The Compound Effect

~ Darren Hardy

Quotes

It's interesting that wealth tends to skip a generation. Overwhelming abundance often leads to a lackadaisical mentality, which brings about a sedentary lifestyle. Children of the wealthy are especially susceptible. They weren't the ones who developed the discipline and character to create the wealth in the first place.

- We are all self-made men and women, but only the successful take credit for it.

- The magic is not in the complexity of the task. The magic is in the doing of simple things repeatedly.

- Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon... must inevitably come to pass!

- You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.

The main message

Small, smart choices completed consistently over time is what leads to success.

The challenging part of small incremental improvements is that for a long time it can seem as though nothing is happening. It's only over a prolonged period of time do the results become noticeable.

If you want to get from where you are to where you want to be, you have to start by becoming aware of the choices that lead you away from your desired destination.

You need to become aware of your choices. Start tracking every action that relates to the area of your life you want to improve. - Log everything you do in a notebook for 30 days, in whatever area you want to improve in.

Track everything

If there's an area you want to improve in, you need to track every action you take involving it. You must draw attention to the choices you are making around that end. Only when you are aware of the choices can you take steps to improve them. Tracking brings moment-to-moment awareness.

Creatures of habit

Most of our decisions are unconscious - learned either from parents, culture, coping mechanisms etc. You need to draw conscious attention to them in order to change them.

You learned every habit you have, and you need to unlearn the ones that aren't serving you well.

Instant gratification

We pride ourselves on being rational most of the time, but our need for instant gratification can turn us into some of the most impulsive, nonthinking animals around.

The instant gratification we get from bad habits outweighs your rational considerations of long-term consequences. There doesn't appear to be any negative consequences in the moment. Altering the angle of direction of a plane at an early point in its journey can leave it hundreds of miles off course by the end.

Core values

Decision making at both the micro and macro level become easier when you are certain of your core values. Decisions should be value based.

Make your why so strong that it overwhelms your urges for instant gratification.

Who do you need to become?

Setting goals is important. Solid, written down goals. But you should also ask, instead of "what do I need to do to reach my goal," ask, "who do I need to become?" What sort of person has attained the goals you've set?