The Miracle of a Definite Chief Aim

by Mitch Horowitz

What do you want most out of life? If you can answer that question with complete integrity and clarity, you are at the starting point of greatness.

In his classic guides Think and Grow Rich and The Law of Success , motivational pioneer Napoleon Hill taught that finding your Definite Chief Aim is the most decisive and important step you can take in life.

In this compelling and eminently practical "master class," acclaimed historian and New Thought author Mitch Horowitz takes you for a deep dive inside Napoleon Hill's most urgent principle. Through concrete techniques and examples, Mitch shows you how to identify your true aim, refine and act on it, and overcome setbacks.

One of today's most literate voices in self-help, MITCH HOROWITZ is a PEN Award-winning historian and the author of books including Occult America; The Miracle How Thoughts Become Reality and One Simple How Positive Thinking Reshaped Modern Life. Mitch has written on everything from the war on witches to the secret life of Ronald Reagan for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Salon , and Time. The Washington Post says Mitch "treats esoteric ideas and movements with an even-handed intellectual studiousness that is too often lost in today's raised-voice discussions." Mitch is a monthly columnist for Science of Mind magazine, and the voice of audio books including Alcoholics Anonymous and The Jefferson Bible.

Genres: Self Help, Business, Nonfiction, Spirituality

224 pages, Paperback

Published January 23, 2019

About the author

MITCH HOROWITZ is the editor-in-chief of Tarcher/Penguin and the author OCCULT AMERICA: THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOW MYSTICISM SHAPED OUR NATION (Bantam, Sept '09), which has been called "a fascinating book" by Ken Burns and "extraordinary" by Deepak Chopra. Visit him online at www.MitchHorowitz.com
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Reviews

[Stoned nINJA · Rating 4 out of 5]

pg33- note on realism
If you as a mature and steady person, want something the chances are good that you're not chasing a unicorn but that your inner resources are pointing you toward a valid objective .

pg37
Your age , training and education matter as do geography, finances and time . These are not to be seen as barriers - but they are serious considerations.
54-Most of the time we do exactly what we want to do . Which , frankly is often nothing. Or the bare minimum necessary to take home a paycheck and entertain ourselves during off hours and thats no way to live .
Human beings are built to be purposeful. TO BE OTHERWISE IS TO BETRAY YOUR DEEPEST NATURE.

[kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

really dig horowitz's repositioning of classic self-help, and its 'new thought' origins. i could do without the two ayn rand references, but the quality of the rest of the content outweighs them. this material is practical, realistic, and humane. solid, actionable work here, that can be amplified by digging into recent research in peak performance. this was a "sprint read" for me, will be returning for a deep dive, soon.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was filled with practical guidance & exercises from multiple sources to support what Napoleon Hill labeled Definite Chief Aim in Think and Grow Rich. I confess to being someone who has an affinity for the author's works ( Not only Mitch Horowitz's but Napoleon Hill's). This book was both a practical and an inspirational read, providing the map to identifying one's aim and burning desire as well as their importance in living your best life.

[T J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a highly useful book with takeaway points and exercises to do with each chapter. Will need several reads to get all the goodies of this book.

[Seemy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first introduction to the authors work and I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. I’ve been studying Napoleon Hills work which coincidentally the topic of our mastermind study this month (details to have a look via the link at the bottom of this review)

Think and Grow Rich is such a popular book worth a lot of deep dive - when I came across this book I thought it will probably be just a rehash but the author actually did very well in taking a specific topic and teaching its wisdom further with examples from more relevant and recent times - ( Principle of a Definite Chief Aim ) from the book Think and Grow Rich…

I really look forward to the next book in the series - and glad to have discovered an author revisiting a classic book and dissecting it well vs rehashed fluff.

To Our Continued Success!
Seemy
Waseem.tv/Blog

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[Margot Note]

"Have you ever sat down, in a mature and sustained manner, stripped of all convention and inhibition, and probed, with unsparing honesty, what you really want from life?" (32).

"Determination and fear are remarkably similar--but only if they are used toward productive ends. Be as scared as you want. Don't fight it. But channel the fear into building armor around yourself in the form of preparation, drilling, and determination. Do that and you will not only feel ready to face the tests that will come, but you will feel a new sense of self-respect. You will fee purposeful. And this won't be fantasy, but lived fact" (57).

"Truly exceptional people, whether entrepreneurs, inventors, or artists are simple--they are plain and direct in speech, methods, ideas, and inventions" (67).

"You are what you think and do. There is no 'inner' and 'outer,' no 'business' and 'personal'--it is all one life" (90).

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great guidance for reflection on what you want in life as well as a great way to learn about key contributors to "new thought." Mitch Horowitz is a wonderful. If you haven't read his books or listened to his talks I highly recommend that you do!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great motivational book to help you determine your goals, write them down, refine them, visualize them and then put them into action and make your dreams come true!

[Ryan Marrs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mitch gives greater insight to the core principle of Napoleon Hill's philosophy. It's where one must start.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book. Seems like a ton of information in it about focus to the exclusion of everything else. Strange mashup of older stories (early 1900's) and more recent stories (2014ish). Just goes to show that some ideas can stand the test of time.