One thing I’ve learned as an entrepreneur is that you can never stop learning if you want to be successful.
No matter what, you can’t let yourself become stagnant in your knowledge. You need to learn in order to grow.
I take reading very seriously. I’ve talked about it before in my other blogs, but taking time out of my day every day to gain access to new ideas is incredibly important to me. When I outlined my morning routine, I talked about how I schedule around an hour or more every day for reading a variety of books. I read and reflect on a new section of the Bible every day, as well as at least one book focused on personal growth or business practices. I dedicate that time in my mornings to allowing my brain to warm up for the day to come and to intellectually challenge myself. I want to better my mind and the way I live my life, and I think one of the most effective ways to do this is by always pushing myself to learn more.
I love to share my thoughts about the books I read, too. I share a lot of things on my Instagram, including recent books I’ve read.
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I also like to share my thoughts through these blogs. There are quite a few that I can think of off of the top of my head, 4 Books to Help You Succeed, Tribe of Millionaires, and probably more. I think it’s important to highlight what stuck out to me in the books I read. The things that leave their mark on your memory are very impactful pieces of advice that I believe should be shared to encourage others the way it inspired you. Even if I don’t absolutely love a book, I still push myself to find things that I may not have known before or that have a lot of value.
I have a lot of thoughts about the most recent book I read and wanted to talk about the parts I think are worth mentioning and sharing with others looking to reflect on their practices and grow. I started reading this before I left for vacation with my family and ended up finishing it while I was there. I think this book is a great read for people interested in learning about the ‘theory’ side of success. If you enjoyed philosophy in college and are persistent in self-growth and cementing yourself as a self-made leader in business, this book is definitely for you.
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
This book was written in the late 1930s and is an extension of the ideas Hill discussed in his earlier book, The Law of Success. It’s a book to promote personal development and to encourage successful business practices inspired by the careers of trailblazers like Andrew Carnegie. Hill offers 14 major principles that, when mastered, are a guarantee for a successful life. This is an incredibly popular book with over 15,000 reviews on Amazon and is one of the first books recommended for entrepreneurs. It’s filled with interesting ideas and I think it’s a great read for young aspiring hustlers.
Three Key Takeaways
There are three main points that I took away from this book that I think are worth sharing. Obviously there is a lot more to this book than these three things, but I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you. These are the main ideas that really stuck with me and I think have a lot of importance for getting perspective on my own life and I’m sure they will resonate with other people, too.
1. Faith
The idea of faith and how it relates to creating a ladder to success was one of the most significant parts of this book for me. Hill talks about how the thoughts and feelings we possess are brought out into the world around us through our faith. I’m a really spiritual person and I put a lot of effort into having a strong relationship with Jesus. I think that part of the reason I took so much away from this section of the book is because I know firsthand how putting your faith into the Lord can help you achieve your goals. If you have a strong will to succeed and you are sure of yourself and your faith, there’s nothing you can’t achieve.
2. Specialized Knowledge
I feel like I’ve already addressed how important gaining knowledge and learning is to me, but it doesn’t hurt to reiterate. Hill doesn’t just talk about the importance of learning, but he also explores the way our brain interacts with the knowledge gained. Learning is one thing, but if you want to succeed, you have to know how to apply that knowledge and form a plan of action that uses what you’ve learned to make you stronger.
3. Persistence
The value of persistence is one of the most important values in personal growth. The thing about growth is that it doesn’t happen overnight. And it’s not a seamless process. I know better than anyone that mistakes happen and they are unavoidable. You have to learn to be okay with those mistakes and accept them in order to learn from them. Once you learn from your past mistakes, that’s when growth happens. This book talks about the role of desire in following the path of success. You have to truly want your goals and be prepared for the journey you need to take to get there, potholes and all. Giving up in times of struggle is what’s going to keep you from your own success, not the obstacles you run into. I think this is a really important principle to grasp, especially for younger people that have a long road of life ahead of them.
Do I recommend this book?
Like I said, even if a book I read doesn’t turn into my new favorite book, I still do my best to find useful and impactful information from it. I think this is a good book that’s filled with a ton of useful ideas and motivational discussion, but I also think this is a bit of a heavier read. Since it is a theory-based book, it really depends on the type of person on whether it will be an enjoyable read. I, personally, enjoyed it but I don’t think it’s a book I will need to read multiple times. I think the ideas are great and I definitely encourage young entrepreneurs, as well as my own kids, to read it at least once to learn about the psychology of success in a much more exploratory way.
I hope you enjoyed my key takeaways from Think and Grow Rich. If you’ve read it or you’re interested in reading it, I’d love to hear your thoughts so don’t hesitate to reach out and have a conversation about it.
I would love to answer any questions you may have.
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