Content Synopsis:
Darren Hardy, successful businessman, public speaker, and publisher of Success Magazine provides in the compound effect a careful study of the things to do and the things to avoid in order to be successful. It teaches how small efforts, repeated over time, create compound effects, that is, they become a much greater accomplishment than one might realize by doing the little things every day.
Similarly, the compound effect also works to defeat us if we don’t do the right things every day or do the wrong things every day. That candy bar once a week, for example, adds pounds over the course of a year. That an apple a day can help promote better health over time.
How does it work
Hardy begins by describing how the compounding effect works to both our benefit and harm, demonstrating how crucial it is to be aware of what we’re doing and take control of the things that matter. It’s about forming and maintaining good habits and beating the bad ones.
Then he explains how the choices we make every day influence and drive our results. He describes how positive habits build us up and create long-term achievement, while bad habits do the opposite.
impulse
Next, he looks at momentum: how small steps taken deliberately and consistently over time create momentum that then makes everything easier and more effective over time. It explains the power of rhythm and consistency in what we do.
Influence
Finally, it looks at the power of influence on us, both good and bad, from the people we associate with, the things we choose to do, the way we spend our time, etc.
The book also includes several resources that you can access online that can deepen your expertise and put lessons learned into practice.
some have criticized the compound effect Like another version of the same old ideas found in a thousand bestselling or self-help books. In a sense, this is true, and Hardy, who is a staunch fan of Jim Rohn, cites Rohn’s observation that the principles of success are never new, they are old and time-tested. We do not benefit from them to the extent that we do not understand them or, more often, to the extent that we do not pay attention to them.
What Hardy does in this book is repackages these ancient ideas into a more modern discussion and format using helpful illustrations and his own unique perspective on how they have worked for him and many others. There is always value in this. The more we can see how others have learned from and applied these principles, the more we will understand how we can do the same.
Hardy was raised in a very disciplined way by a rather tough father who was a serious sports coach. Against this background, naturally, he is comfortable with the kinds of self-discipline that he urges the reader to achieve at a higher level. For those who are lazy or just don’t like the rigor of self-discipline, this book may not offer much. For anyone willing to do the work, this book is a great introduction to what works.
Utility:
Anyone serious about improving their lives and their bottom line can benefit from this book. It is an easy read and contains many practical lessons on how to implement these ideas.
Readability/Writing Quality:
The book is well written and easy to read. It is well organized and contains enough repetition to be instructive, but not so much as to be redundant.
Notes on the author:
Darren Hardy was a self-made millionaire at a young age and was successful in business for many years before moving on to the success industry. He is an author, speaker, mentor, and editor of Success magazine.
Three great ideas that you can use:
1. A great tool to determine how well or how badly you are really doing in any area of your life is tracking. If you keep a small notebook with you at all times and write down what you are doing or not doing in any area you want to improve, you will gain great insight into your own success and failure.
2. You cannot change your life or improve your life unless and until you accept complete and unconditional responsibility for your own life. This sounds simple, and it is, but it’s not always easy. However, it is essential to make real progress.
3. One of the biggest secrets to success is to break bad habits and replace them with good ones. This requires intentional planning and requires disciplined action for at least a month, often longer. It will be worth the effort.
Disclosure Information:
The Darren Hardy compound effect. Copyright 2010 by Success Media; Published by Vanguard Press.
