Unlock Success with Small Steps – ‘The Compound Effect’ – by Darren Hardy: Key Takeaways

Disclaimer: This is not a book summary, but the key takeaways. The sole intention of this article is to cultivate the reading habit and motivate the reader to buy the book.
I strongly recommend you to buy the original book (‘The Compound Effect’ – by Darren Hardy) from the bookstore or online and read it! 😊

Everything starts with you so your success and, your habits and consistency determine your success. Successful people don’t do extraordinary things, they do ordinary things extraordinarily well. If you make smart choices and do small tweaks in your daily life, it can create a significant difference. Unlock Success with Small Steps. Want to know how? Then you can do two things. 1) Read the book ‘The Compound Effect: Multiplying Your Success. One Simple Step at a Time’ – by Darren Hardy 2) Read this post till the end.

‘Compounding is the eighth wonder of the world.’ – Albert Einstein

Introduction

‘The Compound Effect: Multiplying Your Success. One Simple Step at a Time’ – by Darren Hardy, Hang on! You might have started thinking about the power of compounding in terms of wealth. Well, the book covers that aspect as well, but it’s not just about that. It’s about how small changes with an applied discipline will help you to grow in your life. There are a few formulas given in the book that I would like to quote here along with key takeaways.

“A little progress each day adds up to big results”

When do you see a difference in yourself in your physique? The day when you start to exercise? or after regularly exercising for at least a couple of weeks? The latter part sounds logical, correct? The author has explained it really nicely.

What can make a positive difference in your life?

Suddenly making too many changes and is not practical. Rather making small changes by doing smart choices and then following them consistently will definitely yield the result you want to see.

Small, Smart Choices + Consistency + Time = RADICAL DIFFERENCE

The examples given in this book are really easy to implement. The only thing that it will take is your 100% commitment and discipline.

Many people want to achieve their ideal weight. How about cutting 125 calories/day?

31 months = 940 days
940 days x 125 calories/day = 117,500 calories saved
117,500 calories saved x 1 pound/3,500 calories = 33.5 pounds!

If you look at the above example carefully, you might have understood that it’s not a crash diet. 31 months is a huge time span. But on the other hand, what is expected to do is cut down just 125 calories/day which is easily doable. Isn’t it?

Most people blame others if they don’t get something they want but don’t do self-introspection. Your life is in your hands, make good choices, and take full responsibility for your choices. Everyone has their own choices. Some like junk food, some prefer to have a salad instead. Once you have made a smart choice then stick it no matter what others are saying about it because it’s you who will get benefited.

What all it takes to accomplish your goals?

Your choice determines the action you take and the repeated action becomes a habit. Once you make a smart choice and stick to it, then it starts reflecting on your actions. A repeated action eventually leads to forming a habit. This habit over a period of time contributes to the accomplishment of your goal.

Goal Setting

Successful people have very clear goals. They know who they are and they know what they want to achieve. Write down your goals related to every aspect of your life such as business, finances, health and well-being, spirituality, family and relationships, and lifestyle. Check out the Goal Designing section in this book, it will help you in setting up your goals.

Tracking your progress

Unless you measure, you can’t improve. Track every action that relates to the area of your life you want to improve.
If you’ve decided you want to get out of debt, track every penny you pull from your pocket. The process forces you to be conscious of your decisions. There are some good resources given in the book to track your progress such as Gratitude Assessment, Core Values Assessment, Life Assessment, Habit Assessment, Weekly Rythm Register, Input Influences, Association evaluator.

The Ripple Effect

I am sure you must have played skipping stones in your childhood. What happens when you throw a stone into the water? It creates ripples by pushing water out of the way. In the same way, one positive action leads to a series of positive actions.

Let me give you an example. Have you ever noticed what happens when you start your day early with a positive attitude? You get an hour or two more to work on your hobby/passion. You feel energetic (if you have taken adequate sleep). If you plan your day properly, you feel productive throughout the day. Read: How to be more productive? – Set the tone of your day

On the contrary, what happens if you eat a lot of junk food, consume too many sweets? The next day you will feel lethargic. You will wake up late, you will rush to get ready and might forget something important while leaving for work. Have you experienced it? 🙂

So the key is, one positive/negative action can lead to a series of consequences.

Is your why-power great enough?

How many of us have the habit of asking questions? Quite a few. Even before you set a goal one question everyone should ask yourself is WHY? Why do I need more salary? Why do I need a bigger car? etc. If you are not making the progress that you would like to make and are capable of making, it is simply because your goals are not clearly defined. Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon… must inevitably come to pass! The person who has a clear, compelling, and burning why will always defeat even the best of the best at doing the how.

Key Takeaways

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“Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others.” – Brian Tracy