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The Big Idea

This book is a collection of principles for the attainment of wealth and financial independence. It was written by Napoleon Hill at the behest of American steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, who was fascinated with success and wanted to understand why some men became successful while others in very similar circumstances did not.

Over two decades, Hill interviewed 504 people, including such luminaries as Ford, Wrigley, Wanamaker, Eastman, Rockefeller, Thomas Edison, Woolworth, Darrow, Burbank, Morgan, Firestone, and three United States Presidents. Most of those interviewed began in poverty, with little education and influence. Yet, they all managed to become very successful at amassing staggering amounts of wealth. Hill distilled his findings into a 13-step formula that begins and ends with very basic principles.

Why You Need This Book

The process painstakingly outlined by Napoleon Hill in this enduring book, despite all the care that went into its creation, is
simple and basic. Out of the life lessons learned by some of the wealthiest and most successful men in history, Hill has derived 13 basic principles for the attainment of lasting wealth, and in this book he expounds on them using simple, clear and evocative language.

Step One - Desire: The Starting Point of All Achievement

The method by which the desire for riches can be transmuted into actual riches consists of six steps:

1. Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is insufficient merely to say, “I want plenty of money”.
2. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. “Something for nothing” is a misconception.
3. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money.
4. Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.
5. Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.
6. Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night and once after arising in the morning. You must believe that you are already in possession of that money.

Step Two - Faith: Visualization of, and Belief in Attainment of Desire

Faith is a state of mind which may be induced or created by affirmation or repeated instructions to the subconscious mind through the principle of auto-suggestion. In a nutshell, think you can win, and you will win. It is the “eternal elixir” which gives life, power and action to the impulse of thought, and the starting point of all accumulation of riches.

Step Three - Auto-Suggestion: The Medium for Influencing the Subconscious Mind

Auto-suggestion is, put simply, self-suggestion. This is a term that applies to suggestions and self-administered stimuli that reach one's mind through the senses. No thought, whether positive or negative, can enter the subconscious mind without
the aid of this principle.

Step Four - Specialized Knowledge: Personal Experiences or Observations

Two kinds of knowledge exist: general knowledge and specialized knowledge. In itself, general knowledge will not attract money unless it is organized and intelligently directed to that definite end. Knowledge only becomes true power if and when
organized into definite plans of action.

Step Five - Imagination: The Workshop of the Mind

The imagination is literally the workshop where all plans created by man are fashioned. The desire is given shape, form and action through the imagination.

Step Six - Organized Planning: The Crystallization of Desire into Action

No one can succeed in accumulating money or achieve any other undertaking without organized plans that are practical and workable. To be sure of success, you must have plans that are as faultless as possible, and must have access to the experience, ability, education and imagination of other minds.

Step Seven - Decision: The Mastery of Procrastination

An analysis of the cases of 25,000 men and women who experienced failure show that lack of decision is near the head of the major causes of failure. Procrastination, the opposite of decision, is an enemy every man must conquer.

Step Eight - Persistence: The Sustained Effort Necessary to Induce Faith

Persistence is an essential ingredient in the transformation of desire into its monetary equivalent. The basis of persistence is the power of will.

Step Nine - Power of the Master Mind: The Driving Force

Power, in this sense, is organized and intelligently directed knowledge. It is required for both the accumulation of money and the retention of accumulated money. Organized effort is produced through the combined and harmonious efforts of two or
more people.

Step Ten - The Mystery of Sex Transmutation

Sex transmutation, then, means the switching of the mind from thought of physical expression, to thoughts of some other nature. When harnessed and redirected along better lines, this motivating force maintains all its attributes of keenness of
imagination, courage etc.

How to Outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear

Before any portion of this philosophy can be used successfully, the mind must be prepared to receive it. The preparation begins with study, analysis, and understanding of three enemies, which need clearing out - indecision, doubt and
fear.
Where one is found, the other two are close at hand. Indecision crystallizes into doubt; the two mix and become fear. These three enemies are so dangerous because they can take root and grow without their presence being observed. There are six basic fears, a combination of which every human suffers at one time or the other. Most people are fortunate if they do not suffer from the entire six.
They are:

The fear of poverty.
The fear of criticism.
The fear of ill health.
The fear of the loss of a loved one.
The fear of old age.
The fear of death.

Fears are nothing but states of mind. A state of mind is subject to control and direction. Also, as we have already discussed, man's thought impulses begin immediately to translate themselves into physical equivalents, whether said thoughts
are voluntary or involuntary. Since everyone has the ability to completely control his or her own mind, people can
choose to become open to these fears, or shut their doors completely on them.