What Makes You Feel Wealthy? An Exclusive Look at the Think and Grow Rich Guided Journal

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Napoleon Hill’s foundational personal development book, Think and Grow Rich, is prefaced with the question “WHAT DO YOU WANT MOST? Is It Money, Fame, Power, Contentment, Personality, Peace of Mind, Happiness?” 

In order to follow and obtain results from Hill’s success system, which provides a path for conditioning the mind to attain the riches one desires, you must first decide what wealth means to you. Indeed, Hill uses the word “riches” in its broadest sense—to mean that which adds great value to one’s life; that which confers abundance.  

As you begin your journey to think and grow rich, spend time determining what form(s) of wealth you are pursuing. As a guide, Hill categorizes the greatest forms of wealth into the “The Twelve Riches of Life”: 

1. A Positive Mental Attitude 

2. Sound Physical Health  

3. Harmony in Human Relationships  

4. Freedom from Fear 

5. The Hope of Achievement 

6. The Capacity for Faith 

7. Willingness to Share One’s Blessings 

8. A Labor of Love 

9. An Open Mind on All Subjects 

10. Self-Discipline 

11. The Capacity to Understand People 

12. Economic Security 

Take some time now to reflect on what you want most in life. Which of the Twelve Great Riches do you most desire? Why do you think that form of wealth will enrich your life the most? 

To get started, you might ask yourself… 

• What is my own personal definition of “wealth”? 

• Is wealth a feeling, a mental attitude, a behavior, an experience, or a combination of these? 

• Is wealth something to spend, enjoy, share, or a combination of these? 

• What makes me feel wealthy? Examples: having a fully stocked refrigerator, having control over when and how I work, having a zero balance on my credit cards 

• When I picture myself enjoying wealth, what does that look like? 

• What inspires me to pursue wealth? 

Your journey to wealth, however you define it, can be supported by the new Think and Grow Rich Guided Journal, an official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation that offers 52 weeks of inspirational content, journaling prompts, and action activities to help you Think and Grow Rich. 

Get the new Think and Grow Rich Guided Journal from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other fine retailers, and discover a full year of inspirational content and journaling activities based on the success fundamentals that form Napoleon Hill’s philosophy of personal achievement, as presented in Think and Grow Rich. Each success principle is broken down into key behaviors, thoughts, and attitudes so that you can focus on building one new mental habit each week. This beautiful guided journal will keep you committed to eradicating negative thoughts and taking full control of your mind so that you can achieve your definite major purpose in life.

The Jack-of-All-Trades by Jennifer Janechek

Trying to “do it all” is a form of procrastination that will delay your success. 

Perhaps one of the greatest obstacles to success is the human tendency to juggle too many tasks at once. So often we pride ourselves on our ability to multitask and “do it all.” However, what we neglect to realize is that in “doing it all,” we are really doing nothing substantive. We are merely treading water—distributing effort across a multitude of tasks, expending energy just to stay afloat. If we pause for a moment to consider the reality of our situation, we discover that we have not, in actuality, moved forward. We have made no progress; and yet, we are completely exhausted from wasting our energy on divergent aims. 

We are all familiar with the ills of procrastination on a small scale. We know it is counterproductive to whittle away our time by mindlessly scrolling social media apps, daydreaming, watching television, and engaging in other activities that prevent us from making progress on our goals (though our awareness of this often doesn’t translate into action). But we are less familiar with this other form of procrastination, which might be considered more pernicious because it does not at first glance appear to be a method of wasting time; on the contrary, it clothes itself in the guise of productivity. Trying to do too many things at once—to be good at everything—makes us appear successful by virtue of our busyness: we juggle so much; surely, we must be getting somewhere! And yet, what of value are we accomplishing? In reality, we are delaying our success by wasting time and energy on efforts that do not support our primary goal—what Napoleon Hill called our “definite chief aim” or “definite major purpose.” 

Hill recognized how detrimental our inability to align our efforts with a definite chief aim is to our potential for success. After all, one of the thirty major causes of failure he identifies in Think and Grow Rich is attempting to be successful at too many different pursuits. As he writes, “The ‘jack-of-all-trades’ seldom is good at any. Concentrate your efforts on one DEFINITE CHIEF AIM.” In Napoleon Hill’s Power of Positive Action, we likewise are instructed to “direct our limited energies to what we want to achieve and not dissipate them on things of no consequence.… By focusing on what we want to achieve or do that will create a lasting impact, we are directing our energies to what is truly important to us.” 

How much more could we achieve if we evaluated all our commitments and weeded out those that are not moving us toward our definite chief aim? Of course, sometimes we must perform a role or task that is not directly related to our definite chief aim if it is necessary to the maintenance of health or security, e.g., working a job unrelated to our desired profession in order to support our family. However, even this should be reframed as supporting our progress because it is a means of ensuring that our basic needs are met. I am talking more about our tendency to overcommit ourselves, taking on roles and activities that do not align with our desired outcome. For example: Do you really need to volunteer for that board position? Does this freelancing opportunity support your professional goals or take away time that could be used for deepening your knowledge and skill set in the area you most want to pursue? Which “side hustle” could drive your success if you pursued it wholeheartedly, and which ones are serving as distractions from your chief desire? 

Hill explains in Napoleon Hill’s Gold Standard that “the man who controls his own mind may control everything else that gets in his way.” And as he acknowledges, no form of controlled attention is more important than that which is directed toward one’s definite major purpose. 

So today, take inventory of your commitments—everything that requires your time, energy, or attention. How do these tasks, roles, and responsibilities align with your definite chief aim? 

If they do not, or if you are unsure, the first step is to clearly define your definite chief aim. Without a thoroughly defined goal, you will continue to waste energy on pursuits that lack direction. In his speech “What I Learned from Analyzing Ten Thousand People,” transcribed and printed in Napoleon Hill’s Greatest Speeches, Hill recommends the following: 

Make a practice of concentrating upon matters pertaining to a single interest, and you will become absorbed in it as an ideal. You will acquire a standard by which to appraise the value to you of the facts of your life. 

Make a practice of concentrating upon a single interest, and you will acquire a constant and completely “possessing” and automatic inhibitory power. You will without thinking refrain from many useless activities. You will refrain from indulgence in pleasures and recreations that would interfere with the accomplishment of your main purpose. 

Clarify your definite major purpose, and begin today to consistently envision the realization of it so that all your thought processes align with your desired outcome. By doing so, you will be better equipped to discern which activities will bring you closer to your chief desire and which will only distract you from it, and you will be able to eliminate from your life those unnecessary commitments that drain your time, energy, and attention. Imagine what you will be able to accomplish when you have renewed these resources and redirected them toward a single interest!  

In his or her versatility and constant occupation, the jack-of-all-trades might appear to be successful, but it is better to be great at one thing than to be mediocre at many things. Do not limit your success by merely “keeping busy.” Invest all your actions with purpose, and you will be amazed at the momentum you gain toward attaining what you desire most in life. 

Jennifer Janechek is the director of content strategy for Sound Wisdom and the founder of Work–Home–Life, an online magazine and virtual community for remote and hybrid workers, freelancers, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs with home offices. 

For the latest from the Napoleon Hill Collection, including free book and audiobook samples, visit this webpage. The latest in this collection is Think and Grow Rich in Ten Minutes a Day, which is available for preorder from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Porchlight Books, and other fine retailers. This succinct, engaging summary extracts the key principles, instructions, and stories from Hill’s original, unedited masterpiece and provides updated, relevant examples—in modernized, easily accessible language—so that all readers, regardless of how busy they are, can benefit from the timeless wisdom found in Hill’s book. Action items added to the original text will help readers expertly apply each chapter’s lessons. This title will be released by Sound Wisdom on November 17, 2020. 

How to Find Your Mastermind by Sharon Lechter

Your associations are among the most valuable resources you have. Are you part of a Mastermind? If so, is it helping you speed your way to success? Here are a few categories to consider to ensure you find your Mastermind of associations that will support your goals. No matter what kind of Mastermind you are seeking, always remember that trust and confidentiality will be key ingredients for a productive group. 

Napoleon Hill coined the term Mastermind in the early 1900s, and he defined it as:  

The coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose. 

Identify the Mastermind You Want  

Today the term is used as a “one size fits all” description for many different types of group meetings. The term is often interchanged with “strategic planning meeting,” “brainstorming session,” or “brain-trust.” I have found that if you further define the purpose of your Mastermind, it will become much easier for you to find your Mastermind. Since Hill also said the first step for achieving your goals is definiteness of purpose, I have combined definiteness of purpose with the concept of the Mastermind principle in the following categories for my business and individual goals. 

Peer Mastermind 

Me working on my business issues while simultaneously helping other peers work on their issues as well. 

I have been a member of the Women Presidents Organization for over 20 years. My chapter is comprised of approximately 15 women who are all the founders, presidents, or top women executives within their specific and unique fields. When I come to the table with an issue in my business or personal life, inevitably several of the other women have dealt with similar issues during their careers. They share their individual experiences with their own journeys…what worked and sometimes even more importantly what didn’t work…and they help me chart a more laser-focused action plan to address my specific issue. The very next month, I may be sharing my personal experiences to help another member of my group address a current issue she is facing. Many of my closest friends have come from this Peer Mastermind. In order to find your Mastermind of peers, be clear on whom you consider to be a peer and what type of common experiences will facilitate the highest level of support for each other. 

Advisor Mastermind 

Me working ON my business with strategic advisors and mentors. 

My advisor Mastermind is essential in helping me chart the strategic vision of my company. By bringing together my financial and legal advisors, along with my mentors who have already achieved success in the field I am pursuing, I draw on an incredible depth and breadth of knowledge of true experts. I often say, “Seek counsel, not opinions.” My advisor Mastermind provides me priceless counsel by bringing their expertise, their experience…and their rolodexes (incredible contacts) to the table.  

Team Mastermind 

Me working IN my business by bringing my internal team together to draw from internal strengths and to better identify internal weaknesses. 

I have an incredible team, and I learn as much, if not more, from them than they do from me. While I am usually out “stirring the pot,” they are back at the office in the trenches dealing with the day-to-day business we create. It is essential that I keep up on the issues they face, the solutions they come up with, as well as the feedback we receive from our customers and strategic partners. A leader’s greatest skill should be the ability to listen. We have a policy of identifying “little wins” at our company so that we bring the positive energy from the celebration of each and every accomplishment into our environment. In order to find your Mastermind team to work IN your business with you, be clear on the skill sets and character traits that will support you today as well as move you in the direction you want to go for the future of your business.  

Personal Mastermind 

Me working on my physical, spiritual, and mental (emotional) goals. 

This has been the most challenging of my Mastermind efforts as I have always felt “I need to do it on my own.” In the last few years, I have realized that having a Mastermind of close family and friends who are committed to each other’s physical, spiritual, and emotional health has built in an accountability that has motivated me to work much harder to achieve those goals. If you are like me and tend to deprioritize you own well-being, having a personal Mastermind is a great way to move your wellness to the front burner. In order to find your Mastermind for areas of your personal life, be sure you are ready for accountability and then give your group permission to call you out if you aren’t keeping commitments to yourself. 

The Takeaway  

Please ask yourself about your Masterminds and where they fall within these categories. Do you need to better focus your current group…or do you need to create a different Mastermind to focus on achieving specific goals for your business or personal growth? The key to finding your Mastermind for any category in your life is to be clear on your goals and outcomes from the group. 

This article originally appeared on sharonlechter.com. Now you can preorder the long-awaited new release from Sharon and co-author Dr. Greg Reid, Success and Something Greater: Your Magic Key, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or 800-CEO-READ. In this official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, you’ll learn the success secrets of today’s most prosperous individuals, including John Assaraf, John Ashworth, Michael Houlihan, Bonnie Harvey, and many more.

Get Excited for the Legacy Film and Companion Book Based on Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich, Coming in Early 2018 by Jennifer Janechek

To celebrate the continued influence of Hill’s work on self-starters around the world, a highly acclaimed team of writers and producers has created a full-length feature film that cinematically recreates inspirational stories from Think and Grow Rich, Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice, Think and Grow Rich: A Latino Choice, Think and Grow Rich for Women, and Three Feet from Gold. Directed by Scott Cervine, written by Cynthia Whitcomb, and produced by Sean Donovan, Karina R. Donovan, Joel Franco, John Shin, and Marcelo Quintanilla, Think and Grow Rich: The Legacy weaves together the stories of early twentieth-century business tycoons and those of today’s most renowned entrepreneurs, cultural icons, and thought leaders, including Sharon Lechter, Bob Proctor, Barbara Corcoran, Warren Moon, and Sandy Gallagher. Sound Wisdom’s own Jim Stovall is featured in the film, where he shares the career guidance and spiritual insight that fill the pages of his Wisdom for Winners series. Sanctioned by the Napoleon Hill Foundation, the docudrama demonstrates how Hill’s thirteen key success secrets are more relevant today than ever before.

www.TGRmovie.com Think and Grow Rich: The Legacy is a feature length docudrama film chronicling the story of some of today's most renowned entrepreneurs, cultural icons and thought leaders. This feature length film will tell their inspirational stories and how they ultimately achieved their success.

Think and Grow Rich: The Legacy debuted on October 14, 2017, in Los Angeles, California, at the Regal L.A. LIVE to a sold-out crowd. The premiere featured a panel discussion with some of the greatest prosperity teachers in the world. An official sponsor of the event, Sound Wisdom, will be publishing a companion book to the film, written by James Whittaker, in early 2018. Sound Wisdom publisher David Wildasin said of the experience, “I was honored and humbled to be chosen to be associated with the project and to be invited to attend the event.”

In addition, the highly anticipated Think and Grow Rich: The Legacy live event is scheduled to occur in Atlanta, Georgia, in March 2018. Those interested in participating in the event can purchase a pass either to attend in person or to view the event live or on demand from anywhere in the world via a Simulcast broadcast. Confirmed presenters at this on-stage event include Don Green, CEO of the Napoleon Hill Foundation; Bob Proctor; Joel Brown; Sharon Lechter, Gerard Adams; Dr. Dennis Kimbro; Sandy Gallagher; Preston Smiles; and Janine Shepherd. Footage captured from the live event will be used to produce a companion film to Think and Grow Rich: The Legacy.