, family, friends, associates) Your work or career (future, income, fulfillment, challenges) Your company or group (responsibilities, skills, time management, communication) 2. Develop and define your personal philosophy. "Your philosophy of life is larger than your mission statement. It will strengthen your resolve and help you recognize outside pressures that ay be harmful to your mission. A statement of your personal philosophy should express the meaning of your life and what you want to make a difference about." "The very act of beginning to cultivate your life philosophy will add depth to your mission. This philosophy is the springboard of your power as a big thinker." -SMB 3. Challenge tradition and prevailing wisdom. You don't have to be a renegade, or even be too quick to make radical changes. However, you should always question prevailing thought and have the courage to discover how to improve on the status quo. " — 'This is how we have always done it.' That's one statement you can't afford to make if you are to make a difference.... when you examine tradition, you will discover ways to improve the way you do things." "When you have the courage to challenge tradition, some very exciting things can happen." -SMB 4. Nurture curiosity. Try these approaches: Look up. Most people are too busy "looking down," preoccupied with their busy moments, to lift their heads and see what's above and around them. Look at what's going on around you. Reroute yourself. Learn from the young. Play — 'That's impossible!' Ask why, not HOW! Ignore the — 'right' answers. Learn when to take a break. "Curiosity of one of the ingredients for being a big thinker....the internal voice that prompts us to do better or hags us that something is not right. This discontent can motivate you to seek new answers, new approaches — sometimes with sublime results. Leaders nurture this kind of curiosity in themselves and others, welcoming the mental gymnastics of looking at things backwards, upside down and inside out. They enjoy being curious." -SMB 5. Look for Simplicity. It's easy for leaders to complicate the situation in their enthusiasm about it. Effective leaders are mindful of the importance to keep processes and (especially) communication clean and simple. "People can see how to complete a larger task if you explain and define it in workable segments." -SMB | 
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