“There is some one thing that you can do better than anyone else in the world.” ~ Napoleon Hill

One of the greatest teachers of all time for personal development is Napoleon Hill. The author of the classic book “Think and Grow Rich” studied the habits of the world’s most successful people for over 20 years, notably Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Charles Schwab, just to name a few. Napoleon Hill, through his years of research and writing, inspired a nation, and he has become one of my greatest teachers.

Napoleon Hill wrote two books that were fairly similar in nature – “The Laws of Success” and “Think and Grow Rich”. The former was the result of Mr. Hill’s twenty-plus years of researching successful men and women. The latter was the condensed, less intimidating version. In both books, chapter one introduces us to the benefits of choosing a definite purpose for our lives. Mr. Hill also calls this a ‘burning desire’ or ‘definite chief aim’. Whichever way you put it, it’s obvious that he feels the first step in achieving success in life is by choosing that one thing that we can concentrate all of our unique and individual efforts on. I know in this day and age it is difficult to choose just one thing, but take a moment to think about how many tasks you have on the go right now. Do you feel scattered or do you feel like you are making headway on the right path? Too many ideas, too many paths, too many commitments will leave you spinning your wheels. Choosing a definite purpose in life, a definite path, a definite vision, will keep you focused and allow you to draw boundaries around your time and commitments.

While no one but yourself can choose your definite purpose, there are a few key steps to consider while choosing that purpose and taking the next steps:

Burning Desire / Definite Purpose

“Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.”

What do you love to do? What do you love to think about? Now, have you ever heard of the Law of Attraction? The Law of Attraction refers to the idea that thoughts influence chance. Napoleon Hill argues that once you find your definite purpose and make that your dominating thought as you move about this earth, it will saturate into your subconscious and become a magnet for attracting all things associated. Sound intense? It should. The good news is that this burning desire will be what YOU want more than anything in the world. It will be your passion, and because of that, focusing on it won’t be so difficult. So think about what you love to do, then start thinking about all the ways that you can integrate that into your daily life. Pretty soon, thanks to the law of attraction, the world around you will start giving you more of what you want most.

Know Yourself / Study Others

“If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self.”

It is a never-ending process to get to know yourself. It takes time and effort and concentration….and time (did I say that already?). It is also a never-ending process to get to know others and to study their behaviors so that you can start to recognize what works and what doesn’t work, both to apply to your own life and to your interactions with the outside world. Some things you can study include posture, tone of voice, eye movements, and the use of words or language someone uses. All it takes is awareness. Start paying attention to your own behaviors, then start observing others. Apply what you like and get rid of what you don’t. The key is to continue growing, continue pushing forward, continue improving yourself.

Keep an Open Mind

“Edison failed 10,000 times before he made the electric light. Do not be discouraged if you fail a few times.”

In the words of Napoleon Hill, stagnant minds breed fear. Great minds are always gathering new ideas and contemplating how to use those ideas for the betterment of the world. Keep your mind open to all the great ideas out there. Listen to them, don’t block them out. Don’t judge them by their covers, but sit with them, let them marinate. Recognize great ideas put forth by others, and allow yourself the creativity to work through your own ideas. Also, don’t be afraid to fail. In order to be successful you have to take chances, put yourself out there. You may not succeed the first time, or the second, or the 9,999th time, but as “they” say – if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Organize Yourself

“First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.”

On your way to success there are many things to be organized, including facts, knowledge, and effort (as a start). What’s that disney movie with the dog that always gets distracted by the squirrel? You know the one? He could be having a full-on doggy conversation, but as soon as he sees a squirrel he forgets everything else. Life is like this if we don’t keep ourselves organized. How many thoughts run through your mind in a minute? What you were thinking about 30 seconds ago could be completely different from what you are thinking about now. With so much information overload going on, we need to keep ourselves organized. Especially when it comes to our definite purpose. We need to keep track of what books we want to read, what we have already read, which speakers we should listen to, which websites to visit, how to start doing what we want to do, how to sustain it, how to get paid for doing it, etc. Without organization, again, we will be spinning our wheels. And there’s no time for that when our purpose is on the line.

Take Action

“Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought.”

Make your definite purpose your hobby. Think, breath, act with your purpose in mind persistently, unyieldingly. Decide what you want, organize your thoughts and plans, and put it all into motion. Maybe one step at a time, maybe a baby step at a time, it doesn’t matter. Just take the step, then the next one. Set goals and keep track. Soon you will be on your way to living the life you have always wanted for yourself because you found your purpose and lived to achieve it.

“It is always your next move.” ~ Napoleon Hill

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Do you ever wonder what you can really do to make things happen for yourself? According to one of the many good points in the book “How to Succeed in Anything by Really Trying” by Lyman MacInnis (copyright 2008), “reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body…It’s not knowledge that’s power; it’s the application of knowledge that provides the power, which contributes to success.” Knowledge and study are the keys to expanding your mind and skills, which then opens the door to many personal and professional opportunities. Let me now share with you five key areas where Lyman MacInnis offers up advice on how to develop important skills that will benefit you for life in his book “How to Success in Anything by Really Trying”.

Learn how to Listen – Too often we approach conversations as a competition. We want to make sure that our opinion is heard, but unfortunately this comes at the expense of really listening to the other person or people taking part in the conversation. One way that we can work on being genuine and present in a conversation is to listen for intent and understanding. When someone is talking, listen to what they are saying. Don’t just be waiting until a break in the action so that you can add your two cents. Also, keep eye contact and don’t interrupt.  These two bad habits will get you on the fast track to hurt feelings or a reputation that you don’t really care. Another way to listen is not with your ears, but with your eyes. Observe body language and facial expressions. If you’re paying attention, you will be able to empathize with how that person feels and really be able to be there for them. Working on becoming a good listener will build relationships and show others that you can be trusted.

Develop Communication Skills – Not only is listening important, but so is the ability to write, converse, and speak in public. Writing skills are important for getting your point across in a clear and concise manner, especially in the workplace. Be human, be specific, be positive. With hundreds of emails coming at people every day, becoming an effective writer will set your emails apart. Other skills to work on are being able to hold a conversation with just a few people or to speak in front of a larger audience. The experts say that learning to speak in front of large groups is one of the best ways to boost your confidence in all situations. Just remember these key ideas when speaking in public – be excited, know your topic, rehearse, and keep it simple. If you need practice with this, seek out the closest Toastmasters Club in your area.

Be Great in Social Situations – Do we see a trend yet? Learning how to talk to people is important. It’s a great way to learn new things, it’s a great way to get to know new people, and it’s a great way to make the most of your professional network. One key to improving your conversation skills is to learn to ask questions and listen. When drawing a blank, draw on the five W’s – Who, What, When, Where, Why. People love to talk about themselves. Especially to someone who is actively listening and taking a genuine interest in what they are saying. Another thing to remember in conversation is to let other people contribute, even if you know the answer or have an opinion. Say less than you know and let others speak. Add value where you can, but make sure you’re not dominating the conversation.

Learn how to Make Decisions – This one is tough. When your brain is overloaded with information, how do you make the best decision? According to Mr. MacInnis, the best thing to do is to gather information and don’t rush your decision. If you need to make a rushed decision, always say no. It’s easier to overturn a “no” than it is to overturn a “yes”. Also, use neutral emotions. Don’t make a decision when you are angry, humiliated, or even enthusiastic about something. In the end, don’t over-complicate and don’t fear error. We learn the most from the mistakes we make, so if you made the wrong decision just make sure to learn from it and move on. The next time you will have that additional knowledge to make a better decision.

Evolve – In order to survive and in order to succeed, we need to evolve. The times are a’changin’ and we need to change with them. It’s the survival of the most adaptable. Don’t be resistant to change. Go with it and see where it takes you. Usually where you end up is a lot better than where you would have been if you would have refused to change and evolve.

So, would I recommend reading “How to Succeed in Anything by Really Trying” by Lyman MacInnis? I definitely would. His points are well laid out, and if you’re tight on time, he summarizes every chapter at the end with his key ideas. If you are one of those people who are always looking to improve, Mr. MacInnis touches on a lot of different areas that are applicable to our every day lives. After all, refusing to expand our knowledge and change puts a limit on what we can achieve. “Putting a limit on what you will do inevitably puts a limit on what you can do, so never put limits on trying new things or on doing old things in new ways.”

Read the book and let me know what you think. Thanks for visiting.

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‘The Alchemist’, by Paulo Coelho, was first published in 1988. It has sold more than 65 million copies in more than 150 countries, and has been translated into 67 different languages. It is one of the bestselling books of all time, and also my favourite book of all time. It is a journey of exploration and self-discovery, as we follow the main character Santiago, a young shepherd who lives in Spain, on a journey to fulfill his personal legend and find his treasure at the Pyramids in Egypt.

Alchemy was an early, unscientific form of chemistry that sought to change base metals into gold. The novel ‘The Alchemist’ shows us how to change our lives from what they may be today into the life we have always dreamed of. ‘The Alchemist’ is full of wisdom and gentle reminders that anything is possible when we believe in ourselves.

Below I break down 5 lessons that we all can learn from ‘The Alchemist’ (note: all quotes in this post are from ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho):

1.    The fear of failure is the greatest obstacle to happiness

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”

What would you attempt in your life if you knew you could not fail? So often we hide behind excuses of not being able to do this or that, but the real story (most of the time) is that we’re too afraid to take a chance. It is our fear of failing or looking foolish in front of others that keeps us from being who we want to be.

“I am afraid that great disappointment awaits me, and so I prefer to dream”.

In ‘The Alchemist’, Santiago was comfortable with being a shepherd. He knew how to be a shepherd, he trusted the sheep and they trusted him, but being a shepherd didn’t truly make Santiago happy. He dreamt of travel and adventures. Eventually, Santiago sold his flock of sheep and embarked on his great journey to the pyramids. He knew that by denying himself this adventure he would be denying his happiness, and so he took a leap of faith in himself and set off towards his dream.

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity. People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them.
Most people see the world as a threatening place, and, because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place.”

2.    The real treasure is in the journey itself

“There is only one way to learn. It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey.”

Take a minute to think about your past successes and the moment you realized that you had achieved something great. Was that realization the defining moment of your success? Or was it all the hard work and sweat that you put into achieving your goal? As the saying goes, life is a journey, not a destination. The same could be said for success or happiness. It is in the journey where you will find your true self.

“Every search begins with beginners luck and ends with the victor being severely tested.”

Santiago’s dream was to make it to the pyramids, but the adventure that he found himself on in order to get to those pyramids taught him more than he ever thought possible. By the time he reached the pyramids his life had changed forever. Through the journey he found who he truly was, and he found his true happiness.

“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You’ve got to find the treasure, so that everything you have learned along the way can make sense. “

3.    Everything is possible no matter what was said or done in the past, because today you decide it will be possible

“The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better.”

Too often we get bogged down in our past, and in memories of events that we think define us and restrict us from moving forward. The truth is, however, that we can decide today who we want to be. We may have some baggage, and we may have future dreams, but today is the only day where we can define who we are and what direction we want our lives to go.

“When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.”

The only life Santiago knew was being a shepherd, but one day he made a decision that he wanted to know more. He wanted to get out of Spain and see the rest of the world, and from there the rest of the story develops. The same goes for all of us, in that the rest of our stories are based on the decisions we make today – we decide to be better, we decide to be happy, we decide to be successful. It all starts with that decision.

“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

4.    You already know what you need to know

“Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life.”

When was the last time you asked everyone else what to do, even though you already knew what you wanted to do, but you just wanted someone else to say it? We already know most of what we need to know. Just because you consciously don’t think so doesn’t mean it’s not there. I once heard a statistic that the ratio of our unconscious knowledge to our conscious knowledge is 1,000,000,000 to 1. Yes, our unconscious mind knows 1 billion times more than our conscious mind does. All we need to do is trust ourselves and find time in our day to listen. Listen to the sound of the wind in the trees. Listen to the birds singing. Listen to what you already know, and trust yourself.

Santiago had to learn this lesson along his journey. He spent days upon days on the back of a camel, traveling across the vast emptiness of the desert. This left only time to listen to the sounds of the desert, and to listen to what was within him. We don’t all have days in a desert to do this, but taking a moment to be still could turn out to be the best part of your day.

“All you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation. Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there.”

5.    It is up to you alone to live your greatest life

“To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.”

We all make choices every day about who we are and what we are going to do with our lives. Think back to your last conversation today. Did that conversation reflect who you really want to be? Was your tone kind and understanding? Or were you impatient and harsh? We make thousands of decisions in a day, why not consciously make the most important one – what can I do to ensure I am living my greatest life? No one else will provide this to you. This is something you have to own and be accountable for. You alone can live your greatest life.

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”

Santiago made one decision to pursue his dream. He took control of what he wanted his life to look like and he followed that dream. That doesn’t mean his path was easy. In fact, it was very difficult at times, and there were moments where he even thought about buying another flock of sheep and returning to be a shepherd. But his resiliency won out, and he continued on. Hard times will come to us all. This is a fact. But if we carry on and commit to living our greatest life no matter what, at the end of the journey we will look back with no regrets.

“When you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true”

So, have I convinced you to read the book yet?

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“Are you–right now–who you want to be, what you dreamed you’d be, doing what you always wanted to do?”
~ Stephen R. Covey

Image by Hao Wei from http://commons.wikimedia.org

Purpose. Legacy. Passion. Definite chief aim.

There have been many articles and books written on these subjects, ranging from short-term / long-term goal setting to how to find a fulfilling career to determining how you will live your life every single day. I find there to be so many different resources out there telling us that we need to find this, but very few that offer ways to do it. In a world with so many choices, how does one settle on or focus on any one personal purpose or passion?

When I thought of this topic, it was the idea of living every day with purpose that I wanted to aim at. The following is an exercise that made the light bulb turn on for me. It is from an article by Chelsea Greenwood from the November 2009 issue of Success Magazine :

Picture your funeral. How do you want people to remember you? What do you want them to miss the most? What do you see them longing for in your absence? What do you want your legacy to be?

When you are able to think about these things, it all of a sudden becomes clear what is truly important to you, and you can start working backwards from there:

As Jim Rohn once said, “there is always time to do more and achieve more, to help more and serve more, to teach more and to learn more. Keep going and growing that legacy!”

You know the version of yourself that you want to be. You can probably picture that person in your head. Will becoming that person fall in line with the vision of everything you want people to remember when you are gone? If so, you have just found your purpose.

Now all you have to do is dare to be that person.

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