Your ability to use the principle of auto-suggestion

“Your ability to use the principle of auto-suggestion will depend, very largely, upon your capacity to CONCENTRATE upon a given DESIRE until that desire becomes a BURNING OBSESSION.” Page 60 "Think and Grow Rich."

The 6 steps of Chapter 2 are not just mechanical tasks, they are designed to focus your mind and emotionally intensify your desire. Only when you concentrate consistently and turn your goal into a burning obsession will your auto-suggestions penetrate the subconscious and begin to shape your reality.

Now, let’s see how this connects to each of the 6 steps in Chapter 2, which are designed to help you develop and concentrate on your desire:

Step 1: Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire.

Specificity fuels concentration. A vague goal leads to a vague effort. By choosing a clear target, you give your mind something concrete to focus on, making it easier for that desire to grow into an obsession.

Step 2: Determine exactly what you intend to give in return.

Sacrifice reinforces sincerity. When you're emotionally and mentally invested in what you're willing to give, your focus deepens, and your desire becomes more real and urgent. That urgency stokes the fire of obsession.

Step 3: Establish a definite date by which you intend to possess the money.

A deadline creates pressure and focus. When you have a time limit, your mind takes the goal more seriously and engages more deeply again helping concentration and building emotional intensity.

Step 4: Create a definite plan and begin at once.

Action feeds obsession. When you act on your plan, even if imperfectly, you align your mind and body around your desire. This alignment strengthens your belief and emotional investment, which fuels obsession.

Step 5: Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount, time limit, what you intend to give, and your plan.

Writing is focusing. This written statement is a physical tool for concentration. You’re capturing your desire in words, reinforcing it in your conscious mind, and preparing it for auto-suggestion.

Step 6: Read your written statement aloud twice daily with faith and emotion.

This step is the core practice of auto-suggestion. But Hill warns that it only works if you're emotionally connected to the goal. Repetition without belief or feeling doesn’t influence the subconscious. That’s why turning desire into a burning obsession is essential; it gives your words power.

Without that emotional intensity and focus, the 6 steps are just words. With it, they become a mental blueprint for success.