What would “playing a bigger game” look like in your business? In many cases, it looks pretty much the same as playing a regular game — only with a different mindset. Let me give you an example.

I’m a professional speaker. As such, my colleagues are motivational speakers, leadership speakers, and business speakers. Many of them have information and training programs available: CDs, DVDs, books, manuals, etc. They typically sell these at the back of the room following a presentation, or online on their websites. One of my friends and colleagues, Chris Widener, the founder of TwelveCoaches, had a different idea. Where most speakers might pick up a phone and try to sell a multiple-CD course to a single person, Chris made a very similar phone call — to Costco. The result was that, with that one phone call (and, I’m guessing, one or two follow-ups), Chris sold thousands of copies of his course, and got placement in hundreds of Costco outlets around the country.

Now let’s take a look at this. The process of selling one copy or selling thousands of copies wasn’t really all that different, was it? It was a phone call and a sales conversation. But most of my colleagues (and please keep in mind that I love them all very dearly as I say this) play a small game. They sell a program here, a couple of programs there. They think in terms of “onesies” or “twosies.” Chris thinks in terms of “thousandsies.” Similar process, different mindset.

The truth is that it’s not much harder to make a million dollars than it is to make $100,000. But it does take a shift in mindset, and that’s something that many people don’t seem able, or willing, to do. It’s as if they think, “Big success is for other people.” So they don’t even aim big. They never even think of aiming for a million dollars. They aim for $100,000 instead. (For those of you who are thinking, “Hey, a hundred grand sounds pretty good!” — welcome to the small game.)

Michelangelo once said: “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”

Look, there’s nothing wrong with making $100,000. That’ll put you ahead of most people. If that’s where you’re happy, then good for you. That’s great. But I want you to be there by choice, not by default.

The bigger game is not reserved for the select few. It’s open to you as well. It’s there for you, if you want it.

All it takes is a shift in mindset.