"The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest person with the smallest mind. Think big anyway." --Mother Teresa

Recently I was able to attend one of the National Association of Women Writers (NAWW) regional events. It was a lot of fun to see girlfriends I hadn't seen in a while and it was very exciting to hear how far their lives and/or writing careers had progressed.

As we discussed their changes and future goals, I brainstormed with the members how they could get more visitors to their websites, repackage information into new products, and so on.

I decided after this meeting that thinking bigger is one of the most important components to reaching your goals. It doesn't happen overnight, believe me I know. It is a growth process. So here is a little help and some gentle direction to get you thinking bigger--faster:

1) One of the fastest ways to get where you want to be is to surround yourself with the people that are already there! You must invest in networking organizations that have members you can learn from and then you need to "network." And if you are like me, time management is a huge factor in your life. Networking online is a wonderful way to save time and get in touch with a global market. Build a mastermind team and meet regularly. Again it takes time to find the right people, but you won't find them if you don't start looking for them right now.

2) Get a coach. Having someone who is experienced in your industry is invaluable. Good coaches will hold you accountable and they will push you past your small thinking. Not to mention how much money they will save you as they prevent you from making costly mistakes as you progress through your career.

3) Attend seminars, workshops, and teleseminars every week. I know--where will you find the time? If I can do it, so can you. I have three school-aged kids and a new baby, and I run two organizations. I not only host teleseminars, I attend them every week too. I love learning via the Internet because it is so flexible. I have a headset and I just put it on mute so I can listen while I tend to other tasks. (Sometimes I even do the laundry or the dishes while I am learning.) The point is: I find the time to learn how to think bigger every week.