The Compound Effect: Key Take-aways
- Tshepang Pooe
- Oct 20, 2017
- 3 min read
Approximately three weeks ago, with the help of a friend, I found a book which has become quite instrumental in helping me shape my thinking. I have known for a while that in order for me to become the high-impact, successful entrepreneur I wish to become, I have to cultivate good habits.
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, author, entrepreneur and editor of Success Magazine, attributes success to small actions repeated consistently over a period of time, the yield of which far outweighs the cost of the actions.
“Small, Smart Choices + Consistency + Time = RADICAL DIFFERENCE”
Through multiple applications of the prescribed theories, Hardy separates the self-improvement book into 6 easy-to-read chapters. Throughout my time reading The Compound Effect, I noted my favourite quotations and lessons, which I have compartmentalised in the section below:
On Awareness
“The first step toward change is awareness…Become very conscious of every choice you make today so you can begin to make smarter choices moving forward”
“To create profitable and effective routines, you must first decide what behaviours and habits you want to implement.”
On Accountability
“From this day forward, choose to be 100 percent responsible for your life. Eliminate all of your excuses. Embrace the fact that you are freed by your choices, as long as you assume personal responsibility for them.”
“Your decisions shape your destiny”
On Positive Associations
“[seek] out people who [are] living the kind of life [you] want to live”
“Find a peak performance partner…someone as equally committed to study and personal growth as you.”
“You will be amazed how successful business people are willing to be mentors to people when it’s not taking a lot of time.”
“The dream in your heart may be bigger than the environment in which you find yourself. Sometimes you have to get out of that environment to see that dream fulfilled.”
On Consistency & Routine
“You get up. You do it – no argument.”
“When you start thinking about slacking off on your routines and rhythms, consider the massive cost of inconsistency. It is not the loss of the single action and tiny results it creates; it is the utter collapse and loss of momentum your entire progress will suffer.”
“They failed because of their success. Or rather because they stopped doing what made them successful to begin with.”
On Competition & Personal Limits
“Hitting the wall isn’t an obstacle, it’s an opportunity.”
“It’s not until situations are difficult, when problems come up and temptation is great, that you get to prove your worthiness for progress.”
“It takes very little extra to be EXTRAordinary.”
On Success & Luck
Luck is not random; even chance follows a formula: “Preparation (personal growth) + Attitude (belief/mindset) + Opportunity (a good thing coming your way) + Action (doing something about it) = Luck.”
Success is something you become: “if you want to have more, you have to become more. Success is not something to pursue.”
From the quotations listed above it may seem that success in the sense of The Compound Effect relates only to success in one’s professional life. However, the principles outlined in this text are paramount in achieving success in any domain of life. The key is to decide the most significant domains of your life, how you want to improve them and the key habits you need to develop in order to achieve those successes over a prolonged period of time.
Ask yourself who you need to be to achieve these goals and do not fall short of being relentless in your pursuit of them. As Hardy says: “The key is to start NOW”.
I highly recommend that anyone interested in developing positive habits in the pursuit of self-improvement reads this book. I have yet to complete the outlined activities from the book, but from the attitudes I have adjusted and the small tasks I have started implementing on instruction from Hardy, I am already noticing positive changes in managing my priorities. At the top of my list of priorities is the protection of my personal boundaries, which brings me to my favourite quote from the book: “Protect your emotional, mental and physical space so you can live with peace…”. I still have a lot of work of work to do, but through daily consistency, I will get there, and so can you.
Love and light
Tshepang Pooe
Comentários