THE MASTERY OF PROCRASTINATION
The Seventh Step toward Riches
ACCURATE analysis of over 25，000 men and women who had experienced failure， disclosed thefact that LACK OF DECISION was near the head ofthe list of the 30 major causes of FAILURE. This isno mere statement of a theory—it is a fact.
PROCRASTINATION， the opposite of DECISION， isa common enemy which practically every man mustconquer.
You will have an opportunity to test your capacity toreach quick and definite DECISIONS when you finishreading this book， and are ready to begin puttinginto ACTION the principles which it describes.
Analysis of several hundred people who had accumulated fortunes well beyond the million dollarmark， disclosed the fact that every one of them hadthe habit of REACHING DECISIONS PROMPTLY， andof changing these decisions SLOWLY， if， and whenthey were changed. People who fail to accumulatemoney， without exception， have the habit of reachingdecisions， IF AT ALL， very slowly， and of changingthese decisions quickly and often.
One of Henry Ford’s most outstanding qualitiesis his habit of reaching decisions quickly anddefinitely， and changing them slowly. This quality isso pronounced in Mr. Ford， that it has given him thereputation of being obstinate. It was this quality whichprompted Mr. Ford to continue to manufacture hisfamous Model “T” （the world’s ugliest car）， whenall of his advisors， and many of the purchasers of thecar， were urging him to change it.
Perhaps， Mr. Ford delayed too long in making thechange， but the other side of the story is， that Mr.
Ford’s firmness of decision yielded a huge fortune，before the change in model became necessary.
There is but little doubt that Mr. Ford’s habit ofdefiniteness of decision assumes the proportion ofobstinacy， but this quality is preferable to slownessin reaching decisions and quickness in changingthem.
The majority of people who fail to accumulatemoney sufficient for their needs， are， generally，easily influenced by the “opinions” of others.
They permit the newspapers and the “gossiping” neighbors to do their “thinking” for them. “Opinionsare the cheapest commodities on earth. Everyonehas a flock of opinions ready to be wished uponanyone who will accept them. If you are influencedby “opinions” when you reach DECISIONS， you willnot succeed in any undertaking， much less in that oftransmuting YOUR OWN DESIRE into money.
If you are influenced by the opinions of others，you will have no DESIRE of your own.
Keep your own counsel， when you begin to putinto practice the principles described here， byreaching your own decisions and following them.
Take no one into your confidence， EXCEPT themembers of your “Master Mind” group， and be verysure in your selection of this group， that you chooseONLY those who will be in COMPLETE SYMPATHYAND HARMONY WITH YOUR PURPOSE.
Close friends and relatives， while not meaning todo so， often handicap one through “opinions” andsometimes through ridicule， which is meant to behumorous. Thousands of men and women carryinferiority complexes with them all through life，because some well-meaning， but ignorant persondestroyed their confidence through “opinions” orridicule.
You have a brain and mind of your own. USE IT，and reach your own decisions. If you need facts orinformation from other people， to enable you to reachdecisions， as you probably will in many instances；acquire these facts or secure the information you needquietly， without disclosing your purpose.
It is characteristic of people who have but asmattering or a veneer of knowledge to try to givethe impression that they have much knowledge.
Such people generally do TOO MUCH talking， andTOO LITTLE listening. Keep your eyes and ears wideopen—and your mouth CLOSED， if you wish toacquire the habit of prompt DECISION. Those whotalk too much do little else. If you talk more thanyou listen， you not only deprive yourself of manyopportunities to accumulate useful knowledge， butyou also disclose your PLANS and PURPOSES topeople who will take great delight in defeating you，because they envy you.
Remember， also， that every time you open yourmouth in the presence of a person who has anabundance of knowledge， you display to that person，your exact stock of knowledge， or your LACK of it！
Genuine wisdom is usually conspicuous throughmodesty and silence.
Keep in mind the fact that every person with whom you associate is， like yourself， seeking theopportunity to accumulate money. If you talk aboutyour plans too freely， you may be surprised whenyou learn that some other person has beaten youto your goal by PUTTING INTO ACTION AHEAD OFYOU， the plans of which you talked unwisely.
Let one of your first decisions be to KEEP A CLOSED MOUTH AND OPEN EARS AND EYES.
As a reminder to yourself to follow this advice， itwill be helpful if you copy the following epigram inlarge letters and place it where you will see it daily.
“TELL THE WORLD WHAT YOU INTEND TO DO，
BUT FIRST SHOW IT.”
This is the equivalent of saying that “deeds， andnot words， are what count most.”
FREEDOM OR DEATH ON A DECISION
The value of decisions depends upon the couragerequired to render them. The great decisions， whichserved as the foundation of civilization， werereached by assuming great risks， which often meantthe possibility of death.
Lincoln’s decision to issue his famous Proclamationof Emancipation， which gave freedom to thecolored people of America， was rendered with fullunderstanding that his act would turn thousandsof friends and political supporters against him. Heknew， too， that the carrying out of that proclamationwould mean death to thousands of men on thebattlefield. In the end， it cost Lincoln his life. Thatrequired courage.
Socrates’ decision to drink the cup of poison，rather than compromise in his personal belief， was adecision of courage. It turned Time ahead a thousandyears， and gave to people then unborn， the right tofreedom of thought and of speech.