Plus It: How to Think Like Walt Disney
The world would be a better place if we all tried to think and imagine more like Walt Disney.
Walt’s 10-minute, animated films changed the movie industry and helped his startup become one of the most important organizations in the world. The Walt Disney Company owns Marvel (Ironman), LucasFilm (Star Wars), ESPN (College Football), ABC (Modern Family), Pixar (Toy Story), amusement parks and so much more.
The company’s success wasn’t accidental. Walt set out from day one to always achieve the impossible. He encouraged his team to think bigger and more creative by telling them to plus It!
It’s kind of fun to do the impossible. — Walt Disney
Here are a few ways you can “Plus It” and think more like Walt Disney.
Dream BIG & Realistic
Dream as big as you can and break your dreams down with Walt’s three room imagineering strategy. The dreamer, the realist and the critic.
Here’s how it works.
- The Dreamer
Come up with the biggest and wildest version of your idea. Spaceships, drones, AI, nanotechnology… Nothing is impossible! - The Realist
Now, be realistic about your dream idea. Ask yourself how the idea could work. Come up with a plan to make it happen. - The Critic
Poke holes in every aspect of your idea. Think what can go wrong and reasons why it shouldn’t exist.
Like Walt and his imagineering team, you should only work on the ideas that pass through all three rooms.
If you can dream, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing was started by a mouse. — Walt Disney
Question Everything
Never stop learning and questioning. Dropping out of high school at 16 didn’t stop Walt from continuing his education. He was a learning machine, constantly reading and questioning things that interested him.
Curiosity helps you explore and innovate.
We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. — Walt Disney
Curiosity helps you make better products.
Whenever I go on a ride, I’m always thinking of what’s wrong with the thing and how it can be improved. — Walt Disney
Curiosity helps you stay humble and learn new things.
Own up to your ignorance honestly and people will be eager to fill your head with information. — Walt Disney
Do What You Love
Do what you love and you will persevere through life’s most challenging difficulties.
Walt spent his life doing what he loved. It was never easy. He was fired for not being creative enough, went bankrupt, had to work odd jobs, lost ownership of his cartoons, experienced bad partners, ran out of money numerous times and had his ideas rejected his entire career. The setbacks never mattered so long as he was doing what he loved.
Disneyland is a work of love. We didn’t go into Disneyland just with the idea of making money. — Walt Disney
