The Compound Effect

Today I start my weekly blog post for the month of December. As you remember my punishment for missing one of my blogs was that I would write a blog every week in December. I am excited about this opportunity because I plan on making this a series; each blog building on the next blog. My hope is that you will enjoy each and every post. I appreciate some of the great feedback last week on my Thanksgiving post. I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday!

This week I am going to reflect on a book I read about a year ago this time. The name of the book was “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy. This book gave me some practical steps to put into my life. The key is that small habits built daily create a long lasting effect. In essence, the compound effect! The old adage of whatever you put in your life you are going to get back in life. The author spoke of the choices, behavior and habits that are always working. He says, “You can choose to make it work for you, or you can ignore it and experience the negative effects of this powerful principle.”

The daily choices we make will determine the outcomes we will get in life. He talked about a formula for getting Lucky:

Preparation (Personal Growth) + Attitude (Belief/Mindset) + Opportunity (A good thing coming your way) + Action (Doing something about it) = LUCK

He mentioned the area I feel I have that been trapped in and what I would term complacency, living in the past. By creating and using a tracking form, it helped me move from complacency to a GOAL. This also helped to create new habits, propelling me forward with MOMENTUM, like when you ride a merry go round. Momentum propels you forward to achieve your goal.

Another area that struck me was in the area of influences. The positive influences we put in our lives help us get more in return. The material we put in our mind influences what we get out of our mind. The people we associate with either bring us positive influences or negative ones. I have tried to make my vehicle a rolling library instead of just playing music or listening to talk radio. The more positive we put in, the more we will portray this to others and bring us the acceleration to complete the goals we have for ourselves. As we progress in life, we need to understand when we get stuck in the tracks, the habits, choices, attitude, goals and influences will be the MOMENTUM to keep us moving forward to reach the destination we are seeking. It’s about always being in motion to achieve the life you want. Darren Hardy ended with a profound statement: “Giving a little more time, energy, or thought to your efforts won’t just improve your results; it will multiply them. It only takes a little extra to be EXTRAordinary.“

As we progress through these next several weeks I am going to share with you my, “Ten Daily Actions to Live By.” These are 10 actions I strive to live by on a daily basis that may help you find yours. My purpose is to give you the momentum to create the life you are working towards. As the saying goes, “Life is not a destination but a journey.”

Make it a GREAT week!

Gary