Three Big Takeaways:
 

1. Discipline is the foundation on which all success is built. Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure. Yes, many do not associate lack of discipline with lack of success. Most people envision failure as one earth-shattering event. This is not how failure happens. Rather, it is a consequence of a long list of accumulated little failures which happen as a result of too little discipline. The danger comes when we look at a day squandered and conclude no harm has been done. After all, it was just one day. But add these days to make a year and you can now see how repeating today's small failures can easily turn your life into a major disaster. (pg. 12)
    

2. Income rarely exceeds personal development. Sometimes income takes a lucky jump, but unless you learn how to handle the responsibilities that come with it, it will usually shrink back to the amount you can handle. A very rich man once said, "If you took all the money in the world and divided it equally among everybody, it would soon be back in the same pockets it was before." (pg. 67)
    

3. Procrastination is especially dangerous because of it accumulating nature. When we put off doing some minor task, it doesn't seem to be all that important. And if we let a few things slide during the day, it doesn't seem like such a bad day. But let enough of those days pile and you have the makings of a disastrous year. (pg. 77)
   
    

Other Key Ideas:
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I realized that gradually I had settled into quietly accepting my meager lot. Rather than making progress I was falling further behind financially with each passing day. Something clearly had to change ... but what? I was working hard, but I was on my way to ending up at age sixty like so many people I saw around me: broke and in need of assistance. (pg. 4)

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There are always a half-dozen things that make eighty percent of the difference. Whether you are working to improve health, wealth, personal achievement, or professional enterprise, the difference between success and failure lies in our commitment to those half-dozen things. Ask yourself "What are the half-dozen things that will make the most difference to the outcome? (pg. 8)

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Discipline is the master key. It unlocks the door to wealth and happiness, culture and sophistication, high self-esteem and high accomplishment, and the accompanying feelings of pride, satisfaction, and success. Discipline attracts opportunity. Exciting opportunities come to those who have developed skills and who have the ambition to act. And those who through discipline and commitment set their sights high will grab onto opportunities that forever remain unseen by more timid souls. (pg. 13)

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Anger and embarrassment, when properly channeled, can act as powerful motivators to achieve. Do you have something to prove? Do you have some old embarrassment you want to wipe off the slate? You know, that old saying "Massive success is the sweetest revenge" is true. (pg. 29)

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What do you think is the greatest value in becoming a millionaire? Is it the million dollars? I don't think so. No, the greatest value is the skills, knowledge, discipline, and leadership qualities you'll develop in reaching that elevated status. It's the experience you'll acquire in planning and developing strategies. It's the inner strength you'll develop to have enough courage, commitment, and willpower to attract a million dollars. (pg. 40)

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It's easy to get values all mixed up. A parent spends three hours watching TV and only ten minutes playing with the children. A manager spends most of the day filling out forms and very little time encouraging his employees. These are people who have lost a sense of what's important and what's trivial. This same concept applies to money. Don't spend major money on minor things, and, conversely, don't spend minor money on major things. Some people spend a fortune on food for their bodies and very little on food for their minds. If you spend more on candy than on inspirational books that would be foolish, right? (pg. 46)

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You'll want to capture all the knowledge you gain as you live your life. That's why I encourage you to make use of a journal or diary as a gathering place for all the ideas that come your way. What will gradually emerge is an incredible treasure trove of ideas. Can you imagine the value in this? You see, experience can become a commodity, currency, coin - an incredible source of value. But it can become all those things only if you take the time to record the experience, ponder it, and then turn it into something of value. After all, it's not what happens to a person that makes the difference in how his or her life turns out. Rather, it's what he or she does with what happens that determines the outcome. and to do something positive about life, we must glean valuable information from it. (pg. 53)

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Go over your life experiences. Learn the skill of reflection, which is the act of pondering life's events with the intent of learning from them. The events of your lief are some of the best sources of information. Be aware of what's going on around you so that you'll drive the grooves in the record of the day deep into your consciousness. (pg. 53)

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All successful people with whom I have had contact are good readers. They read, read, read. It's their curiosity that drives them to read. They simply have to know. They constantly seek new ways to become better. Here is a good phrase to remember: ALL LEADERS ARE READERS. (pg. 57)

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It's easy to get faked out by the person who says "I've got twenty years' experience. I don't know why I'm not doing better." What he hasn't realized is that he doesn't have twenty years' experience. What he has is one year's experience repeated twenty times. He hasn't made a single improvement in nineteen years! (pg. 69)

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If you make money your love and you pursue affluence to the exclusion of or the expense of other values, you have lost, not won. However, consider this question: If you could do better, should you? Within the time you've allocated to gainful work, shouldn't you try to accomplish the most you can? I believe the greatest satisfactions of life come to those of us who make a habit of doing the best with what we've got. In fact, doing less than our best has a way of weighing on our psyche. (pg. 89)

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You and I - as creatures of enterprise, shouldn't be reluctant to go for it - for high productivity, for the full employment of our genius, for the full development of our potential in all areas of our lives - including the area of creating wealth. That is the essence of life. Sophisticated people know that it isn't the amount that matters; it's doing all that we can do with our God-given abilities that really counts. (pg. 90)

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After you pay taxes, you must learn to live on seventy percent of your after-tax income. The thirty percent should be allocated in the following ways: 1) Ten percent should go to charity; 2) The next ten percent should go toward creating wealth. The key is to engage in commerce, even if only on a part-time basis. Take a close look at those skills you developed at work or through your hobbies; you may be able to convert these into a profitable enterprise. Use this ten percent to purchase your equipment, products to begin. Why not work full time on your job and part time on your fortune? When you have a wealth plan, you'll be so motivated that you'll have a hard time going to bed at night; and 3) The last ten percent should be allotted to savings. I consider this to be one of the most exciting parts of your wealth plan because it can offer you peace of mind. (pg. 95)

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Let me give you the definition of "rich" and "poor." Poor people spend their money and save what's left. Rich people save their money and spend what's left. It's the same amount of money - just a different philosophy. (pg. 101)

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What do you think of when you think of old people? Do you see people who are somewhat helpless and who live on limited resources? Indeed, this is the predominant condition of the majority of those who fall into the group known as "senior citizens?" Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could change that image? Grandparents shouldn't have to say "I've worked all of my life and now I need help." They should be able to say, "I've worked all my life; now I can help." (pg. 103)

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Journals are invaluable tools for the serious students of successful living. A journal is a gathering place for all the good information and wisdom that comes your way. Good ideas can originate from almost anywhere. Don't let good ideas escape you. A great idea can change your life - if you capture it. Have a journal with you at all times. (pg. 120)