Think and Grow Rich Summary

Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” is a personal motivational development and self-help book. It is important to understand that this book was ranked on BusinessWeek Magazine’s Best-Seller List. This also happens to be the sixth best-selling paperback business book seventy years after its first publication. This simply means that the book is a must read. But what’s the content of this book? You will find out from this Think and Grow Rich summary.

Think and Grow Rich Summary

It is true to say that most people search for a way to acquire wealth simply because they are not happy with their current financial situation. The debts and responsibilities instill distastes in their mouths and a fear in the soul. Napoleon Hill explains in his book, that this fear will not get us out of our financial state. The author says that the only thing that will help us accomplish our goals of riches is to have a desire for what we want. He insists that the desire should be so strong that it is the only thing we think about. In order to set goals and live to attain them, your desire has to be stronger than your fears. If you let fear become your driving force, you will most definitely not accomplish anything.

From his book, readers will find this inspiring and soul-stirring quote

We are the master of our fate, the captain of our souls because we have the power to control our thoughts. Share on X

Think and Grow Rich-The Steps to Prosperity

There are some Think and Grow Rich steps Napoleon Hill explains to dreamers. These are the steps to take that burning desire and translate it into its financial equivalent.

Step One

The first step he wants you to take is fixing your mind the exact amount of money and results you want. But it is important to understand that riches aren’t always monetary; sometimes a state of mind defines riches. We are different and so it is up to you to define what riches mean to you. Napoleon Hill think and grow rich secret is quite clear—you have to be definite and specific. This is also straight forward, you have to know where you are going if you want to get anywhere. So it is important that you set specific goals with definite time periods.

Step Two

This step demands dreamers to determine exactly what it is that they will give in return for the riches they desire. If you are alive then you probably must have heard of the saying “Nothing in life is free”. That statement also applies in this case. In most cases, most people who want to become successful will set a specific amount of time and/or money they are willing to sacrifice in order to accomplish their goals.

Step Three

You should establish a definite date and be specific about it as to when you wish to have the money or the success you desire.

Step Four

This step urges goal setters to create a definite plan and also be specific about it on how long they intend to carry out their desires. The plan will most probably consist of the schooling, training or coaching a person needs to seek out to accomplish any goals.

Step Five

You should also be able to “write” out a clear concise statement on the amount of money you intend to get. Napoleon Hill insists on being specific about your targets. So name the time limit for the acquisition of money. You should also state what you are willing to give in return and have a clear description of the plan to which you intend to accumulate it.

Step Six

You may have noticed that the first four steps are the mastermind to transmute your desires. So the fifth step, according to Think and Grow Rich consists of writing all the information discussed above in a clear and definite manner.

Step Seven

The final step entails reading aloud your written statement twice a day. Read it in the morning as a road map for how you will carry out your day, and in the evening to reinforce your desire.

But those are just the steps you need to take to set your goals. There are 13 principles that should govern those who wish to follow the above outlined steps to become successful. If you have ever gone through the Think and Grow Rich summary and never understood how to go about the goal setting strategy, then you probably didn’t master the principles. So here is a look at the think and grow rich 13 principles.

Think and grow rich 13 principles

1. Desire

You must have the desire to be successful or change your current state if you want to be successful. So it starts with the need to be great. This desire is what motivates goal setters and make them want to do something different from what they are used to. But it is important to understand that there is a difference between desire and just wanting or wishing. The later means you only have a wishful thinking and nothing more. In such cases, you will never get the motivation you need to pursue a dream.

You will need a deep burning desire for your goals. It must be something you think you can’t ever live without. This will automatically result in actions. To enjoy your success, you need to desire and not wish as this will only frustrate you. Desire focuses on what you already have and want to make it better, while wanting only focuses on what you don’t have.

Napoleon Hill says that we should not focus on the lacking part as this only attracts more lacking into your progress. Having the desire is something else. In fact, if you have strong desire then you will feel like you already have what you are looking for. You will even imagine already living that life you are looking for. This desire is what drives you into the action that will bring results. So this principle will push you out of your comfort zone and make you go out to get what you want.

2. Faith

Faith always comes along when the desire to become great stems to attract emotions that arise from one’s belief. Desire and faith are leaves of the same branch. You must have faith if you want your desire to come true. This is what makes you think that whatever you are looking for can be achieved.

Faith is such a strong principle that when you possess it, the progress will become physical. If you believe that you don’t deserve more than what life has already offered, even on a subconscious level, you will always be in the same pattern of life. Nothing will seem real. This is simply because you have it in your beliefs that you cannot do it.

There is so much power in our beliefs that almost everything we believe in becomes a reality. This is why it is always important to have some faith in your desires. Believe that what you desire will be soon yours and you will achieve it. But there comes a time when you just find it hard to have faith in something. If this is the case, repeat affirmation will help you get through. When you repeat something a number of times, it starts sounding true and it will only be a matter of time before it becomes true.

3. Auto Suggestion

The other state you need to be in is a state of being brainwashed. This is whereby you believe in something you don’t have and even though you don’t think you deserve it, you still believe in it. The society has made most people believe that wanting something greater is bad or its being greedy. These are beliefs that have been instilled in us to the extent that we believe when something is great, then it’s not ours.

You need some time alone to think and meditate if you want to get rid of these beliefs. So you should relax your mind in a quiet environment and replace what you had in your mind with what you want your mind to start believing in. When the things you want to happen continue reappearing in your mind, you will soon transform your beliefs into actions. Napoleon Hill insists that you should write down the things you want to believe in and read them several times day. This is the only way to replace what your subconscious mind knew with what you want it to know.

4. Specialized knowledge

They say knowledge is power, but it does not guarantee success. If it did then professors and lecturers would the wealthiest lot in the society. There is more you need than just knowledge. Having the knowledge doesn’t make you intelligent enough or even successful. And with the advancement in technology, information is available to everyone. So knowledge is not all you need.

Having the knowledge and understanding how you can use it to better your life is what makes one successful. This is why you need specialized knowledge. So don’t just focus on acquiring knowledge, but think of acquiring the knowledge that will make your desires come true and help you achieve your goals.

 5. Imagination

Imagination is a powerful principle if used the right way. It works better if you use it to attain your goals other than just using it for entertainment purposes. If you want to become successful, you will need more than just imagination—you will need creative imagination.

Keep off synthetic imagination as this is only caused by the effects around us. However, creative imagination is the cause of the effects around us. You should use creative imagination to visualize and picture the fruits of your desire as reality. Soon, these imaginations take form and it will be a matter of time before they become a reality.

6. Organized planning

As mentioned above in the Think and Grow Rich steps, you will need a concrete and precise plan to become successful. This should just guide you and help you stick to the same lane as you actualize your desires. So take some time to come up with a plan and make sure you have it in writing. When you have it on paper, the chances of the plan becoming a reality increases. As much as the plan should be elaborate, it shouldn’t be complicated. You can subdivide it into workable goals.

7. Decision

There are many decisions people take when they want to achieve something. The kind of decisions Hill talks about in the book must be firm and resolute, not the ones that are made and forgotten in the same breathe. It is not easy to achieve your set out desires especially if you are the type that changes decisions ever instant. You should let your decisions control you. They should be concrete enough to the extent that they must be followed once you have made them.

But also this doesn’t mean that you can’t change a decision. There are decisions that will only work to a certain extent and they are bound to be changed. But a decision that is always changed at will is not a decision.

8. Persistence

Persistence is key and Hill insists that every person should have this principle. In fact, this is the engine to drive you to success. There are many successful people and they all have the same story—they didn’t quit at the first attempt. If you succeeded at your first attempt then you are probably the luckiest person. But normally, this kind of success never lasts. The many times you fail the more loopholes you discover and the stronger you become. Persistence normally becomes part of you if you have an unwavering quality to the desire. This mean that you are in need of something and you will do anything it takes to have it.

9. Power of the Master Mind

Most people fail at this principle, as simple as it may sound. This means that if you want to achieve what you desire, your thoughts should always be in line with like-minded people. So you should choose your company wisely. But this becomes a challenge if you are attached to the people who don’t share the same belief. Letting go of such people might be the hardest thing you will ever have to do. But having the right kind of people around you gives you the motivation you need to inspire and challenge yourself. In other words, keep off lazy friends who slack off.

Keeping the wrong people when you have your goals already set normally drives you into the same mindset and makes you let go of your desires. But you are guaranteed to achieve more if you surround yourself with people who motivate you.

10. Transmutation

Most people who follow Hill’s principles to success find this point quite controversial. In the book, he explains that we all have strong a sexual energy within us. We use these energies to charm and entice the people we have interest in. He says that there is power in the ability to gather this energy and use it through creative imagination. You have the power to sound and appear more charming to people. This principle can help you convince the people around you, especially those who have the power to help you achieve what you want.

11. The subconscious mind

We all have the subconscious mind but we rarely put it to good use. Sometimes when we want something, we fail to achieve it because our beliefs weaken our ability. The wrong believes are normally instilled in your conscious mind. So you can control your subconscious mind by controlling and quieting your conscious mind. This means you have the power to instill the beliefs you know will change your mind. The best way to achieve that is through meditation. So it is correct to say that the subconscious mind is the master mind that controls what will and will not be achieved.

12. The brain

The brain controls every action of the body. Research shows that when our creativity comes to play, the subconscious mind reaches a state where it can easily be programmed. This is why Hill advices that we should take part in creative tasks that get us into the right state of the mind. The subconscious mind normally perceives the pictures in the conscious mind as a reality. Also, you should be involved in creative imagination or visualization.

13. The sixth sense

When you start meditating and following what you subconscious mind dictates, you will need the gut feeling to push you through. You will need the infinite wisdom of the universe and your subconscious mind is your connection. So when you use your sixth sense, you will get the answers to the questions that would otherwise have eluded you.

And with that said, you now have a comprehensive Think and grow Rich summary to guide you as you set your goals. You may not get your goals right the first time but Napoleon Hill says that it is never that easy. If it is easy then there is something you are not doing right.

Check out Goal Setting: An Ultimate Guide to setting goals and achieving them