How to Get What You Want by Raymond Hull: Complete Summary & Method
How to Get What You Want is a self-development book by Raymond Hull that lays out a step-by-step system for achieving any goal. The method has five stages: define your goals in precise writing, program your subconscious through daily affirmation and visualization, capture inspired ideas, make prompt decisions, and review your progress. Its founding principle is simple — what you consistently think about, you bring about — but the results come from disciplined action, not wishful thinking.
“This book describes techniques that will enable you to attain any goal you choose… but you must be prepared to pay a price.” — Raymond Hull
What is Raymond Hull's method?
Raymond Hull's method is a thought-and-action system organized into three phases: definition (deciding exactly what you want), programming (impressing that goal on your subconscious mind through daily practice), and implementation (turning the resulting ideas into prompt, decisive action). Hull — who also co-wrote the management classic The Peter Principle — argued that most people fail not from lack of ability but from vague goals and inconsistent effort.
The 5 steps of Hull's system
Define your goals
List ten goals, arrange them in order of ease of achievement, and write a detailed specification for each one.
Program your mind
Turn each goal into a short positive affirmation and impress it daily via the triple-impression technique: read, visualize, copy.
Capture ideas
Collect every inspired idea about achieving your goals and convert the useful ones into concrete written action plans.
Decide and act
Make decisions with a simple pros-and-cons analysis, then execute promptly — procrastination is the enemy of the system.
Review and celebrate
Record results and changes regularly. Celebrating progress reinforces the habit and sustains momentum.
The method at a glance
| Phase | What you do | Daily practice |
|---|---|---|
| Define | List & rank 10 goals; write a specification for each | Re-read your specifications |
| Program | Write affirmations from your goals | Read 3×, visualize, and copy each affirmation |
| Implement | Capture ideas; make pros/cons decisions | Act on one decision without delay |
| Review | Record results and character changes | Note one win or insight |
What is the triple-impression technique?
The triple-impression technique is the heart of Hull's daily practice. You impress each goal on your subconscious through three channels at once: reading your affirmation aloud, visualizing the goal as already achieved, and copying the affirmation by hand. Engaging sight, sound, imagination, and movement together makes the goal far more deeply encoded than simple repetition. Read the full guide →
Does Hull's method actually work?
Hull wrote intuitively in 1969, but modern psychology supports the mechanics. Specific, written goals outperform vague intentions (Locke & Latham's goal-setting theory), self-affirmation measurably changes behavior and brain activity (Cohen & Sherman, 2014), spacing repetition strengthens memory (the spacing effect), and forming an explicit “when–then” plan sharply increases follow-through (Gollwitzer's implementation intentions). See the research →
Frequently asked questions
What is the book How to Get What You Want about?
How to Get What You Want is a self-development book by Raymond Hull that presents a systematic method for achieving any goal. It teaches you to define goals in precise writing, program your subconscious mind with daily affirmations and visualization, convert ideas into action plans, make prompt decisions, and track your progress — built on the principle that what you consistently think about, you bring about.
Who is Raymond Hull?
Raymond Hull (1919–1985) was a Canadian author and playwright best known for co-writing the management classic The Peter Principle with Laurence J. Peter. In How to Get What You Want he distilled decades of personal-development thinking into a practical, exercise-driven program for goal achievement.
What is the triple-impression technique?
The triple-impression technique is Hull's core practice for impressing a goal on the subconscious mind by engaging it through three channels every day: reading your written affirmation aloud, vividly visualizing the goal as already achieved, and copying the affirmation out by hand. Using reading, imagining, and writing together makes the goal far more memorable than repetition alone.
How long does it take to see results with Hull's method?
Hull emphasized consistency over intensity: a short daily practice sustained for weeks outperforms occasional intense effort. Most people begin noticing shifts in attitude, ideas, and small wins within a few weeks of daily practice, with larger goals unfolding over months as momentum compounds.
Is How to Get What You Want the same as the law of attraction?
No. While both stress the power of directed thought, Hull's system is action-oriented rather than passive. Thinking and affirmation are used to clarify goals and prime the mind, but achievement comes from converting inspired ideas into written plans and executing decisions promptly — not from visualization alone.
How many exercises are in How to Get What You Want?
The book contains 45 structured exercises designed to be completed in sequence. They build momentum through small, consistent successes — starting with listing and prioritizing goals, then writing specifications and affirmations, and progressing to idea capture, decision-making, and ongoing review.
Put Hull's method into practice
Achieve Aims turns the book into a guided daily system — define goals, build affirmations, and track your progress in about 20 minutes a day.
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