Article Summary

Napoleon Hill, the author of "Think and Grow Rich," believed that one of the keys to achieving success was the development of what he called "applied faith."

According to Hill, applied faith is the combination of belief and action, where one not only believes in something but also takes action to make that belief a reality.

In week 3 of a virtue-building program, we discuss applied faith and how to incorporate it into your life.

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Here are a few steps you can take to build a virtue of applied faith:

#1. Develop a clear and specific vision for what you want to achieve.

Establishing a vision for your business or life is key to creating a stable foundation. A clear vision acts as a guiding force behind all aspects of your business and life.

It puts into words the impact you wish to make and articulates what you wish to change. It gives you and your team a reason to jump out of bed in the morning, a direction to follow, and ultimately helps to position your company on the path to sustainability and profitability.

Forming a clear strategic vision for your company is difficult for any of us. Whether you want to increase your revenue, create a new product, or change the world, you need to find a path.

It doesn’t need to be a lengthy process. It can take ten minutes. Below is a three-step exercise to help you think through and write a vision and plan to reach your goals:

1. Start with your very big dream.

2. Create the SMART roadmap. Specific. Measureable, Attainable. Relevant. Time.

3. Communicate Constantly with Transparency

#2. Cultivate a deep and unshakable belief in your vision.

This means having complete confidence in your ability to achieve your goal and in the value of your goal. This is not as easy as it sounds. Confidence is built over time and through taking action.

The action builds confidence. Once you have committed to enough action you will build confidence. Just be patient with yourself. Find mentors who help you build that confidence and push you to take action.

It takes faith to have confidence in yourself. Apply that faith by taking action.

#3. Take consistent and persistent action toward your vision.

This means setting clear and measurable goals, creating a plan of action, and working towards your goal every day.

If it was easy everyone would be doing it. The reward is great though. Just take one step at a time. Stay persistent with your vision and be consistent.

You may be like me and have favorite content creators. Nothing disappoints me more than not seeing them being consistent. This is also one of the quickest ways to lose your audience.

Just small consistent steps with persistence are key.

#4. Stay flexible and adaptable.

Recognize that there will be challenges and setbacks along the way. Be willing to adjust your plan as needed.

I like to say “trust the process” when flexibility and adaptability come into play. Why? Because trusting in the process at the time helps us to instill the faith needed to stick with the challenge.

#5. Surround yourself with supportive and positive people.

You know, those who will help you stay motivated and on track.

I use my mentors and coaching teams often. I also love the use of a mastermind. My masterminds are sometimes done in my imagination. This really activates the faith needed to get through the tough times.

#6. Keep your focus on the end goal.

Do not lose sight of the bigger picture and keep the faith!

In this principle, as outlined in the Law of Success and later in Think & Grow Rich, he shows us that faith, or lack thereof, defines our destiny. It is what creates the road map that our subconscious mind follows.

#7. Take responsibility for your actions.

Responsibility gets a bad rap. But when you recognize that you are in charge of your life and the outcomes you achieve are a direct result of your actions.

#8. Gratitude

Cultivate a strong sense of gratitude for what you already have and the progress you’ve already made. Gratitude will take you a long way and will add applied faith to your life.

In conclusion

By following these steps and practicing the virtue of applied faith, you can develop the mindset and habits needed to achieve your goals and create the life you want.

Also, It is important to note that faith and religion can be distinct and can be treated as such. Napoleon Hill challenged the notion that faith is only about religious belief.

Some people might have a strong belief in a higher power, which might come in handy when trying to overcome difficult obstacles. But the main idea is that the belief should be in yourself, your goal, and your ability to achieve it, rather than just a deity or something else.

Here are some quotes that are in your download this week. Food for thought, inspiration for journalling, and insight:

• Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” ― Corrie ten Boom

• "Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” J.R.R. Tolkien

• “Keep Going! Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. Keep going. Tough situations build strong people in the end.” - Roy T. Bennett

• “Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right.”― Max Lucado

• “None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have Faith.” ― Paulo Coelho

• “What we are waiting for is not as important as what happens to us while we are waiting. Trust the process.”― Mandy Hale

• “Don’t ever stop believing in your own personal transformation. It is still happening even on the days you may not realize it or feel like it.”― Lalah Delia

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