Think and Grow Rich: 9 timeless principles for gaining wealth

Think and grow rich is the fruit of the meeting between Napoleon Hill and Andrew Carnegie then one of the richest men in the world.

The latter suggested a study on the success of more than 500 successful Americans: Ford, Rockefeller, Edison, Firestone, etc. This study will last for twenty years.

In 1928 Hill published the very first version of his “philosophy of success” which represents the plan followed by those who made a fortune and whom he interviewed.

The question addressed in this book Think and Grow Rich is:

“ What makes a man capable of moving forward in life, making money, multiplying goods, being happy, while another can’t even start? ”

Throughout his quest, Napoleon Hill’s objective was to discover the “ big secret ” of those who succeed, to study their methods of success and to unite them in a single method which would be “ THE PLAN ” to give to the world… Ambitious approach!

How to overcome all obstacles, satisfy any ambition and meet success?

In any case, Think and Grow Rich tries to reveal this “ big secret ” to us. Its purpose is to make known a universal truth.

He offers to learn the secrets of those who have succeeded through a few principles for gaining wealth.

1. Cultivate a burning desire for success

Of all the wealth principles in the book think and grow rich, the law of Desire is the most important of all. By Desire, we understand the will to act to achieve what is desired.

A well-defined desire unfolds in your unconscious at all times of the day and commits you to respect a course of action.

Thomas Edison was so animated by his Desire to invent an electric light source that he figured out how to invent the bulb after 10,000 unsuccessful experiments.

So how do you develop that Desire?

First, it’s about taking the time to have a clear and concise statement of this Desire. So be very specific about what you want and how to do it.

If you desire to have money, specify the precise amount.

How many do you want?

How long do you give yourself to raise this money?

What are you ready to do to get there?

What will you offer in exchange (service or goods) to achieve this?

All of these responses should be brought together in an action plan that describes each step of what you will need to accomplish until you reach your goal.

Once the plan is in place, you can review it often to imprint the Desire on your mind.

2. Have unshakable confidence in yourself

Napoleon Hill was not a religious man, but he saw the value of faith and considered it only alongside the Desire to succeed.

What Hill calls “Faith” is actually a kind of self-confidence that borders on religiosity.

A historical example of the power of faith was Mahatma Gandhi. Even without having access to the instruments of power – such as money or the army – he succeeded in defying British colonial power and leading his country to freedom.

The only support he had was his adamant conviction that he could exert such influence over his compatriots in the interest of defending their common goals.

Hill learned this principle of trust from his mentor, millionaire steel magnate Andrew Carnegie.

“What happens when a man knows what he wants, has a plan, implements it and fails? One day asked the young and inexperienced Hill to Carnegie. “Doesn’t that destroy his confidence?” ”

Carnegie replied, “I believe that every failure brings with it – under the circumstances of the failure itself – an equivalent advantage.

If you examine the lives of truly great leaders, you will find that their success is precisely proportional to their mastery of chess.

Life has a way of developing strength and wisdom in individuals through temporary defeat. ”

“Most people will not believe that every failure has an equivalent advantage when defeated in adversity,” said Hill. “What if the experience destroys self-confidence?”

Carnegie replied, ‘The best way to guard against failure is to discipline the mind to meet failure before it happens.’

It is a principle that one encounters in Stoic philosophy through negative visualization.

By inflicting the illusions of a potential loss, we learn to appreciate better what we already have, and we are also preparing for a form of anticipated resilience in the event of difficulties.

3. Autosuggestion to influence subconscious behaviour

The idea of ​​autosuggestion describes a way to influence yourself by formulating very specific thoughts or ideas, whether in the form of affirmations or visualization, to guide your subconscious.

As Hill once said, ‘If you don’t see great wealth in your imagination, you will never see it in your bank balance.’

Autosuggestion techniques can help convince yourself that you can reach your goals, that your thoughts can manifest in reality, and that you must follow your path with serene confidence.

Hill suggests repeating your Desire aloud morning and evening while viewing the goal in mind.

If you wish to have money, see yourself in possession of this money.

By visualizing what must be achieved, also visualize the service rendered or the good that you are going to give in return.

In this way, the two sides of the coin become intimately linked in your mind that you will never lose sight of what you need to do.

4. Knowledge is a weapon

Today, having specialized knowledge means ‘having a niche’.

It is necessary to occupy a niche for which we are essential. As Hill says, ‘No man is enriched by what he calls general culture’.

Once you have defined your niche, determine the type of knowledge and required skills that you will need to occupy it.

You may already have the knowledge you need from your education or experience, but you may also need to learn more in one way or another.

It is also possible that you can acquire the specialized knowledge you need by surrounding yourself with competent men and women who can advise you if necessary.

No need to learn everything yourself, you can pretend to have the answer to every question imaginable using your network.

5. Imagination to turn dreams into reality

“Everything you can imagine is real.” – Pablo Picasso

If Desire is the catalyst for achievement, imagination is necessary to give it physical form.

Hill divided the imagination into two distinct types: the synthetic imagination and the creative imagination.

Synthetic imagination is used to combine old concepts, ideas or plans into new combinations.

This is what scientists and entrepreneurs use to innovate through previous work.

Creative imagination refers to our ability to come up with new things. This is what artists use to create incomparable works.

Applied to an individual, the imagination leads to making yourself impatient with yourself. Eager to see the world we want to live in.

This prompts us to be more productive and determined.

6. The need to organize and follow a plan

‘You are engaged in a business of significant importance to you. To be successful, you need to have flawless plans. ‘– Napoleon Hill

The need to have a plan to carry out something is probably very obvious to most readers, but Hill incorporates a few other concepts into this principle.

The first is the concept of leadership. According to Hill, it is up to each man to decide whether he wants to be a leader or a follower.

Although the word ‘follower’ has a negative connotation for us, there is no right or wrong choice in this area – however, it is clear that one is a little better than the other.

It is not a shame to be a follower, but neither is it an honour to remain one. Most great leaders started out as disciples. They became great leaders because they were intelligent followers.

What are the qualities of a leader?

In the book think and grow rich according to Hill, a leader has courage, self-control, a keen sense of justice, defining decisions and plans, a pleasant personality who shows sympathy and understanding, mastery of details, a habit of doing more than what is paid for and a willingness to cooperate and take responsibility.

7. Make decisions with determination and firmness

Leaders know how to make decisions quickly and how to stand behind their decisions.

These people know what they want and usually get it because the world is used to making room for people whose words and deeds show that they know where they are going.

Perhaps the most important lesson is what Hill has to say about indecision: ‘Indecision is a habit that usually begins in youth.

The habit settles in as the youngster goes through primary school, secondary school and even university, with no specific goal. ‘

You shouldn’t strive to make decisions quickly and firmly just to act more like a leader.

You should strive to be able to make decisions in this way because it will show you that you have a purpose.

It is only after having mastered the principle of Desire and acquired a little Faith that one can quickly make decisions to stick to it.

Forcing quick decisions in the name of leadership is simply recklessness.

8. Develop persistence

Just as you did not learn to walk when you gave up when you fell for the first time, you do not get rich by letting a momentary failure stand in your way.

Whatever the project, whatever its nature, we all encounter obstacles and difficulties.

In such situations, most of us give in to the slightest setback and abandon our projects.

But there are other people who, despite adversity, remain firm towards their plans and give their dreams the space to flourish in reality.

Perseverance is an essential state of mind that must be cultivated. Above all, it means working continuously to achieve our goals without ever losing sight of them.

Here are four rules for developing persistence:

You must have a concrete goal and develop a burning desire to achieve it.

You need a complete and specific plan to support the implementation of your goals.

Negative and discouraging opinions cannot sway you.

You need an intimate relationship of trust with a person or group who provides support and assistance.

In developing persistence, Hill prescribed ‘a specific goal supported by a burning desire for its accomplishment’, a specific plan, friendship and alliance with encouraging people, and a desire to exclude negative and discouraging influences.

9. Surround yourself with people smarter than you

The larger the objective, the more complex the planning; the more complex the plan, the more difficult it is to execute the goal; the more difficult the execution, the more the brain of the project will be dependent on the creative, intellectual and moral support of others.

Hill describes the Master Mind as being ‘the coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the achievement of a specific goal’.

The principle of Master Mind goes beyond simple interaction and cooperation.

This describes a parapsychological phenomenon of spiritual forces that Hill has often described as saying that ‘no spirit meets without, thus creating a third invisible and intangible force which can be likened to a third spirit’.

To make it simpler: 1 + 1 = 3

Perhaps you have already experienced a strong affinity by chatting with someone to the point of having new ideas and transforming yourself into their presence.

Conversely, your interlocutor also feels this connection and feels good with you.

By meeting with like-minded people who focus on common goals, you can accelerate your learning by pooling your skills, talents, experiences, relationships and any other resources that can contribute to your common goals.

By creating such a ‘third spirit’, the spirits within the group become something more than the sum of their parts and more important things can be achieved.

We could summarize that to think win-win and seek synergy.