Book Review – The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

I just finished “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy and it was a great reminder that success is the sum of a lot of small actions. The author insist that the reader needs to put their nose to the grindstone for an extended period of time before they should expect to see results, although as the title suggests, the results of effort can become more than just cumulative giving an exponential boost to what we’re trying to accomplish. Darren is the mentee of Jim Rohn, a major self-improvement guru I wasn’t familiar with, but may check out.

Here are some of the notable quotes I took away. On tracking key performance indicators:
To help you become aware of your choices, I want you to track every action that relates to the area of your life you want to improve.

On paying attention to who we spend our time with:
I’ve got a neighbor who’s a three-minute friend. For three minutes, we have a great chit-chat, but we wouldn’t mesh for three hours. I can hang out with an old high-school friend for three hours, but he’s not a three-day guy. And, then there are some people I can hang around for a few days, but wouldn’t go on an extended vacation with. Take a look at your relationships and make sure you’re not spending three hours with a three-minute person.

On asking others to help improve ourselves:
I have a serious challenge for you if you’re up for it. Want real feedback? Find people who care enough about you to be brutally honest with you. Ask them these questions: “How do I show up to you? What do you think my strengths are? In what areas do you think I can improve? Where do you think I sabotage myself? What’s one thing I can stop doing that would benefit me the most? What’s the one thing I should start doing?”

On paying attention to whether our environment is supportive:
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. It’s like planting an oak sapling in a pot. Once it becomes rootbound, its growth is limited. It needs a great space to become a mighty oak. So do you.

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