Choice, not chance determines destiny. The decisions that you make on a daily basis are the building blocks of your reality. In addition to that, they help to shape your tomorrow. Decisions can be big or small in nature. According to "The Compound Effect", the small decisions which you make every day are fully responsible for the way that your life turns out. Written by Darren Hardy who is the editor of Success Magazine, this book shows you how to make massive gains from making small, positive decisions every day. These ones result in equally small actions which accumulate and compound into great success over time. The author indicates that you have to make measurable actions on a daily basis to improve any sector of your life. Here are some lessons we learned from the book: The Compound Effect.
Good habits are the key to success
A habit is an activity that you perform so much that it becomes second nature to you. According to behavioral science, engaging in an activity repetitively for 66 days causes it to become a habit. According to Darren, success is brought by engaging in good, constructive habits. On the other hand, failure is the result of destructive habits. Talent is not enough for you to win first place. If you want to emerge successful over your competitors, you need to create habits that enforce ethics, discipline and persistence in your life. As such, create those habits that get you closer to your life goals.
Suggested Reading : The Only 20 Habits You Must Have to Become Successful (9 Is Easier Than You Think!)
Patiently pursue your goal
For you to see and enjoy the fruits of the Compound Effect, you have to consistently work towards your goals. The author says that anything that is worth having is worth working for over a long time. The often inconvenient truth is that we have to work consistently and faithfully before getting to where we want to be. Many people give up along the path because it had got too hard. Unfortunately for them, they quit only two feet from hitting gold. Maintain your vision, work towards your target and with patience, you shall ultimately achieve your goals.
Suggested Reading : The Number One Secret to Getting Massive Results: Consistency
Success comes dressed as hard work and opportunities come disguised as problems
All ambitious people normally have a goal or a target that is big. It is their vision of success. To achieve it, they have to work hard over a long period of time. There are no shortcuts to the top. You have to put in the work and stay persistent along the path. Darren indicates in his book that on the way to success, you are bound to encounter so many problems. These ones can seem as though they are impeding your progress. On the contrary, they are actually opportunities for you to adjust your strategy or grow stronger so as to boost your chance of achieving your goal. Therefore, do not break or despair when you encounter problems. They are chances for you to grow and get strong enough to achieve your goals.
Suggested Reading : 15 Key Traits and Habits of Mentally Strong People
The biggest changes in our lives are brought about by the smallest decisions
The small decisions which we make daily are responsible for the biggest changes in our lives. These seemingly insignificant decisions compound over time and result in huge results. Those who are regarded as extraordinary in our society are not supernatural. They have just mastered the art of focusing on the small actions so as to achieve a great benefit over time. As such, the author of this book encourages us to find some beneficial, little actions and perform them faithfully over time so as to witness the eventual, tremendous benefit.
Success is not to be pursued, but to be attracted by the person you become
If you want to have more of anything in your life, you need to become more of what normally attracts that which you want. Your life is currently a reflection of who you are and the cumulative result of the choices which you have made. Darren teaches us in his book that if you want to improve your personal condition, you need to expand your capabilities, vision or even skillset. By boosting your ability and applying it, you are able to attract more into your life. Whenever you get tempted to engage in destructive habits, ask yourself if the thing you want to do is contributing to your success. If not, replace it with something constructive.
Suggested Reading : 8 Easy but Powerful Ways to Break Bad Habits
Gratitude and appreciation are powerful in your life
Some of the most powerful emotions that we can have are gratitude and appreciation. They allow us to feel positive about the people and the circumstances around us. In this way, we are able to invest in them more and gain a great return from this effort. According to the author, anything that you appreciate, appreciates in value. You can appreciate your job, your business or even your spouse. An interesting and effective way to appreciate your spouse is to write down one thing about them that you appreciate every day. After that, you can give them the book as a gift at the end of the year. This is a genuine and heartfelt expression of gratitude.
Choose a life first and then a career that wil get you there
As you choose a path to follow in your future, pick the life you want first and then the business or career you desire second. Majority of people today normally pick a job or a vocation without thinking about the life they want to have. In most cases, this decision is motivated by the money or prestige that the career or job will bring about. According to Darren Hardy, this is the wrong way to go about it. To choose a particular life, you can begin by tesing out and experiencing various lifestyles and then pursue the one that brings you most joy.
The Important Take Away
All ambitious people normally have lofty goals for their lives. To achieve them requires years of hard, painstaking, consistent work. This book by Darren Hardy explains the dynamics of using the compound effective to achieve your goals. Some of the lessons in the book are indicated above. They are gems of wisdom that you can use to transform your life.
You can get The Compound Effect here.
