LESSON BASED SUMMARY OF
The Law of Success by Napoleon Hill
You are fortunate if you have learned the difference between temporary defeat and failure; more fortunate still, if you have learned the truth that the very seed of success is dormant in every defeat that you experience.
Hill’s Self-Confidence Formula:
First: I know that I can accomplish the object of my definite purpose. I know that to succeed, I have only to establish this belief in myself and follow it with vigorous, aggressive action. I will establish it.
(Note: It’s important to make every day of your life a success. Here, Hill is reinforcing the importance of believing in yourself.)
Second: I realize that my thoughts eventually reproduce themselves in material form and substance to become bodily action. Therefore, I will concentrate my mind for thirty minutes upon the daily task of thinking of the person I intend to be and of drawing a mental picture of this person and of transforming this picture into reality through practical service.
(Note: Here, Hill says to describe in detail your “chief aim”. For example, if you’re a copywriter, you might say, “My goal is to boost the profits of my clients by writing effective and persuasive copy while offering them strategic marketing guidance.”)
Third: I am studying with the firm intention of mastering the fundamental principle of Auto-Suggestion, through which I may attract to me the desirable things of life. I shall devote ten minutes daily to demanding of myself the development of factors named in the sixteen lessons of The Law of Success and through this commitment, I am becoming more self-reliant and more cheerful. I am developing more sympathy for my fellow man, and I am becoming stronger, both mentally and physically.
(Note: For entrepreneurs, mastering ourselves is an ongoing and the ultimate journey. That journey is a lot easier if you do so with a smile on your face.)
Fourth: I have mapped out and planned the work that I intend to follow for the ensuing five years. I have set a price upon my services for each of the five years, a price that I intend to command through strict application of the principle of efficient, satisfactory service!
(Note: What do you want to be doing five years from now? Will you be a Business Owner? Working on your Podcast/Blog? Building your network/net-worth? Plan out where you want to be and how much money you want to make over the next five or 10 years.)
Fifth: I am mastering and overpowering the habit of starting something that I do not finish. From this time forward, I will first plan all that I wish to do, making a clear mental picture of it, and then I will let nothing interfere with my plans until I have developed them into realities.
(Note: A simple but sometimes hard lesson to follow: make plans and don’t give up until you’ve accomplished your goal. For anyone who wants success in life, this is critical.)
Sixth: I fully realize that genuine success will come only through strict application of the “Golden Rule” principles. I will, therefore, engage in no transaction which does not benefit alike all who participate in it. I will succeed by attracting to me the forces that I wish to use. I will induce others to serve me because of my willingness to serve them. I will gain the friendship of my fellow men because of my kindness and my willingness to be a friend. I will eliminate from my mind fear by developing in its place courage. I will eliminate scepticism by developing faith. I will eliminate hatred and cynicism by developing a love for humanity.
(Note: Treat others as you want to be treated yourself.)
Seventh: I will learn to stand upon my feet and express myself in clear, concise, and simple language, and to speak with force and enthusiasm, in a matter that will carry conviction. I will cause others to become interested in me because I will first become interested in them. I will eliminate selfishness and develop in its place the spirit of service.
(Note: Speak with clarity and enthusiasm. Ask questions and listen. Take a genuine interest in helping others.)
Turning Self-Confidence into a Habit:
Habits stay with you even when you don’t have the motivation. — Neeraj Agnihotri
The following is summarised from the blog post “How To Start New Habits That Stick” by James Clear as Napoleon Hill only speaks on the importance of habits and not how to develop them.
The process of building a habit can be divided into four simple steps: cue, craving, response, and reward.
Cue: The cue triggers your brain to initiate a behaviour. It is a bit of information that predicts a reward.
Craving: What you crave is not the habit itself but the change in state it delivers. You do not crave smoking a cigarette, you crave the feeling of relief it provides. You are not motivated by brushing your teeth but rather by the feeling of a clean mouth. You do not want to turn on the television, you want to be entertained.
Response: The response is the actual habit you perform, which can take the form of a thought or an action.
Reward: Rewards are the end goal of every habit. The cue is about noticing the reward. The craving is about wanting the reward. The response is about obtaining the reward. We chase rewards because they serve two purposes: (1) they satisfy us and (2) they teach us.
If the behaviour is insufficient in any of the four stages, it will not become a habit. Eliminate the cue and your habit will never start. Reduce the craving and you won’t experience enough motivation to act. Make the behaviour difficult and you won’t be able to do it. And if the reward fails to satisfy your desire, then you’ll have no reason to do it again in the future. Without the first three steps, the behaviour will not occur. Without all four, the behaviour will not be repeated.
This next bit is summarized for James Clear’s blog post “How to Build a New Habit: This is Your Strategy Guide”.
Where to Go From Here:
- Start with an incredibly small habit. E.g Rather than starting with 50 pushups per day, start with 5 pushups per day. Rather than trying to meditate for 10 minutes per day, start by meditating for one minute per day. Make it easy enough that you can get it done without motivation.
- Increase your habits in small ways.
- As you build up, break habits into chunks. E.g. Building up to 20 minutes of meditation? Split it into two segments of 10 minutes at first. Trying to do 50 pushups per day? Five sets of 10 might be much easier as you make your way there.
- When you slip, get back on track quickly. You shouldn’t expect to fail, but you should plan for failure. Take some time to consider what will prevent your habit from happening. What are some things that are likely to get in your way? What are some daily emergencies that are likely to pull you off course? How can you plan to work around these issues? You just need to be consistent, not perfect. Focus on building the identity of someone who never misses a habit twice.
- Be patient. Stick to a pace you can sustain. If you are adding weight in the gym, you should probably go slower than you think. If you are adding daily sales calls to your business strategy, you should probably start with fewer than you expect to handle. Patience is everything. Do things you can sustain.
Self-confidence, which is based upon sound knowledge of what you know and what you can do, and egotism, which is only based upon what you wish you knew or could do — Napoleon Hill
