Law of Success - Success Principle 1: Your Definite Chief Aim

Napoleon Hill interviewed and observed thousands of people over a 25-year span. From these interviews and observations, he wrote Law of Success to be taught as a business course in college. Then he quickly wrote an edited version and titled it Think and Grow Rich.

The principles of success are proven to work. It doesn’t matter if your goal is to become a basketball player for the NBA or a recycling tycoon, the path is the same.

The first principle, upon which all others are applied to, is simple.

Have a Chief Aim, a Well-Defined Purpose

“There is no hope of success for the person who does not have a central purpose, or definite goal, at which to aim,” Hill writes.

If you’re looking to make money online, to build a business that allows you to live the life you want, to become the best guitar player in town, to get into the major leagues in baseball...then you must first clearly define what the end looks like.

You must also prepare yourself for it to happen.

How? By making a daily practice of reading aloud your Chief Aim. Cement it in your mind as the goal you want to achieve, the end result of the work you’re about to do. It will keep you focused and help you keep moving forward when the day seems long and your efforts seem fruitless.

Do this and you’ll be ready for the other principles to work for you.

What does it look like?

Here is what a best-selling, fiction author wrote before she became a best-selling author:

You can learn more about Octavia Butler, fiction writer, here: Website

A well-known Chief Aim is the one written by Bruce Lee.

My Definite Chief Aim

I, Bruce Lee, will be the first highest paid Oriental super star in the United States. In return I will give the most exciting performances and render the best of quality in the capacity of an actor. Starting 1970 I will achieve world fame and from then onward till the end of 1980 I will have in my possession $10,000,000. I will live the way I please and achieve inner harmony and happiness.

Bruce Lee
Jan. 1969

Both achieved their goal and set new ones exactly the same way.

If you haven't written your Ultimate Chief Aim - now is a good time to do it.

Let me know what you think.

this post originally appeared on the 16 to Success website and Medium