rearrange your patterns of thinking, opening up entirely new perspectives. You’ll see the world through new eyes!
Resist the temptation to skip some chapters because this book provides more than just simple tools; it is about a complete shift in your current perception. We’ll reconfigure your brain’s creative thinking to improve your efficiency and effectiveness. We’ll examine your current way of thinking and we’ll look at how your thought patterns function. We’ll help you focus on the right things, the right way. By the end of this book, you will be able to see opportunities, novel ideas, and potentials where others find only problems. And it will happen automatically, without too much practice. Imagine all the incredible places that a single, really good idea can take you! How will you feel when you discover that you can pull things out of your hat like a magician, leaving people delighted and amazed? This is the journey of your life—as a human being, and as an entrepreneur!
You might think that you lack creativity, are unable to learn, or are incapable of getting good ideas. In truth, that’s the way most people think about themselves, so don’t worry! You should read this book because Your Next Big Thing is not just about ideas; it affects all parts of your being. Everyone should learn the strategies that help discover one’s best life and identify their capabilities, not unlike how a world-class boxer learns to use their fists. In the course of this book, I will present you with densely concentrated knowledge and powerful theories. I’ll do this because I want you to quickly learn a series of practical action steps. I want you to learn these strategies and tactics the way a boxer finesses his fighting style, step-by-step, one maneuver at a time—left jab, right jab, uppercut, straight punch, left hook, right hook, and so on. You’ll gradually become the Muhammad Ali of your own personal development. Consciously incorporate each new strategy into your routine and allow the new processes time to set in, becoming a part of what you do and who you are. You’ll become a boxer who fights hard but keeps calm, who stands solidly but is still super fast. Learn every maneuver in peace and calmness, become one with your new knowledge. And don’t rush it; give yourself time.
“Float like a butterfly,
sting like a bee.”
—Muhammad Ali
Life
You will learn how to live your best life and how this life can give you great business ideas!
Inventiveness and creativity in business are the products of a life that challenges you, that is fun and full of surprises, and that helps develop and fulfill you. The methods in this book serve to generate great entrepreneurial ideas, and they will, above all, help you establish a life bursting with adventure and inner fulfillment. Your next big idea starts with the next phase in your personal life, one full of new insights and perspectives. You will no longer identify with your “old life,” and this totally new journey will make you truly happy.
Love
You will understand how a single idea can lead you to very special people, and how it can move your life forward!
Ideas are means of transportation. One single idea, one single new insight, can lead you to unexpected places, make your passion and zeal visible to others, and facilitate situations that you would otherwise never experience. In this newly found world, completely new acquaintances are waiting. Living your dreams is attractive; it balances you and helps you understand what you really need in life. It’s a special blessing if you find a “significant other” while doing something you love; it guarantees an intersection of interests and values right from the start of the acquaintance.
Business
Your ideas will shape your business!
Creative ways of thinking are the neural highways and the traffic hubs for your success in business. You arrive at the business of your life via both right and wrong ideas. Regardless, life is an unforgettable journey. But a single idea completely changed my life as a man and a businessman.
Friendship
You will become a friend to many!
Your business idea can connect people, both on your own team and within a target group. A single idea may explode into innumerable new social contacts. Your idea will become the motor of your social environment. As this environment of friendships and contacts evolves, so will you. Using the example of my story, and the underlying friendship between my three co-founders and me, we’ll talk about the importance of those people that you truly let into your life.
Fitness
You’re going to get really strong!
Fitness means leading a life in which you maximize your physical and mental potential. Your business idea will only become as good as your physical assets can propel it. We’ll look at the basic elements of really good, healthy fitness training, and we’ll draw the unmistakable parallels between sports, creativity, and business. I’ve written this book since I not only want you to get in shape at your desk but also in the rest of your life!
Health
Health is freedom! If you want more from life, you have to look after yourself more. Your health is the basis for every step, and enables the mental and temporal freedom you need to develop ingenious ideas.
Finances
Money becomes a tool that you’ll truly master! Without money, the best idea is no good, so we will take a close look at what happens to the money that flows into and out of your ideas. We’ll set clear parameters and develop rules for healthy monetary growth.
Time
Your days become unique. Once you understand how to truly live, time becomes your most valuable resource. Sure, you can earn back lost money, correct mistakes, and apologize to people. But you’ll never get your time back. Wasted time shows the greatest disrespect to your own potential. To ensure that you get the maximum value per invested unit of time, I will summarize some effective productivity systems. But remember, sometimes the most productive thing to do is to pause (see Health).
Then and Now
1986
Born in Bonn, Germany as the second of six boys. My parents are actors. Creativity and artistry are integral parts of my earliest childhood years.
1993
I’m
