“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”
— Napoleon Hill
In 1993, a single handwritten page sold at auction for $29,000.
It wasn’t signed by a president. It wasn’t a historical document.
It was a personal goal Bruce Lee wrote to himself in 1969 using a method from 1937.
Four years after writing it, he’d achieved world fame.
The paper itself has been resold for $55,000, displayed in Planet Hollywood restaurants from Vegas to Times Square, and copied thousands of times.
Why would anyone pay that much for someone else’s personal goals?
Because it’s proof the method works.
Key Takeaways
- A Definite Chief Aim is a written statement of your major life purpose that you read aloud twice daily
- The formula: State exactly what you want, by when, and what you’ll give in return
- Bruce Lee used this method in 1969 and achieved world fame by 1973
- The power comes from daily repetition until your subconscious believes it’s already happening
- Specific dates and amounts are required – vague goals don’t work
Summary of the Definite Chief Aim Method
The Definite Chief Aim method requires you to write one clear statement containing your major life goal, including specific amounts and dates, plus what value you’ll provide in return.
You then read this statement aloud every morning and night until it becomes embedded in your subconscious mind.
This is s more than goal setting.
It’s daily mental programming through repetition of a written commitment.
What Is a Definite Chief Aim
A Definite Chief Aim is a written statement of your major life purpose.
Napoleon Hill introduced this in “Think and Grow Rich” (1937), instructing readers to:
- Write down exactly what you want
- State when you’ll achieve it
- Declare what you’ll give in return
- Read it aloud twice daily until it becomes part of your subconscious
This is the 1937 book where Hill first introduced the Definite Chief Aim method. [Get the book on Amazon]
The Exact Formula
Hill’s instructions from the book:
- Write your aim in clear, specific terms
- Include a definite date
- State what service or value you’ll provide in return
- Sign and date it
- Read it aloud every morning and night
- Keep doing this until you believe it completely
Real Examples
Bruce Lee’s Definite Chief Aim (January 1969)
Written on a single sheet, marked “secret” in red:
“I, Bruce Lee, will be the first highest paid Oriental super star in the United States. In return I will give the most exciting performances and render the best of quality in the capacity of an actor. Starting 1970 I will achieve world fame and from then onward till the end of 1980 I will have in my possession $10,000,000. I will live the way I please and achieve inner harmony and happiness.”
Result: Achieved world fame by 1973. This handwritten note sold for $29,000 at auction in 1993.
How to Write Your Own
Template: “I, [Your Name], will [specific achievement] by [specific date]. In return I will [what value/service you’ll provide]. I will [additional specific goals with dates]. I will [quality of life goal].”
Modern Example (Sales Professional): “I, [Name], will become the top enterprise sales rep at my company by December 31, 2025. In return I will provide exceptional value to every client, solving their actual business problems and becoming their trusted advisor. Starting January 2025 I will close $2M in new business per quarter, and by end of 2026 I will be earning $500,000 annually. I will maintain strong relationships with my family and coach my kid’s soccer team.”
Modern Example (Entrepreneur): “I, [Name], will build and sell a SaaS company for $10M by December 2028. In return I will create software that genuinely saves businesses 10+ hours per week on operations. Starting now I will validate the idea with 100 customer interviews by March 2025, launch MVP by June 2025, and reach $1M ARR by June 2026. I will maintain my health and take one month off per year to travel.”
The Daily Practice of Your Definite Chief Aim
Hill emphasized this isn’t just goal-setting – it’s daily programming:
Morning: Read your Definite Chief Aim aloud before starting your day Evening: Read it again before bed The Key: Continue until you actually believe it’s already happening
Hill wrote: “Repeat it in audible words, day after day, until these vibrations of sound have reached your subconscious mind.”
Why the Definite Chief Aim Works
- Specificity forces clarity – You can’t achieve vague goals
- The exchange principle – Stating what you’ll give in return creates commitment
- Daily repetition – Moves the goal from conscious wish to subconscious belief
- Written commitment – Makes it real and reviewable
How Often to Create a New Definite Chief Aim
Hill’s original method treats this as a long-term life document, not an annual goal. Look at the timeframes:
Bruce Lee’s example:
- Written: January 1969
- Timeline: 11-year vision (1970-1980)
- Achieved fame: 1973 (4 years)
- Died: 1973 (before completing full timeline)
Recommended approach:
Your First One: Start with a 3-5 year vision. This is long enough to be significant but short enough to feel achievable.
When to Write a New One:
- When you achieve the major goal
- When your life circumstances dramatically change
- When the aim no longer represents your true desire
- NOT every January 1st (this isn’t an annual resolution)
Keep the Old Ones: Bruce Lee’s sold for $29,000 because it showed the method worked. Your old Definite Chief Aims become proof of your growth and achievement.
Warning: Don’t confuse this with quarterly goals or annual planning. This is your ONE major life aim for the next several years. Changing it every few months means you’re not giving it time to work through daily repetition.
Hill emphasized: Keep reading the same one daily until you achieve it or until it no longer represents your definite chief purpose in life.
Common Mistakes to Avoid with Your Definite Chief Aim
- Being too vague (“I want to be successful”)
- No specific dates (“someday”)
- Missing the exchange (“what you’ll give in return”)
- Writing it once and filing it away
- Not reading it aloud daily
Quick Start Instructions
- Take one sheet of paper
- Write “My Definite Chief Aim” at the top
- Use the template above
- Be specific about amounts, dates, and what you’ll deliver
- Sign and date it
- Read it aloud twice daily
- Keep it private (Bruce marked his “secret”)
Historical Note on the Definite Chief Aim
In 1937, Hill charged $20 for his full course on this method – that’s $379 in today’s dollars. The core method, however, was in his book which sold for $2.50 (about $47 today).
Mike Stone introduced Bruce Lee to this method after Lee faced rejection from Steve McQueen in Hollywood. Lee was also reading Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale at the time, but Hill’s Definite Chief Aim method is what he actually implemented.
The method has been used continuously since 1937. You can find copies of Bruce Lee’s actual letter displayed in Planet Hollywood restaurants, and reproductions have sold at auction for thousands of dollars – not because of the paper, but because of the proof of method.
The power isn’t in the paper. It’s in the daily practice of programming your subconscious through repetition of a specific, written commitment.
Final Thoughts
Napoleon Hill published this method in 1937, charging $379 in today’s dollars for his full course on it. Yet the core technique fits on a single page. Bruce Lee’s 1969 implementation of this method – just one handwritten sheet – has sold at auction for up to $55,000.
The value isn’t in the paper or even the words. It’s in the daily practice. Most people write goals once and file them away. This method requires you to face your commitment twice daily, speaking it aloud until you believe it completely.
Your Definite Chief Aim is waiting to be written. One page. Specific dates. Clear amounts. What you’ll give in return. Then read it every morning and every night.
The method has worked since 1937. It worked for Bruce Lee. It can work for you.
But only if you write it. And only if you read it daily.
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