Drifters in Outwitting the Devil | How to Stop Drifting and Start Living the Life You Want

Napoleon Hill wrote Outwitting the Devil right after his classic, “Think and Grow Rich” but it was not published until after his death because the information in it was thought to be so controversial by his family that they kept it hidden for years. I was honored when the Napoleon Hill Foundation approached me to annotate the book for a modern audience, more than 70 years after he wrote it. The information in it is so important for each and every one of us to learn because the book helps us to avoid the devil’s tools of control, and also shows us how to stop drifting, and start living the lives we want.

What is a drifter mindset?

Drifters simply react to life as it comes along. It’s a lackadaisical mindset that simply accepts what is. Rather than setting an intention, goal or bigger life vision and becoming very deliberate about working toward it each day, drifters float through life with no real plan or purpose.

• Drifters are easily swayed by other people because they have no clear life-focus of their own.
• They are more emotionally reactive, because they aren’t confident in themselves and who they are, so other people’s opinions of them matter far more than they should.
• Drifters feel lost in life, because they are not acting on purpose, with purpose, and toward a purpose.

If you feel like any of these describe where you are right now, don’t worry! We can all stop drifting and take control of our lives, but before we get to those steps, let’s learn a little more about drifting, so we can understand better when and why we are doing it. That will help each of us to identify exactly when we need to make shifts in our mindset, and from there the actions we take to start living the lives we want. 

Why do people become drifters?

The way we view our lives, as well as the way we act and interact in the world, comes from our past experiences. Those experiences frame our thoughts and beliefs, which in turn shape the way we show up. If we have not had experiences where we’ve been taught how to go deep inside of ourselves to learn about our desires, capabilities and what we want for our lives, we end up living life by other people’s expectations of us. 

We might look to our parents, partners, friends, coworkers or managers to tell us what we should do. As soon as we do that, we start drifting. We give our power to someone else and let them choose our direction, and by doing so, we cut ourselves off from our own purpose.  

98% of the people in the world are living this way, stuck in a hypnotic rhythm that keeps them drifting along, but there is a way to Break the Hypnotic Rhythm Holding You Back. To break free, you need to learn what is keeping you in a state of drifting. 

What are the types of drifters?

Drifters stay inside their comfort zones, and don’t use their internal brain power to lift themselves higher and deliberately create the lives they want. In Outwitting the Devil, the devil loves these kinds of predictable humans, who do the same things day in day out, because they are easier to sway. 

He keeps them in this zone by using the power of fear on them. The fears he wields are: 

• Fear of poverty
• Fear of criticism
• Fear of ill health
• Fear of loss of love
• Fear of old age
• Fear of death

Each one of those things stops us from doing everything we can to become more.

We all deserve rich, full and wonderful lives, and we all have the power to make it happen.

How do you stop drifting and start living the life you want?

Napoleon Hill details 7 Principles to break free from drifting and engage your self determination. This will help you build the life you want. 

The 7 Principles are:

1. Definiteness of Purpose – Defining your mission and vision in your life and making sure that everything you do aligns, gives you definiteness of purpose. 
2. Mastery Over Self – Self discipline is the key to staying on track. Drifters are all over the place, but the most successful people in the world hold themselves accountable to reach their goals.
3. Learning from Adversity – As Hill says, “Within every adversity is an equal or greater benefit. Within every problem is an opportunity.” We just have to be diligent in finding it. 
4. Controlling Environmental Influence – The people you spend time with, the things you watch and the information you consume all influence the way you think. To stay on track with your purpose, you must intentionally control your environment and the way it impacts you. A positive focus from every level will lead to positive results.  
5. Time – It is the multiplier for your habits. Whether you drift into negativity or actively choose positive thinking, the habits you develop through your thoughts get stronger over time. 
6. Harmony – You must control the balance of the mental, physical and spiritual aspects of your life. Alignment in all three areas will help you get the results you want.
7. Caution – It’s always important to think before you act. That time to think will allow you to consciously direct the action you take and ensure it’s the right one to reach your goal. 

It will take conscious determination to start building the life you want and only you can do it! You have the steps. You have the talent. Truly, you have everything you need…you just have to do the work. When you do, you will join the 2% of people who successfully build the lives of their dreams. 

I personally think Outwitting the Devil should be on every person’s must-read-list. It is a fascinating, provocative, and empowering book that will help you create the life you so richly deserve. CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY NOW.