Ever heard of the DVD called “The Secret”?
Its a self-help/development movie which talks about the “secret” to building wealth. Oprah is a huge fan, among many others, and its selling very well. In the end its an updated version of Napoleon Hill’s “Think And Grow Rich”. The basic idea they express is that you should focus your mind on your goals and visualize achieving them. They presume that limiting beliefs are the core reason people fail in business.
Its junk.
Actually I’ve been a big fan (in the past) of Think and Grow Rich. But by the time “The Secret” came along, I knew better. Some of the biggest scammers I’ve ever met spend their time dreaming up big plans, which have no basis in reality, their skillsets or resources. And then to achieve their big goals they have to resort to a lot of dishonest marketing and ripping people off.
So what is better?
I’m in the fortunate position to talk with many successful entrepreneurs. And something I’ve noticed is that the really successful entrepreneurs are Ayn Rand fans. They’ve all read Atlas Shrugged and have spent a lot of time thinking about her philosophy. I’ve also noticed that most “The Secret” and “Think and Grow Rich” fans aren’t very successful.
So my advice to you is that if you’ve been spending a bunch of time on The Secret or Think and Grow Rich is to throw them away and read Atlas Shrugged. Its a little heavier reading, but you’ll notice a big difference afterwards.
I have.