I reckon that Tony Robbins puts it in perspective:

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power.

Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” 

Yep! Undeniably and undoubtedly!

All successful entrepreneurs have attested to the reality, judging from what I have had already read about their success stories.

For one: 

Just imagine James Dyson, who introduced the revolutionary bagless vacuum cleaner bearing his name to the world, went through more than 5,000 prototypes and stretching with R&D for more than fifteen years before he became successful. 

As I read and ponder, I reckon exceptional leaders truly embrace and relentlessly practise what Napoleon Hill had asserted back in the 1930's:

“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.”...

“Within every adversity is an equal or greater benefit. Within every problem is an opportunity. Even in the knocks of life, we can find great gifts.”

It's very true!

Also think about this parallel thought, that comes to mind:

"One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular."

~ Tony Robbins;

Always think in terms of personal relevancy to action.

Yep! Having a positive mental attitude means being optimistic about situations, interactions, and yourself. People with positive mental attitudes remain hopeful and see the best even in difficult situations.

The observation is very true!

THIS IS A VITAL LESSON IN ACCURATE THINKING AND CONTROLLED ATTENTION FROM NAPOLEON HILL

Until you cut out the bullshit in the stories you often tell yourself, nothing changes.

Interestingly, I recall vividly the elegant quote by Leonardo DiCaprio who portrayed the foirmer stock broker and convicted felon Jordan Belfort in the entertaining movie drama, The Wolf of Wall Street, which drives home the point:

"The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can't achieve it."

By the way, Napoleon Hill described Accurate Thinking: “Accurate thought involves two fundamentals. First, you must separate facts from mere information. Second, you must separate facts into two classes-the important and the unimportant. Only by doing so can you think clearly and accurately. 

Here are some of Dr Hill’s points to ponder about the principle of Accurate Thinking:

1. Thoughts have power, are under your control, and can be used wisely or unwisely.
2. Accurate thinking is a moral duty.
3. Nothing great can happen without accurate thinking.
4. Accurate thinkers accept no political, religious, or other type of thought, regardless of it’s source, until it is carefully analyzed. (Do your homework).
5. Accurate thinkers are the masters of their own emotions. (This is very important. You never want to make decisions based off of emotions).
6. Accurate thinking calls for the highest order of self-discipline.
7. Accurate thinking involves two fundamentals. First, you must separate facts from information. Second, you must separate facts into two classes, the important and the unimportant.
8. It takes concentration to control your attention and focus it on a problem until you have solved it.
9. Turn on the full power of your mind, and control your life.
10. Your power of thought is the only thing which you have complete control. To use this power effectively, you must think accurately.
11. Accurate thinkers allow no one to do their thinking for them.
12. Accurate thinkers know that emotions are not always reliable.

Using these 12 points will allow you to be an accurate thinker and be in full control of your life.

Napoleon Hill defined controlled attention  as the act of coordinating all the faculties of the mind and directing their combined power to a definite end; an act that can only be achieved by the strictest form of self-discipline. 

Controlled attention, or effective concentration, requires that the attention be focused, fully controlled and directed toward a definite end. 

Achievement of controlled attention requires the application of six factors through the application of self-discipline. 

The six factors are: definiteness of purpose, imagination, desire, faith, will power, and the subconscious mind. 

Napoleon Hill teaches us that “When you have applied the principles of success you will find that the subconscious mind always react positively to you. Then and only then will your door to success be open to you.”

 The decision to adopt a motivational definite major purpose and a plan for its attainment by the student is the key step that selects the object upon which the student must focus the controlled attention.

I rate this elegant quote of Napoleon Hill very highly, for I am into it 100%!

"The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge."

As I view it, Knowledge is Power, especially when it's applied intelligently to create productive outcomes or construct concrete deliverables that can add/compound/multiply value to your life, or to your work, or to your business, or even to your client's.

No, after the first failed attempt, you should sit down calmly to conduct a postmortem analysis: what didn't work? what actually worked? what could work better, or faster, or smarter, the next time around with some tweaking?

Then you are in a robust position to start again, this time, more intelligently.

Just sharing (reiterating, to be more precise!) a fascinating insight from the Psycho-Cybernetics classic by Dr Maxwell Maltz:

BUILD YOURSELF A QUIET ROOM IN YOUR MIND

"One of the most beneficial prescriptions that I have ever given
patients is the advice to learn to return to this quiet tranquil center.

And one of the best ways that I have found for entering this quiet center is to build (it) for yourself, in (your) imagination, a little mental room.

Furnish this room with whatever is most restful and refreshing to you:

• perhaps beautiful landscapes, if you like paintings;
• a volume of your favorite verse, if you like poetry.
• The colors of the walls are your own favorite "pleasant" colors, but should be chosen from the restful hues of blue, light green, yellow, gold.
• The room is plainly and simply furnished; there are no distracting elements. It is very neat and everything is in order.
• Simplicity, quietness, beauty are the keynotes.
• It contains your favorite easy chair.
• From one small window you can look out and see a beautiful beach. The waves roll in on the beach and retreat, but you cannot hear them, for your room is very, very quiet.

Take as much care in building this room in your imagination as you would in building an actual room.

Be thoroughly familiar with every detail.

Do not permit the thought that this is childish stop you in your tracks.

The power of this technique lies in its careful and thorough construction, its vivid detail, its "realness" as a place of retreat
rather than just a vague idea."

Just remember, what Napoleon Hill had said so vehemently:

"The subconscious mind makes no distinction between constructive and destructive thought impulses. It works with the material we feed it, through our thought impulses.

The subconscious mind will translate into reality a thought driven by fear, just as readily as it will translate into reality a thought driven by courage or faith."

By the way, Dr Maltz completely shared his sentiment.

Bravissimo!

My response to a question raised in Quora:

"What was the "hidden secret" in Think and Grow Rich?"

For me, having read the book back in the 70's, together with the author's 'Law of Success', the only "hidden message" I can sense is that our ultimate success achievement comes about - I always like to call it the fire test - only from the massive follow-up and consistent follow through of whatever we have set out to do at the onset, as part of our "Definiteness of Purpose", and reflected in our sweat equity of intense efforts and focused execution, while in hot pursuit of our desired outcomes or cherished dreams.

In a nut shell, talk doesn't cook rice.

I must add that internationally renowned success coach and peak performance strategist Anthony Robbins says it best:

To drive up my point, only action creates results.

Frankly, as I understand it, this elegant expression  of Dr Maxwell Maltz, as appended below,  is one simple secret to the operation of our unconscious creative mechanism.

As I interpret: Just call up the vivid image, capture the robust impression and evoke the feeling of achievement!

In the same vein, Dr Maltz also asserted:

“You will act like the sort of person you conceive yourself to be.”

Nonetheless, at least to me, it resonates elegantly with what famed composer and impresario of musical theatre, Andrew Lloyd Webber, once said:

"You're the luckiest person in the entire world if you know what you really want to do, which I was lucky enough to know when I was very young.

And you're the luckiest person in the world if you can then make a living out of it."

Even iournalist and success researcher Napoleon Hill, writing in his classic, Think and Grow Rich, shared this sentiment, when he said eloquently:

“Whatever Your Mind Can Conceive and Believe, It Can Achieve.”

LEARNING FROM THE MASTERS: THE POWER OF DECISIONS & ACTIONS

"Once a decision is made, focus on supporting it, not second guessing it."

~ Dr Maxwell Maltz;

"Having a goal and understanding the situation are not enough. You must have the courage to act, for only by actions can goals, desires, and beliefs be translated into realities."

~ Dr Maxwell Maltz:

"Only you can decide to develop an unflinching will, to concentrate, to stay focused on your chosen objective until the task is completed."

~ Bob Proctor;

"Once you make the decision you will find all the people, resources, and ideas you need every time."

~ Bob Proctor;

"A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there is no action, you haven't truly decided."

~ Tony Robbins;

"Stay committed to your decision, but stay flexible in your approach."

~ Tony Robbins;

"Successful people are decisive people. When opportunities come their way, they evaluate them carefully, make a decision and take appropriate action."

~ Napoleon Hill;

"Successful people don't ponder decision; they take action without fear of failure. Decisiveness is powerful. Just go, stop procrastinating and wishing for the right resources. You must be resourceful and take action quickly."

~ Napoleon Hill;

I particularly like what I am reading:

"A common belief is that knowledge is power. It's not.

Knowledge is ubiquitous in the Internet Age and thus grants no special privileges, no unique power.

Certainly we need to have knowledge and stay current. But the real power comes from what we do with knowledge.

In other words, in the 21st century power comes from our ability to think... "

~ Michael Durr, author of 'My Brain, My Future';

To me, the best way to describe it is that knowledge is not measured by what's stored in your headspace; it's always defined by your productivity, i.e. what you do and what you don't do!

TO BRING TO LIFE A QUICK SAMPLING OF THE TIMELESS WISDOM OF NAPOLEON HILL, JUST CALIBRATE YOUR GPS:

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

"When you close the door of your mind to negative thoughts, the door of opportunity opens to you.

"A positive mind finds a way it can be done; A negative mind looks for all the ways it can’t be done.”

“Remember that your dominating thoughts attract, through a definite law of nature, by the shortest and most convenient route, their physical counterpart. Be careful what your thoughts dwell upon.”

“Any ideas, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought.”

“Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.”

Dilip Mukerjea writes in his book. Megha-LIONS, which is dedicated to politics, leadership, statesmanship in the Indian State of  Meghalaya:

INITIAL GLIMPSES INTO LEADERSHIP WISDOM

DIOGENES ON BEING UNBEATABLE: 

The Cynic philosopher Diogenes was once criticised by a passerby for not taking care of himself in his old age, for being too active when he should have been taking it easy and resting. As per usual, Diogenes had the perfect rejoinder: “What, if I were running in the stadium, ought I to slacken my pace when approaching the goal?” 

His point was that we should never stop getting better, never stop the work that philosophy demands of us. Right up until the end Diogenes was questioning convention, reducing his wants, challenging power, and insisting on truth. 

MAYA ANGELOU ON PERSEVERANCE AND DEFEAT:

“There is, I hope, a thesis in my work: we may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody-twoshoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure and time. Less time is crystal. Less than that is coal. Less than that is fossilised leaves. Less than that it’s just plain dirt. In all my work, in the movies I write, the lyrics, the poetry, the prose, the essays, I am saying that we may encounter many defeats—maybe it’s imperative that we encounter the defeats—but we are much stronger than we appear to be and maybe much better than we allow ourselves to be.” Source: Maya Angelou, The Art of Fiction No. 119 

NAPOLEON HILL ON ACHIEVEMENT 

“The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat. Do not wait: the time will never be ‘just right’. Start where you stand, and work whatever tools you may have at your command and better tools will be found as you go along. When your desires are strong enough, you will appear to possess superhuman powers to achieve. Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”

Yep! Matt Furey, President of the Psycho-Cybernetics Foundation, has been absolutely correct! 

Just as Sifu Dr Maxwell Maltz put it so eloquently:

"Thus man of all creatures is more than a creature, he is also a creator. Man alone can direct his success mechanism by the use of imagination, or imaging ability."

This harsh reality has also been echoed by master motivator Zig Ziglar, who said:

"You were designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness."

So did the late Bob Proctor, often acknowledged as America's Greatest Prosperity Teacher, who convinced America with his classic:

"You were Born Rich!" 

(and you're going to stay rich, for being rich is not about money; it's about being fulfilled in all areas of your life as well as having a clear vision for what you want to do with your time on this planet).

Interestingly, journalist and success researcher Napoleon Hill, who wrote the classics, The Law of Success and Think & Grow Rich, added:

"You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be."

Bravissimo!

This astute observation from Robin Sharma resonates with Napoleon Hill's teachings:

"SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE, IN ALL CALLINGS, NEVER STOP ACQUIRING SPECIALISED KNOWLEDGE RELATED TO THEIR MAJOR PURPOSE, BUSINESS OR PROFESSION"

[NOTE: Robin Sharma is acknowledged among the world's top-ranked leadership coaches. You can watch many of his mastery videos on YouTube.]

Even Napoleon Hill of Think & Grow Rich fame and Dr Maxwell Maltz of Psycho-Cybernetics fame had shared similar sentiment, as expressed here:

“Do not wait: the time will never be 'just right'. 

Start where you stand, and work whatever tools you may have at your command and better tools will be found as you go along.” 

~ Napoleon Hill;

"What is opportunity, and when does it knock? It never knocks. 

You can wait a whole lifetime, listening, hoping, and you will hear no knocking. 

None at all. You are opportunity, and you must knock on the door leading to your destiny. 

You prepare yourself to recognize opportunity, to pursue and seize opportunity as you develop the strength of your personality, and build a self-image with which you are able to live - with your self-respect alive and growing." 

~ Dr Maxwell Maltz;

By now, naturally, folks are already familiar with Napoleon Hill's Six Steps to Turn Desires into Reality.

"DESIRE IS THE STARTING POINT OF ALL ACHIEVEMENTS, NOT A HOPE, NOT A WISH, BUT A KEEN PULSATING DESIRE WHICH TRANSCENDS EVERYTHING."

Here's an interesting story about how a celebrity has had put that to work. It was revealed in an episode of the Oprah Show,

Back in 1985, actor/comedian Jim Carrey, made an audacious decision when he was broke. He wrote himself a fake $10 million cheque for "acting services rendered", dated it 10 years in the future, and kept it in his wallet.

He "cashed" the cheque for $20 million in 1994 for his role in 'Dumb & Dumber'. The rest was history.

The lesson from him:

Set a goal, envision it, and work at it with all your heart. Never let go of your dream and watch it come true in front of you.

At the Oprah Show, Jim Carrey didn't credit T&GR but did mention that he got his inspiration from self-help books.

As of 2022, Jim Carrey's networth is reportedly estimated at $185 million.  He has retired from acting.