Napoleon Hill's 1937 classic "Think and Grow Rich" is unique in the world of self-help and motivational literature. Firstly it actually works and secondly because it is devoid of much of the "yummy vibes" and superficial feigned optimism that dominates the contemporary voices in that space.
Whilst Hill's work is clearly directed towards the acquisition of wealth it's obvious to anyone who reads it that its practices and strategies can be directed towards the attainment of any desire or goal.
A FORMULA FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF DESIRE
"Think and Grow Rich" in it's entirety contains a wide range of esoteric, practical and ethical ideas, however the fundamentals of his formula are provided early in the text through a six-step process:
Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say “I want plenty of money.” Be definite as to the amount.
Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire.
Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.
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.
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. (see example below)
Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning.
A STATEMENT EXAMPLE FROM BRUCE LEE
Examples of people who attribute their success directly to "Think and Grow Rich" are too numerous to mention. A famous example comes from the personal papers of Bruce Lee written in 1969.
My Chief Personal Aim In Life " I, Bruce Lee, will be the highest paid Oriental superstar 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 in 1970, I will achieve world fame and from then onward till the end of 1980 I will have in my possession the sum of $10,000,000—then I will live the way I please and achieve inner harmony and happiness."
Bruce Lee
Hill's formula is essentially underwritten by a number of concepts; the central importance of "a burning desire" for the thing we want and the role of the subconscious in bringing those things about. Of course these ideas have been re-stated ad naseum throughout contemporary New Thought and Law of Attraction style thinking albeit far less elegantly and thoroughly than Hill himself.
A BURNING DESIRE FOR THE BODY YOU WANT
Ok, so how does this apply to body transformation? It's occurred to me for a while that what separates those who are able to radically transform their bodies from those who just make average or short-lived progress is that, knowingly or not, they employ aspects Hill's model for success. They have a burning desire for the body they want and saturate the entirety of their psyche in that desire to the point that it becomes a lived reality.
Importantly, you'll note that Hill's formula requires you to work both on the inner self and the outer physical world. Whilst I'm comfortable with the idea that consciousness is most likely fundamental at a cosmic level and your subconscious interacts with a larger reality, simply wishfully thinking about stuff isn't sufficient. If you want uncommon results you need to be all in at all levels!
"THINK AND GET RIPPED" IN SIX STEPS
Fix in your mind the exact physique you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say “I don't want to be overweight" or "I want more muscle" how specifically do you want to appear and feel? Assume for a moment all things are possible but if you don't define it what that thing is, it's unlikely to eventuate.The answer will be unique to you and can always move on to greater things in the future but right here and now, what do you really want and what does that look like? It's fine to acknowledge a "pain point" or something you are unhappy about but fundamentally that has to be converted into it's positive equivalent so your subconscious has something to latch on to.
Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for you goal physique. There is no free lunch; what are you prepared to sacrifice in order to obtain your goals? Alcohol, late nights, sugar, processed foods, you already know most of these things are incongruent with your goals. Similarly, how often are you training, tracking your macros, being disciplined with sleep. The greater the goal, the greater the sacrifice. Don't worry about having all the details at hand, you know more than you think and if you're committed the path will be illumined on the way.
Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the body you desire. Be honest with yourself, seemingly miraculous transformations can happen and often a lot faster than you aspect but there's a difference between losing a few pounds and going from morbidly obese to Brad Pitt if Fight Club. Either way, don't let time frames deter you, decide what you want and when you plan on achieving it.
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
Write out a clear, concise statement describing the body and health you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for your result, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to acquire it. Refer back to the Bruce Lee example if you need something to model it on.
Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning.
If you need to take yourself to the next level - however you define that - this is where to start! Hold tight to your vision, get going and let me hear about your results.