13.           "ORDER. Keep healthy routines with body, mind and spirit. Use planning to focus on building your character and helping people in each key area of their lives."  

Think and Grow Rich – Philosophy of Dr. Napoleon Hill

The original book by Napoleon Hill was based on interviews with hundreds of America’s greatest business executives and political leaders. The manuscript took about twenty years to complete. As stated in the original, great ventures begin with an idea. Ideas are thoughts. Thoughts can turn into real things. What stimulates thought? Desire. Strong desires are the basis and beginning of most successes. A strong desire is usually what can bring an idea into a reality. Take your desire and hone it. Cultivate a plan and refine it.  Read it daily and you will begin to self-actualize the concepts and apply the actions necessary in your daily life to move in the direction of your dreams. Napoleon Hill places much emphasis on attitude, or constructive thinking. This constructive attitude and thinking transmutes into faith. Based on his research with the most successful executives, Hill believed that belief and faith are the major forces that--when coupled with desire--can propel a plan into success. He equated faith with constructive belief and effective life force. 

Planning is also crucial because most people do not define what they will do or how they will do it in any degree of specificity. Thus, he refers to having a definite purpose. This simply means to seize upon a specific goal or quest. Be very specific. Write it down, hone it, and do it. He also places much weight on education, skill improvement, and continuous learning in relation to your goals.   

Firmly establish what you want and write it out in specific terms: 

·        State what you want to accomplish (the dollar amount or specific thing or attribute). 

·        State what you will give to earn the outcome (effort, work, etc.). 

·        Write the date it will happen. 

·        Sign and date the plan. 

·        Read the plan daily upon awakening and before going to sleep. 

·        Feel you have it now in heart and mind. 

Strategic Characteristics of Your Plans and Actions 

Ø Your actions must be persistent, effective, and efficient. 

Ø Your decisions must be strong and unwavering. 

Ø You must not procrastinate and you must make and act on healthy decisions.