Bill Bartmann’s Success Secrets – Think Big!

Billionaire Bill Bartmann is a man who certainly knows how to think big. His ability to think and execute big and bold goals is undoubtedly one of the secrets of the mega-success he has achieved.

“You really have to think BIG. You can’t think normal. You can’t think regular because if you do, that’s exactly what you’ll get: normal, average, and regular. Go outside the box and think bigger than you’ve ever thought” .

However, many people fail to succeed in life because they don’t think big enough. There is a school of thought that says that the goals you set in life should be realistic, but what is realistic?

Some of the synonyms of realistic are:

~ Sensitive
~Practical
~ head level
~ down to earth
~Reasonable
~ rational

Hmm. Interesting.

Take a look at anyone who has achieved something extraordinary in their life and you will generally find that none of these synonyms apply. Bill Bartmann became a billionaire by buying bad loans. When he started this venture he was broke and owed more than a million dollars.

Would any rational or reasonable person consider starting a debt collection agency when they themselves are heavily in debt? The idea sounds absurd. However, Bartmann saw a great opportunity and was ready to capitalize on it.

However, it is important to note that while Bartmann recognized the financial opportunity, he did not go into this business thinking he would become a millionaire, much less a billionaire. Instead, he was motivated by the opportunity to revolutionize the debt collection industry: that was Bartmann’s big idea.

“We didn’t do it to make money. We did it to change the [debt] collection in America. We were tired of getting beat up by people we owed [money] a.”

It’s hard when people get into financial difficulties. People’s self esteem is often greatly affected and the way many debt collection agencies operated in the 80’s literally destroyed what little self esteem some people had. Bartmann understood that collecting an individual’s debt in a more dignified and respectful manner could actually help an individual bounce back faster from adversity.

As Mark Victor Hansen, “America’s Ambassador of Possibilities,” points out,

Your self-esteem is not equal to your net worth.”

Mark Victor Hansen is also someone who has experienced bankruptcy. Yet today he is also a phenomenally successful individual who is inspiring millions of people from all walks of life and showing them how they can broaden their vision, think big, and achieve more than they ever thought possible.

You may be facing huge challenges in your life right now. Yet within that very challenge lies enormous opportunity. What Bartmann experienced as a result of the bankruptcy was devastating, but he admits:

“I had to go bankrupt to get rich.”

If I hadn’t been broke, I wouldn’t have seen debt collection as a business prospect. He knew that he had to do something pretty daring to get out of a $1 million dollar deep hole. He focused on possible solutions rather than the problem itself. Unfortunately, when most people experience difficulties, they focus on the problem rather than the solution.

Whatever goal you’re striving for right now, chances are it’s too small and not motivating you enough. Chances are, because it’s so small, if you don’t hit your target, you can’t lose much.

It’s not a big deal.

However, if you put in the effort and are willing to push the limits of your comfort zone, you will begin to set goals that are much more valuable to you. And the pain of not reaching those goals will be such that you will do everything in your power to turn your dream into your new reality.

Remember: thoughts become things. It is no more difficult to think of small ideas than it is to think of big ideas, so why not think big?