Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (Part 4)

This is Part 4 of my book summary of Napoleon Hill's influential success classic, Think and Grow Rich.

Hill was able to personally meet the most powerful and successful people of the 20th century for over 25 years. Through his work, he was able to formulate a philosophy of achievement based on real stories of real people who had used those techniques to create their successes. In a nutshell, his book teaches how we can put ourselves into the same state of mind as those who have created great wealth.

Practice 7: Reach Decisions Promptly

One thing that the wealthy people interviewed by the author had in common was every one of them had the habit of reaching decisions promptly, and changing these decisions slowly, if, and when they were changed. There are many people surrounding us that will try to influence our decisions with their own opinions but in the end, we are in control of what we ultimately choose. To acquire the habit of making prompt decisions, keep your eyes and ears wide open while keeping your mouth shut.

“Tell the world what you intend to do, but first show it”

Practice 8: Have Persistence

The basis of persistence is the power of will. Persistence is knowing that failures are just temporary obstacles to success. Many people believe that material success is the result of favourable “breaks.” If that successful person was not persistent in achieving his goals, that opportunity or lucky “break” would not have presented itself. Persistence is habit that can be cultivated with the following 4 steps:

1. Have a definite purpose backed by a burning desire to achieve that goal
2. Have a definite plan to achieve that goal, expressed I continuous action
3. Do not be influenced by negative and discouraging influences and opinions of your surroundings
4. Surround yourself with people who will encourage you to follow through with your plan and purpose

Let's put this "lucky break" in context of a singing contest audition. If you were a judge and you had to make a 50/50 decision on whether or not one candidate can make it to the next round or not, you take more than his talent in consideration. How he behaves and acts will project an impression to you and influence your decision. As the gatekeeper for the contestant, you will want him to show the confidence that if you let him through to the next round, he is going to do better and not disappoint you. This example is to illustrate that the simple act of believing you are lucky will increase the chances of you receiving lucky opportunities, partly because others will hope some of your luck will rub off them. This is the biggest secret lucky people know to create their own luck.

Continued from Part 3

To be continued... Part 5