The latest book I read was The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. It’s actually similar in message to The Slight Edge — and I think Jeff Olson actually mentored Darren Hardy.
The Compound Effect did have its differences though: it’s more direct, hard-hitting (in a good way) and quickly digestible. I was told if you read The Slight Edge, you have to read The Compound Effect…and I would have anyway because it has a ridiculous number of 5 stars on Amazon.
Here’s what I learned from reading this book…and, in some cases, it’s more like, here’s what was cemented in my mind because a lot of these concepts aren’t new to me.
The Small Things Matter
Every decision you make matters. No matter how small. Are the decisions you’re making moving you towards your goals or away from them? Small decisions that move you away from your goals…repeated over and over again…hurt you. It’s easy for this destructive behavior to sneak up on you because you don’t “see” the bad effects building before it’s too late.
Good Habits vs. Bad Habits
We all have good habits and bad habits. But how focused are you on increasing the number of good habits you have and reducing the number of bad habits? It’s a hard thing to create a good habit and hard to break a bad habit, but consistently thrive for small wins and it becomes more doable.
Build Momentum and Keep It Going
Darren Hardy describes good momentum as “Big Mo”. You want momentum working for you because it makes reaching your goal much more achievable. How do you do this? By creating good habits…by being consistent with smart decisions…and by being deliberate with your actions.
Set Goals
This is something I struggle with. I’m reading a new book right now that I’m going to write about next and it talks a lot about being clear on what you want…and writing down what these goals are so you can review them every day. Well, The Compound Effect recommends the same thing. So OK, I have to start implementing this advice. I’m going to be very clear on what I want…and by when…and I’ll write it down so I can review my notes when I wake up and before I go to bed.
Garbage In Garbage Out
I’m a huge proponent of this concept. I hate negativity. I try to avoid it, and when I find myself being negative, I try to snap myself out of it. I’m also a huge believer of constantly teaching yourself new things every day and nurturing your mind with education and positive messages. If you want to be successful, you have to nourish your mind. What I do is use my commute to listen to Mixergy interviews. I have a premium membership and I love the content. It’s healthy food for my entrepreneurial brain.
Summary
So that’s what I pulled out of this book. I highly recommend reading it because it’s a quick read, but is filled with actionable recommendations. If I had to sum up the message behind this book in one sentence, I would say:
Be aware of the fact that the actions you take every day, both positive and negative, compound over time and either help you or hurt you.
