What Is the Certain Way? Wallace Wattles Explained

This post contains affiliate links. If you click and purchase I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Certain Way is Wallace Wattles’ term for the specific combination of thought and action he taught as the foundation of The Science of Getting Rich. This guide breaks down what it actually means, how thinking and acting in this framework work together, and how to apply this core teaching in practice.

What the Certain Way Actually Means

The Certain Way in Wallace Wattles’ teaching refers to a specific, consistent way of thinking and acting that he claimed would reliably produce wealth and increase, regardless of a person’s starting circumstances. The word “certain” is doing real work here — Wattles wasn’t describing one option among many, but what he considered the one reliable path, applied consistently rather than occasionally.

This concept sits at the center of everything else Wallace Wattles taught. Rather than offering a loose collection of tips or affirmations, it describes a specific, repeatable process — one that combines a particular quality of inner thought with a particular quality of outer action, applied together rather than separately.

Wattles chose his words carefully throughout his work, and this teaching is a good example of that precision. He wasn’t offering encouragement or general optimism; he was describing what he considered a reliable mechanism, one that would work the same way for any reader who applied it with the same consistency he prescribed.

Thinking in the Certain Way

The first half of the book is what Wattles called thinking in the Certain Way — holding a clear, consistent mental picture of what a person wants, backed by unwavering faith that it is already becoming real. This isn’t occasional or passing thought. This mental practice requires sustained, deliberate attention maintained regardless of present circumstances or setbacks.

Wattles paired this practice closely with gratitude, arguing that a genuinely grateful mind stays more consistently focused on what is wanted rather than drifting toward doubt, comparison, or complaint. In his framework, certain thinking and gratitude reinforce each other — gratitude keeps the mental picture clear and consistent, and a clear mental picture gives gratitude something specific to focus on.

Acting in the Certain Way

Wallace Wattles was explicit that thought alone is not sufficient. The second half of the bookis action — specifically, acting in the Certain Way, which means taking efficient, purposeful action within a person’s current circumstances rather than waiting passively for a desired outcome to appear.

This pairing of thought and action is one of the more distinctive features of it compared to some later New Thought teaching that leans more heavily on belief alone. Every action taken, according to Wattles, should be performed as effectively and consciously as possible in the present moment, since efficient action combined with certain thinking is what actually produces results.

Why Wattles Insisted on Both Halves Together

A key point in understanding the Certain Way is recognizing why Wallace Wattles refused to separate thought from action. He was direct that thinking in this way without corresponding action tends to produce little real change, since a mental picture alone doesn’t move a person into the specific opportunities and business relationships needed to realize it.

At the same time, he was equally direct that action without this quality of thinking behind it tends to become scattered or anxious effort, disconnected from any clear underlying purpose. The Certain Way, as Wattles taught it, requires holding both halves together consistently rather than favoring one over the other.

This insistence on pairing thought with action is one reason it has aged reasonably well compared to some other early self-help writing, which often leaned entirely on belief without addressing the practical steps needed to move a person forward.

The Role of Gratitude in the Certain Way

Gratitude occupies an unusually central place in Wattles’ description of the way, more so than in many comparable New Thought teachings of the period. He treated gratitude not as a pleasant afterthought but as a specific mechanism that keeps a person’s attention correctly oriented toward what they want rather than what they lack.

Practicing gratitude consistently, in this framework, is presented as a discipline in itself — something maintained deliberately rather than only felt when circumstances happen to be favorable. This consistent orientation is part of what Wattles believed distinguished genuine practice of the Certain Way from occasional or half-hearted attempts at positive thinking.

The Certain Way and Efficient Action

Wattles was specific about what he meant by efficient action within the Certain Way, distinguishing it from busyness or effort for its own sake. Efficient action, in his framework, means the specific, well-chosen action available in a person’s present circumstances, carried out with full attention rather than performed halfheartedly while the mind wanders elsewhere.

This distinction matters because it isn’t asking for more activity in a general sense. It’s asking for a particular quality of attention brought to whatever action is genuinely available right now, however small that action might seem relative to the larger goal being pursued.

The Certain Way Compared to Other New Thought Approaches

Placed alongside other New Thought teaching from the same era, the Certain Way stands out for its insistence on pairing thought with action rather than emphasizing belief alone. Many contemporaneous teachers focused heavily on affirmation, visualization, or spoken word as the primary mechanism of change, treating outer action as a secondary or even optional consideration once the right inner state had been established.

Wattles took a noticeably different position. While it shares the same underlying premise as much New Thought writing — that inner state shapes outer circumstance — it refuses to let that premise excuse passivity. A reader who only thinks in the Certain Way, without also acting in it, has according to Wattles only completed half the work. This dual requirement gives it a more grounded, practical character than teaching that leans entirely on mental or spiritual practice.

This distinction also shows up in how directly Wattles addresses ordinary business and daily work. Where some New Thought writing of the period stays largely in the register of affirmation and prayer, it moves comfortably into concrete territory — choosing the right business, dealing fairly with employees and customers, and taking specific, well-chosen action within one’s actual circumstances rather than waiting for ideal conditions.

That said, it isn’t simply a practical philosophy dressed up in spiritual language. Gratitude and faith remain genuinely central to the framework, not decorative additions to an otherwise secular productivity system. Wattles clearly believed the inner half of the Certain Way was doing real causal work, not merely putting a person in a better mood to go take action. The two halves are meant to operate together, each incomplete without the other.

This balance between inner conviction and outer action is part of why it has remained readable and applicable across more than a century of change, even as specific business examples from Wattles’ era have grown less relevant. A framework built entirely on inner belief risks feeling detached from practical reality to a skeptical modern reader; a framework built entirely on action risks feeling like generic productivity advice with nothing distinctive to offer. The Certain Way’s insistence on holding both together is arguably its most durable and most quietly radical feature, especially compared to the many wealth and success frameworks that have followed in the decades since.

How to Apply the Certain Way in Daily Life

Applying the Certain Way in practice starts with building a clear, specific mental picture of a desired outcome and returning to that picture consistently, rather than only when circumstances prompt it. Wattles recommended pairing this picture with genuine gratitude, treated as though the outcome were already unfolding.

Alongside this inner practice, the framework calls for identifying the most effective action available in a person’s present circumstances and carrying it out with full attention, rather than waiting for ideal conditions before acting. For the fuller argument behind this practice, see The Science of Getting Rich: Complete Book Breakdown.

Common Misunderstandings About the Certain Way

One common misunderstanding treats the Certain Way as thought alone — as though simply picturing a desired outcome is sufficient on its own. Wattles was direct in rejecting this reading, consistently pairing certain thinking with a corresponding requirement for efficient action.

A second common misunderstanding treats it as a one-time decision rather than an ongoing discipline. Wattles described it as something practiced consistently over time, not applied once and then set aside. The reliability he claimed for this teaching depended specifically on that consistency, not on isolated moments of clear thought or effective action.

A third misunderstanding treats it as identical to willpower or forced positivity. Wattles distinguished genuine faith-backed thought from strained or effortful mental pushing, describing it as a settled, consistent orientation rather than a constant internal struggle to suppress doubt.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Certain Way

What is the Certain Way according to Wallace Wattles

The Certain Way is Wallace Wattles’ term for the combination of consistent, faith-backed thought and efficient, purposeful action that he taught as the reliable path to wealth and increase.

Does the Certain Way require both thought and action

Yes. Wattles was explicit that thinking this way without corresponding action, and action without this quality of thought, both fall short of what the complete teaching requires.

How does gratitude relate to the Certain Way

Gratitude is treated as a central discipline within the Certain Way, helping keep a person’s attention consistently focused on what they want rather than on lack or doubt.