I used to struggle with thinking big. Every time I had an idea, I’d find a reason why it wouldn’t work or why I wasn’t ready.

But over time, I realized that forward thinking isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about shifting your mindset to see possibilities instead of limitations.

When you learn to think ahead and embrace bigger ideas, you open yourself up to new opportunities, smarter decisions, and more success in the long run.

If you struggle to think big, don’t worry. There are simple practices that can help train your mind to see beyond the present and create a better future.

Here are seven forward-thinking practices that can help you break out of small thinking and start seeing the bigger picture.

 

1) challenge your assumptions

We all have assumptions that shape the way we see the world. But sometimes, those assumptions hold us back from thinking bigger.

Maybe you assume you’re not qualified for a certain opportunity. Or that a big idea is too risky. Or that things have to be done a certain way because “that’s how it’s always been.”

The truth is, many of these assumptions aren’t facts—they’re just beliefs we’ve picked up over time. And if we don’t challenge them, they can limit our ability to see new possibilities.

Next time you catch yourself thinking small, ask yourself: What if this assumption isn’t true? You might be surprised at how much bigger your thinking becomes.

 

2) expand your vision

I used to set goals that felt safe. I’d aim for things I knew I could achieve rather than pushing myself to think bigger.

One day, a mentor asked me, “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” That question completely shifted my perspective. I realized I had been limiting myself based on fear, not actual ability.

So I started expanding my vision. Instead of just thinking about what was realistic, I let myself imagine what was possible. I asked bigger questions, explored new ideas, and stopped letting doubt control my decisions.

If you struggle to think big, try this: Take a goal you have right now and multiply it by ten. Even if you don’t hit that new number, it forces you to think beyond your usual limits—and that’s where real growth happens.

 

3) surround yourself with big thinkers

The people around you have a huge influence on the way you think. If you spend most of your time with people who play it safe and avoid risks, it’s easy to adopt the same mindset.

But when you surround yourself with people who think big, something changes. You start to see opportunities where you once saw obstacles. You become more willing to take risks and push past your comfort zone.

In the early 1900s, a group of innovators including Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone formed a close friendship. They called themselves “The Vagabonds” and regularly traveled together, sharing ideas and challenging each other’s thinking. Their influence on one another helped shape industries and change the world.

If you want to think bigger, spend more time with people who challenge you, inspire you, and push you to see beyond what’s in front of you.

 

4) ask better questions

The quality of your thinking is directly linked to the quality of your questions. If you only ask small, surface-level questions, you’ll get small, surface-level answers.

Big thinkers ask questions that challenge the status quo. Instead of asking, “Can I do this?” they ask, “How can I make this happen?” Instead of wondering, “What’s the safest option?” they ask, “What’s the biggest opportunity?”

Companies like Google encourage employees to ask bold questions that seem almost impossible to answer. This mindset has led to innovations like self-driving cars and AI-powered assistants—ideas that once seemed out of reach.

If you want to think bigger, start by changing the questions you ask yourself. The right question can open doors you never even knew existed.

 

5) get comfortable with uncertainty

It’s easy to think small when you crave certainty. When you want everything to be predictable, you naturally stick to what feels safe and familiar.

But the truth is, certainty is an illusion. No matter how much you plan, there will always be unknowns. There will always be risks. And waiting until you feel ready or 100% sure is the fastest way to stay stuck.

For a long time, every big decision felt overwhelming. I would overanalyze everything, trying to eliminate every possible risk before taking action. But all that did was delay progress. The biggest breakthroughs came when I stopped waiting for perfect certainty and took action anyway.

Big thinking requires a level of trust—not in everything working out perfectly, but in your ability to figure things out along the way.

 

6) learn from failure

Failure has a way of making people think smaller. After a setback, it’s tempting to shrink your goals, play it safe, and avoid taking risks.

But big thinkers see failure differently. Instead of viewing it as a sign to stop, they treat it as feedback—a way to learn, adjust, and improve.

Before launching SpaceX, Elon Musk expected his first few rocket launches to fail. And they did. But instead of giving up, he used each failure as a lesson, improving the design and process until the company eventually succeeded.

If you struggle with thinking big, ask yourself: What would I aim for if I wasn’t afraid of failing? The moment you stop seeing failure as something to fear and start seeing it as part of growth, your perspective shifts—and so do your possibilities.

 

7) take action before you feel ready

Waiting until you feel ready is one of the biggest traps that keeps people stuck in small thinking.

You’ll never have all the answers. You’ll never feel completely prepared. And if you wait for the perfect moment, you’ll be waiting forever.

Big thinkers don’t wait until they have everything figured out—they start before they feel ready and figure things out along the way.

The sooner you take action, the sooner you gain clarity, experience, and momentum. And that’s what ultimately leads to bigger opportunities and bigger results.

 

bottom line: your mindset shapes your future

The way you think today influences the opportunities you’ll have tomorrow.

Research in neuroscience shows that our brains are incredibly adaptable—a concept known as neuroplasticity. This means that the more you practice thinking big, the more natural it becomes. Over time, your brain rewires itself to recognize possibilities where you once saw limitations.

Many of the world’s greatest innovators weren’t born with an extraordinary ability to think big. They trained themselves to challenge assumptions, embrace uncertainty, and take action before they felt ready.

Your mindset isn’t fixed. It’s something you can shape, refine, and expand. And the moment you start thinking bigger, you open yourself up to a future you may never have considered possible.