Think and Grow Rich. The man who is one of the greatest writers on success. The one who played a crucial role in producing modern genre of personal success literature. His way, his quotes and his philosophies are sure to inspire you and bring out some harsh but true facets of life. Napoleon Hill has emphasized on the power of personal belief and the role it plays in achieving the most desired thing, Success. Here are 17 lessons on principles of personal achievement by this magnetic personality.
1. Definiteness of Purpose
Before anything, frame your life goals. Life, without a purpose is meaningless. If you are in the circle of 9 to 5 jobs, ask yourself a few questions before you consume yourself there. Is this what you wanted? Are you really happy doing it? Work to convert your dreams into reality, and not to make reality your dream.
Excellent Quote by Napoleon Hill, “Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.”
2. If you want success, establish a mastermind alliance
Napoleon Hill describes mastermind alliance as, “… coordination of knowledge and effort, in spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.”
Extending the first point of having a definite purpose in life, Napoleon Hill believes that success involves strong coordination and peaceful cooperation. Orison Swett Marden has also said that business today has become a question of cooperation, it is no more about an individual’s ability or firm’s capital.
3. Assemble an attractive personality
Your personality can either become the greatest asset or a liability. Thus, molding your personality is essential. Admire people who are more successful than you and follow them closely. You will observe that the principles of success are almost similar for most of them.
Very aptly, Napoleon Hill has marked, “You’ve got to be sure of yourself before You can ever win a prize.”
4. Use the power of Applied Faith
“Faith removes limitations!” Never be afraid of failures, they let you take a step ahead. Leave aside your fears and set to achieve something worthwhile. Applied Faith augments you with reality. Faith might not help you gain what you wish, but it will certainly show you the path to it.
He said, “There is no substitute for persistence. The person who makes persistence his watch-word, discovers that “Old Man Failure” finally becomes tired, and makes his departure. Failure cannot cope with persistence.”
5. Go the extra mile
Napoleon Hill brilliantly said, “There are two types of people who never amount to anything. There are those who never do anything except what they are told to do. And there are those, who cannot even do what they are told to do. The people who get ahead do the things that should be done without being told. And they don’t stop there. They go the extra mile and do much more than is expected of them.”
And you must aspire to be the last one. If you run a business, donate in NGO’s. If you are a celebrity, engage in social work. And there are endless ways to expand and venture into something new.
6. Create Personal Initiative
This is one thing you must remember, “You might well remember that nothing can bring you success but yourself.”
The first person to incorporate change must be YOU. You must be ready to take responsibilities as and when they come. The individual must bear the capability to withstand failures. If he is vulnerable, the entire team below him will fall ultimately.
7. Build a Positive Mental Attitude
“A quitter never wins and a winner never quits.” If you think wrong, wrong will happen. When you are thinking wrong, there is already too much of negative energy accumulated in your brain that will never let the right thing happen. Pretty much a matter of thoughts, willpower and attitude.
Walt Disney was fired because according to Kanas City Star, he lacked imagination and had no good ideas. R.H Macy had numerous failed ventures in his early days. Henry Ford failed in a few automobile businesses. And their position now is well known to all. The attitude and determination kept them moving.
8. Keep your enthusiasm under control
If you are excited about something, have a control on it. Excess of anything is always troublesome. When you are over-enthusiastic, your mind will not work in a balanced way. The excitement will drift a large part towards it, and you will not be able to do something valuable.
9. Enforce Self-Discipline
Biggest deal lies in balancing what your heart believes and what your mind directs. Self-discipline is the savior here. Think twice before you say anything. Before expecting any kind of discipline from others, introspect.
One must always remember Napoleon Hill’s saying, “Strength and growth only come through continuous effort and struggle.”
10. Think Accurately
Being accurate is very hard to accomplish, however thinking accurately is not. Make sure your thoughts are not biased. Make sure you are not prejudiced. It is your decision. Are your thoughts based on facts or opinions? The best example is when you are burdening the employee with multiple tasks within a short span of time. Think about it once. How would you feel if the same happens with you?
Brilliantly said by Napleon Hill, “You’ve got to be sure of yourself before You can ever win a prize.” So, is the situation here. Be sure of what you think because the key lies there.
11. Controlled Attention
Instead of jumping into many, focus on one. Napoleon Hill said, “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve.” There are people who have failed in their initial stages but they kept trying and working. People who are focused will only rest after achieving what they desired.
The biggest example in this context is Jack Ma. He had numerous failures in life, but his courage and focus has created Alibaba today. Thomas Edison failed at inventing the light bulbs 10,000 times. And we know his contribution at the end well.
12. Encourage Teamwork
Success is inevitable when the spirit of teamwork is high. Steve Jobs said, “Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” And this is one formula underneath the success of Apple.
Ensuring a smooth functioning of team is not like shooting fish in a barrel. Ego clashes, personal problems and various other things affect the coordination and cooperation adversely. And the main responsibility does not lie in building a team of people, it lies in connecting them in a mutually beneficial way.
13. Learn from Adversity and Defeat
Napoleon Hill has rightly said, “Every adversity, every failure, every heartbreak, carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” Failures and defeat should not stop you from working. Failures are common to happen and they happen more frequently for all of us. They tend to improvise your plans and help you approach perfection.
Remember, “When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.”
14. Try to cultivate creative vision
You cannot go beyond without your imagination. It is the way of thinking and doing extraordinary things. Most of the startups fail because they lack innovation. People are not looking for “copy-paste” models. They want something new, and not something big.
And another quote by Napoleon Hill seems so appropriate here, “If you can’t do great things, do small things in a great way.” If mind is the steering, let creativity be the accelerator.
15. Do not neglect your health
People often work entire night without proper sleep. They work like madmen neglecting the basic requirements of a mortal body. And do you think it will really help them achieve success faster? Unfortunately, it’s a No. Until and unless you are fit and healthy, your mental strength will always feel confined.
If you want to do “productive work”, maintain your stamina level by taking extra care of your health.
16. Budgeting Time and Money
Human life is literally revolving around these two things, Time and Money. And balancing both of them will bring you success. Excess of the either is dangerous and shortage is even more treacherous.
Give time to your loved ones. If you want success in this life, remember that you even need to live this life.
17. Habits
Habits will not change overnight. If you want to change some bit in yourself, you have to do that continuously. Your habit is responsible for many actions. And you know the consequences of the bad ones. It is never too late. If you want to inculcate or change a habit, start from today. All it needs is patience and determination.
Remember, “It takes a habit to replace a habit.” -Napoleon Hill.
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Rashika Daga
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