The “Secret” of the “Secret”

Posted: December 18, 2011 | Categories: Self-Improvement

A few years ago, professional coach and speaker Bob Proctor produced a popular video called “The Secret”.  It was based on Napoleon Hill’s “Law of attraction”.  This concept states that, “We become what we think about most of the time”.  This means if we train our minds to vividly envision a desired achievement or outcome, and we hold that vision with frequency, duration, and intensity, success will follow.

Many were excited about the “Secret” and immediately put the concept into play.  While some succeeded, many did not.  It seems that the excitement of the secret faded, and before long, they were in their previous patterns.

What happened?  The “Law of Attraction” needs a working partner called the “Law of Accumulation” Even though this law is absolutely vital to achievement; it is not nearly as exciting.  Here is a definition of the Law of attraction as stated by Brian Tracy:

“Everything great and worthwhile in human life is an accumulation of hundreds and sometimes thousands of tiny efforts and sacrifices that nobody ever sees or appreciates. It says that everything accumulates over time. That you have to put in many, many, many tiny efforts that nobody sees or appreciates before you achieve anything worthwhile. It’s like a snowball. A snowball starts very small, but it grows as it adds millions and millions of tiny snowflakes.”

Here is an example:  Let’s say you have put your business plan together, and determined that you need to make 1000 calls directed towards new business development.  1000 calls!  That could be overwhelming.  It addition to being out of our comfort zone, it is also a strong candidate for some serious procrastination.  Let’s reverse that inertia by applying the “law of accumulation”.  There are approximately 240 work days a year when we figure in weekends, holidays, sick time, and vacation.  If we divide 1000 by 240, we find that this averages out to just a little over 4 phone calls per day.  Can we dial the phone 4 times per day?  Sure we can.  What gets in the way?  Distractions and excuses we have fallen in love with.

Another term for the “law of accumulation” is “Single Daily Action” Let’s see how it applies to a personal example.  Today, we use remote controls on our TV’s, ATM’s, pay-at-the-pump, and automatic transmission.  This makes life easier.  It also means less movement, which means we burn fewer calories.  If we assume that sitting on the coach or in the car means that we burn 20 less calories per day, let’s do the math.  365 x 20 = 7300 calories.  That amounts to over 2 lbs. per year.  No big deal?  OK, keep going with it for ten years.  Now you are up to 20 pounds.

The “Law of attraction” is a solid concept.  We need to remember that is only works when supported by a daily discipline of planning our work and working our plan.  So how many emails do you have stacked up on your computer?  Is it starting to gnaw at you?  This could be an ideal opportunity to start building your “Single Daily Action” muscles.

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