The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement

I came across this list from Dr Napoleon Hill and was amazed at the depth of the questions.  It will take considerable mental strength to answer the question honestly…at least it did for me.

You can download the complete questions and guide here at 17 Principles of Personal Achievement or at the Napoleon Hill Foundation.

These 17 principles have been responsible for the success of the world’s outstanding leaders. Success is a science and you can learn its’ secretes regardless of your present occupation, environment and residence. You may be a highly regarded successful businessperson now, or you may be a poorly paid factory worker. You may live in a big city or you may live on a farm miles from the nearest town. It makes no difference. You can learn the secrets of success, and your honest answers to these questions are the first step for you to take.

Answer Yes or No to the following questions:

1. Definiteness of Purpose
   • Have you decided upon a definite goal in life?
   • Have you set a date for reaching that goal?
   • Do you have a specific plan for achieving your goal in life?
   • Have you determined what definite benefits your goal in life will bring you?
2. Mastermind Alliance
   • Are other people helping you to attain your goal in life?
   • Do you believe that a person can succeed in life without the aid of others?
   • Do you believe you can readily succeed in your occupation if you are opposed by your spouse or other members of your family?
   • Are there certain advantages when an employer and an employee work together in harmony?
   • Do you know how the Mastermind principle makes the United States the richest country in the world?
3. Applied Faith
   • Do you have faith in Infinite Intelligence?
   • Do you have confidence in your ability to do anything you desire?
   • Do you have confidence in the American form of government?
   • Are you entirely free from all of these seven basic fears: Fear of POVERTY; Fear of CRITICISM; Fear of ILL HEALTH; Fear of LOSS OF LOVE; Fear of LOSS OF LIBERTY; Fear of OLD AGE; Fear of DEATH?
4. Going the Extra Mile
   • Do you make a habit of rendering more service than you are paid to do?
   • Do you believe there are times when an employee is entitled to ask for more pay?
   • Do you know of anyone who has achieved success in any calling without doing more than they were paid to do?
   • Do you believe anyone has a right to ask for an increase in salary if they are not doing more than they are paid for?
   • If you were an employer, would you be satisfied with the sort of service you are now rendering as an employee?
5. Pleasing Personality
   • Do you have habits which offend others?
   • Are you liked by those with whom you work?
   • Can you interest people when speaking in public?
   • Are there times when you seem to bore others?
6. Personal Initiative
   • Do you plan your own work each day?
   • Do you have to have your work planned for you?
   • Do you have certain outstanding qualities which are not possessed by others in your line of work?
   • When your plans fail, do you “give up?”
   • Do you ever create better plans for doing your work more efficiently?
7. Positive Mental Attitude
   • Do you know what is meant by a positive mental attitude?
   • Can you control your mental attitude at will?
   • Do you know the only thing which you have the complete power of control over?
   • Do you know how to detect a negative mental attitude in others?
   • Do you have a method of developing the of a positive mental attitude?
8. Enthusiasm
   • Are you known as a person of enthusiasm?
   • Can you control your enthusiasm by applying it in carrying out your plans?
   • Does your enthusiasm sometimes become the master of your judgment?
9. Self-Discipline
   • Do you hold your tongue when angry?
   • In a heated discussion, do you speak before you think?
   • Do you lose your patience easily?
   • Are you even-tempered at all times?
   • Do you allow your affections to sway your judgment?
10. Accurate Thinking
    • Do you make it your duty to learn what others know in connection with your occupation, which may be of value to you?
    • Do you express opinions on subjects with which you are not familiar?
    • Do you know how to acquire facts in connection with any subject in which you are interested?
11. Controlled Attention
    • Do you concentrate all your thoughts on whatever you are doing?
    • Are you easily influenced to change your plans or your decision?
    • Are you inclined to abandon your aims and plans when you meet opposition?
    • Do you become interested in other people and their plans as quickly as you do in connection with yourself and your own ideas?
12. Teamwork
    • Do you get along harmoniously with others under all circumstances?
    • Do you grant favors as freely as you ask for them?
    • Do you have continual disagreements with others on certain subjects?
    • Do you believe there are advantages in friendly cooperation with those with whom you work?
    • Are you aware of the damage you can cause yourself and your fellow-employees by not cooperating with co-workers?
13. Learning from Adversity and Defeat
    • Does defeat cause you to stop trying?
    • If you fail in a given effort, do you begin again with a new plan?
    • Do you believe that temporary defeat can become failure?
    • Have you learned any lessons from defeat?
    • Do you know how defeat can be converted into an asset that may lead to success?
14. Creative Vision
    • Is your imagination keen and alert?
    • Do you make your own decisions?
    • Do you prefer to call on others for their opinions before you act?
    • Have you ever invented anything?
    • Do you create practical ideas readily in connection with your work?
    • Do you believe that a person who creates ideas quickly is worth more than a person who follows only the ideas and plans created by others?
15. Maintain Sound Health
    • Do you know the essential factors of sound health?
    • Do you know what sound health begins with?
    • Do you know what relation relaxation has to sound health?
    • Do you know the four important factors necessary for the proper balancing of sound health?
    • Can you explain hypochondria?
16. Budgeting Time and Money
    • Do you save a definite amount of your income?
    • Do you spend money without considering what would happen if your income were cut off?
    • Do you get sufficient sleep each night?
    • Do you spend all your spare time having fun?
17. Cosmic Habitforce
    • Do you have habits which you feel you cannot control?
    • Have you had undesirable habits which you have eliminated?
    • In the past few months, have you developed any new, desirable habits?

Here’s how to rate your answers

All of the following questions should have been answered “NO”

2b, 2c, 4c, 4d, 5a, 5d, 6b, 6d, 8c, 9b, 9c, 9e, 10b, 11b, 11c, 12c, 13a, 13c, 14c, 16b, 16d, 17a

All other questions should have been answered “YES”

Your score would have been 75 if all of the questions have been answered “NO” or “YES”: as shown above. This is a perfect score and very few people have ever made such a score. Now let’s see what your score actually is.

“Yes” answers instead of “No” __________

“No” answers instead of “Yes”__________

Add the two totals together and subtract from 75. This will be your score.

Find your rating below:

• 75 points – Perfect (very rare)
• 66 to 74 points Ð Good (Above Average)
• 51 to 65 points Ð Fair (Average)
• 26 to 50 points Ð Poor (Below Average)
• 25 points and below Ð Unsatisfactory

What was your score?

If your score was average or even below average remember that most people answering this questionnaire made similar scores. The reason, of course, is that few individuals have been trained to grasp the secrets of success the secrets that have lifted thousands upon thousands of average men and women to business and social leadership. There are no mental, physical, educational or age barriers to these secrets of success. Success is a science and its secrets are available to you if you want them.

If you’d like to improve you score and increase your personal performance Contact Me so that put together a plan.

If you’d like share some thoughts, please do so in the comments below.