DEFINITENESS OF PURPOSE IS THE STARTING POINT OF ALL ACHIEVEMENT

Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. Definiteness of purpose is always the starting pointing of all achievement. Please look at hunters, you will know that they pay attention to one target. If you choose you’re the biggest aims which combined with positive mental attitude, I believe that you will achieve your goals. You can select your own targets.

Robert Christopher had definiteness of purpose with positive mental attitude.  

Now, let's see how the natural tendencies for these additional principles manifested themselves in this success story. For, like many boys, Bob's imagination was stimulated while he read Jules Verne's thrilling, imaginative story Around the World in 80 Days. Bob told us: 

"I used to daydream a great deal but when I grew older, I read two books on motivation: Think and Grow Rich and The Magic of Believing. 

"Around the world in 80 days. Now, why couldn't I go around the world on $80.00? I believed that any given aim could be accomplished if I had faith and confidence that it could be. That is: if I started from where I was to get to where I wanted to be. 

"I thought: 'Others had worked on freighters to earn their transatlantic passages and hitchhiked all over the world, so why couldn't I?'" 

And then Bob took his fountain pen from his pocket and wrote on a piece of note paper a list of the problems with which he would be faced. Also, he made notes of what he thought were workable answers to each. 

Now Bob Christopher was an expert photographer and he did have a camera. It was a good one at that. When he reached his decision, he went into action:  

1.     Entered a contract with Charles Pfizer Company, a large pharmaceutical company, to collect soil samples from the various countries he intended to visit.

2.     Obtained an international driver’s license and a set ò maps in return for a promised report on Middle East road conditions.

3.     Picked up seamen’s papers.

4.     Obtained a letter from the New York City Police Department to prove that he had no criminal record.

5.     Arranged for a Youth Hostel Membership

6.     Contacted a freight airline which agreed to transport him by plane over the Atlantic on his promise to obtain photographs which the company intended to use for publicity.

And when his plans were completed, this young man of 26 left New York City by plane with $80.00 in his pocket Around the world on $80.00 was his definite major aim. And here are a few of his experiences: 

·       Had breakfast at Gander, Newfoundland. How did he pay for it? He photographed the cooks in the kitchen. And they were pleased.

·       Bought 4 cartons of American cigarettes at Shannon, Ireland that cost him $4.80. At that time cigarettes were as good as money as a medium of exchange in many countries.

·       Arrived at Vienna from Paris. The fee -  one carton of cigarettes to the driver.

·       Gave the conductor four packs of cigarettes to take him from Vienna to Switzerland on a train through the Alps.

·       Rode a bus to Damascus. A policeman in Syria was so proud of the picture that Bob had taken of him that he ordered the bus driver to take him.

·       Took a photograph of the president and staff of the Iraq Express Transportation Company. This earned him a ride from Baghdad to Teheran.

·       In Bangkok the owner of a very fine restaurant fed him like a king. For Bob gave him the information he wanted – a detailed description of a specific area hand a set of maps.

·       Was brought from Japan to San Francisco as a crew member of S.S. the Flying Spray

Around the world in 80 days?  No — Robert Christopher went around the world in 84 days. But he did accomplish his objective. He went around the world on $80.00 

And because he had definiteness of purpose with positive mental attitude, he was automatically motivated to use an additional 13 of the 17 success principles to achieve his specific goal.
(From Success through Positive Mental Attitude)