Build a Fire Under It

Napoleon Hill, 1883–1970

“Persistence is an essential factor in the procedure of transmuting desire into its monetary equivalent,” wrote Napoleon Hill in his classic Think and Grow Rich (1938). Hill elaborates,

The basis of persistence is the power of will…. The majority of people are ready to throw their aims and purposes overboard, and give up at the first sign of opposition or misfortune. A few carry on despite all opposition, until they attain their goal….

Lack of persistence is one of the major causes of failure. Moreover, experience with thousands of people has proved that lack of persistence is a weakness common to the majority of men. It is a weakness which may be overcome by effort. The ease with which lack of persistence may be conquered will depend entirely on the intensity of one’s desire.

The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat. If you find yourself lacking in persistence, this weakness may be remedied by building a stronger fire under your desires.