Apply Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich with R2A2

Have you ever thought, “If I could only afford to take a few weeks off of my day job/ come into a little extra money/ catch my lucky break, THEN I’d finally have the time to apply Think and Grow Rich.”

But, here’s the thing we all need to be reminded of:

Catching a break or falling into a little extra cash isn’t going to make everything easier. Because no single stroke of luck can change the habits and mindset that are holding you back.

Henry Ford didn’t start a successful business that shaped an entire industry because he had a lucky break. Instead, he cultivated habits that helped sustain his efforts for the long haul—a system that helped him focus on what matters in his business while cutting out the rest.

Will following in the exact footsteps of Ford, Edison, or Carnegie himself lead you to the same pinnacle of success?

Well, that’s the real elephant in the room, isn’t it? Your strengths, knowledge, and goals are different from theirs—and anyone else’s—meaning that the habits you cultivate need to be unique to you, too.

How the R2A2 Formula Helps You Apply Think and Grow Rich

Most Napoleon-newbies turn to Think and Grow Rich in hopes of learning a systematic approach to creating wealth. But, instead of actionable steps to fill in the (rather large) gap between ‘thinking’ and ‘growing rich,’ Hill’s like, “Here’s 137 pages of anecdotes—SURPRISE!”

The R2A2 formula for success was created by W. Clement Stone, Napoleon Hill’s business partner, and Founder of Combined Insurance. The essence of Stone’s formula is to help you identify your actionable steps that come between the ‘think’ and ‘grow rich’—then decide how to apply those to your own unique goals.

Here’s how to use Hill’s R2A2 method so you can stop wasting time hoping for a lucky break, and start taking action:

Recognize: “It helped someone else—I can see the results—and it will work for me if I use it. That’s for me!”

Relate: “What will the success principle, idea or technique do for me?”

Assimilate: “How can I use principles, ideas or techniques to achieve my goals or solve my problems? How can I absorb them into my behavior so that they become a part of me? How can I develop a success habit—a success reflex so that the right thing will be done?”

Apply: “What action will I take?” “When am I going to start?”

Bottom line? If you think about it, those missing actionable steps between ‘think’ and ‘grow rich’ are actually in EVERY STORY. It’s just up to you, the reader, to pick and choose various next steps from each story to apply to your own goals, building your unique adventure.