The principles in Napoleon Hill’s classic, Think and Grow Rich can certainly be applied to the accumulation of money.

But they also represent an outstanding roadmap for accomplishing any worthwhile achievements in your life.

Best-selling author Bob Proctor has studied and taught Hill’s 13 success principles for 40 years. The two habits he’s developed over the years are worth adopting:

1. Read a few lines from the book every day. No matter what challenge he faces in life, he’s found the solution inside the pages of this book.

2. Read the chapter on PERSISTENCE every day for 30 days at least twice a year.

Solid advice! Consider this wisdom from that chapter…

We don’t automatically have a “stick-to-it-no-matter-what” approach to difficult situations we encounter.

I know a young man who got part-time jobs during high school to earn spending money. But he quit each of them after a short period of time because they required actions that inconvenienced him. His parents bailed him out by giving him money and allowing him to break his commitments without consequence.

To form the habit of persistence, you have to decide that you’ll keep trying, no matter how uncomfortable the situation becomes.

Even when you don’t feel like taking the actions you committed to.

Especially when you don’t feel like taking them.

That’s why Hill refers to “forced repetition.”

You commit, and then you follow through. No matter what.

One of the enduring strengths of Hill’s writing is the specific guidance he provides for implementing each principle.

Here are the four things you need to have in order to develop the habit of persistence…

1. “A definite purpose backed by burning desire for its fulfillment.”
What drives and motivates you in life? When you know your
WHY and feel it to the core of your being, you will not let temporary setbacks and disappointments discourage you for long.

2. “A definite plan, expressed in continuous action.”
Vague ideas or wishes won’t inspire you to do the hard things on a regular basis. A clear vision of where you want to go and the steps required to get there can keep you on track.

3. “A mind closed tightly against all negative and discouraging influences, including negative suggestions of relatives, friends and acquaintances.”
If you’re determined to achieve something great, be prepared for criticism and unwanted advice. You need to develop a strong belief in yourself in order to withstand pressure from others who don’t share or agree with your goals.

4. “A friendly alliance with one or more persons who will encourage one to follow through with both plan and purpose.”
As much as possible, surround yourself with people who believe in you and sincerely want to see you succeed. They can encourage you when you encounter rough spots and help you stay focused on your goals.

Is there an area of your life where could you achieve greater success if you committed to making a sustained effort, no matter what?

Artist Owen Garrett presents his portrait of John Rich to the talented musician at 2012 GKIC SuperConference.

It’s been many years since I followed country music, so I didn’t recognize “John Rich” when I saw his name as the celebrity keynote speaker at the GKIC SuperConference for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

That all changed after he took the stage on the opening day of the event.

Not only did he entertain the audience with one of his hit songs, he inspired us with stories revealing a strong entrepreneurial spirit. That spirit has led to unprecedented success in the Country Music industry. He is the only artist who’s had a hit song in a band, in a duo and as an individual.

And he’s not just a musician. Throughout his talk, he referred to himself as “a small business guy.” When traveling on the road doing concert tours, he has 30-40 employees depending on him for their livelihood. You could feel his pride in providing jobs to others.

No Silver Spoon

John didn’t grow up with any special advantages. Far from it. He and his three siblings were raised in a trailer park in Amarillo, Texas. His father was a preacher at a small church and didn’t earn enough to make ends meet, so he also worked odd jobs on the side.

Today John’s living conditions are quite different. He has a swimming pool on the roof of his house in Nashville and was proud to tell us about it, ending that story with an important insight: "Anyone who thinks you should apologize for succeeding probably hasn't succeeded."

He carries a copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution in his back pocket and reads them often to remind him that everyone has the right to the “pursuit of happiness.” None of us is guaranteed happiness. He thinks of those words when he looks at his pool.

So how did he transform his circumstances? As he tells it, the one thing he could control at the age of 18 was "a piece of paper, a pencil and a guitar.”

During the past 20 years, he has written 2,000 songs.

This is a man who committed early in his life to make something of himself, and he has done it in spades. Listening carefully, I captured some of the key reasons behind his success, and they’re instructive for anyone who wants to achieve great things:


When he started, John searched out people he wanted to emulate. He would walk up to them and announce that he wanted to be like them. He assured them that he wasn't trying to take their ideas. He’d already written 500 songs, and he had 60 of his best pieces ready to share with them.

When word got around that he showed up prepared, it led to him writing with Grammy-level people. He made it EASY on them and impressed them.


As a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice in 2011, John proclaimed, "I'm going to raise more money than anyone in the history of this show." He accomplished that goal for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and won the coveted title.

He suggests that you “pressure yourself and watch what happens when you announce you're going to do something that sounds impossible.”


You must have unyielding persistence to see things through in the face of the inevitable rejections and challenges you face.


Be different enough that people either love or hate what you do. Don’t be in the middle, and don't be afraid of criticism.


Don’t get complacent when you get your first taste of success. Leverage it to take you to even greater heights.


John was speaking to a room of 1,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners. His suggestion that building a successful business and hiring people was “the way to serve your country today” got him a standing ovation.

He encouraged each of us to find ways to help others because GENEROSITY is one of the most important ways to breed success.

And John was a shining example of this last piece of advice when he opened up the floor for questions at the end of his talk. He not only gave thoughtful answers to each person, he looked for ways that he could help move that individual’s business forward.

John Rich made a strong positive impression on his audience that day. And in the process, he gained hundreds of new fans…including me.

As you’re trying to learn how to perform a new behavior or skill, it’s going to feel awkward and uncomfortable at first. In this video, you’ll discover why that is and what’s required to develop a habit so it becomes automatic.



If you found this video valuable, check out “The Crunch Point – The One Thing You Must Do to Change Your Behavior” by my business partner, Denny Coates. The process he describes for breaking a bad habit also applies to creating a new one.

“Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it each day, and at last we cannot break it." - Horace Mann

“Every day you miss playing or practicing is one day longer it takes to be good." - Ben Hogan

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." – Aristotle

“Let him that would move the world first move himself.” – Socrates

At the 2011 Glazer-Kennedy SuperConference, I had the privilege of meeting Kathy Ireland and hearing her address the audience of 1200 entrepreneurs.

Although she originally gained fame as a model on the cover of magazines like Sports Illustrated, today Kathy is CEO and Chief Designer of Kathy Ireland Worldwide, a 1.4 Billion dollar company selling 45,000 products in 50 countries.

It’s easy to look at someone who’s attained celebrity status like Kathy and make assumptions about what led to her current success. I know I did. And I was surprised at how wrong I was.

Kathy continues to deal with rejection every day, and she’s heard criticism since starting her very first jobs. Her persistence in the face of these setbacks was truly inspiring.

Some of my favorite quotes and stories from her presentation…

“Don’t give up due to

someone else’s criticism.”

At age 11 she faced her first instance of discrimination when she became a newspaper carrier (a job she kept until age 16). One of her older male customers told her a girl shouldn’t have that job. It was something boys were supposed to do. Every time she thought of quitting, she recalled his words and became more determined than ever to excel in that role. She went on to win “carrier of the year” every year she had a paper route.


When Kathy first started her product company, she traveled around the country approaching retailers. In those early days, she slept at the airport to save money. She didn’t mind doing that because she was willing to do whatever was needed to get the business going.


Kathy’s company started out selling one product, socks, and expanded from there. She was primarily tied to one channel, a major retailer; and when it experienced serious financial difficulties, her company was in big trouble. Eventually she started working with chains of independent retailers, but not before her company experienced some very tough times.


Once she’d established herself as a serious businesswoman, Kathy wanted to be interviewed by television journalist, Maria Bartiromo. Over a period of FIVE YEARS, Maria consistently said no. Kathy was told she needed to grow as an “interviewee” first. She committed to doing just that and eventually scored that interview along with dozens of others.

She wanted to add “weddings” as a category. For SEVEN YEARS she got “no” from the top bridal gown company. With perseverance, she eventually got to “yes” and her company now features thousands of gowns.


Before meeting her, Kathy was inspired by Elizabeth Taylor because of the way she stood up for HIV and AIDS patients, in spite of criticism and death threats.

Today Kathy serves on two boards of non-profit organizations dedicated to children, and she donates considerable personal time and money to causes that make a real difference in the lives of others.

Kathy Ireland is one of those special human beings who made a successful transition from magazine model to role model.

When the going gets tough, you'll wonder if it's worth it. But if you don't quit, if you keep on fighting, you give yourself a chance to achieve your goal. Applying the ideas will give you the resolve you need when you’re face-to-face with challenges.



What strategies do you use to keep on track when you’re discouraged and feel like giving up?

"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn." - Harriet Beecher Stowe, American novelist 

"The one quality all successful people have is persistence. They're willing to spend more time accomplishing a task and to persevere in the face of many difficult odds." - Joyce Brothers, American psychologist

"There's no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love. There is only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen." - Wayne Dyer, American author

You don’t want to back out when the going gets rough. Before you agree to do something, make sure you’re willing to invest what it will take to succeed – whether it’s as simple as meeting a friend for lunch or a bigger commitment like marriage and a new job.



What strategies do you use to stick with something after you’ve made the initial commitment?

"You need to make a commitment, and once you make it, then life will give you some answers." - Les Brown, American author 

"Anyone can dabble, but once you've made that commitment, your blood has that particular thing in it, and it's very hard for people to stop you.” - Bill Cosby, American actor

"There are only two options regarding commitment. You're either in or out. There's no such things as a life in-between." - Pat Riley, American professional basketball coach