The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

Publisher of SUCCESS Magazine

The Compound Effect is the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small, smart choices. What's most interesting about this process to me is that, even though the results are massive, the steps in the moment, don't feel significant. Whether you're using this strategy for improving your health, relationships, finances, or anything else for that matter, the changes are so subtle, they're almost imperceptible. These small changes offer little or no immediate result, no big win, no obvious I-told-you-so payoff. So why bother?

Most people get tripped up the simplicity of the Compound Effect. For instance they quit after the eighth day of running because they are still overweight. Or, they stop practicing the piano after six months because they haven't mastered anything other than "chopsticks." Or they stop making contributions to their IRA after a few years because they could use the cash--and it doesn't seem to be adding up to much anyway.

What they don't realize is that these small, seemingly insignificant steps completed consistently over time will create a radical difference.

SMALL, SMART CHOICES + CONSISTENCY + TIME = RADICAL DIFFERENCE

After that excellent beginning, Hardy goes further:

Right this moment: pick an area of your life where you most want to be successful. If you want to get from where you are to where you want to be, you have to start by becoming aware of the choices that lead you away from your desired destination. Become very conscious of every choice you make today so you can begin to make smarter choices moving forward.

To help you become aware of your choices, I want you to track every action that relates to the area of your life that you want to improve. The magic is not in the complexity of the task, the magic is in the doing of simple things repeatedly and long enough to ignite the miracle of the Compound Effect.

Just track one habit for one week. Pick the habit that has the greatest control over you, that's where you'll start. When you choose to make even the smallest course corrections consistently over time, you'll begin to see amazing results. But don't expect immediate fanfare. Chances are no one's going to notice them anytime soon. And yet, eventually their compounding effect will result in an exceptional payoff.

Forget about willpower. It's time for whypower. Your choices are only meaningful when you connect them to your desires and dreams. The wisest and most motivating choices are the ones aligned with that which you identify as your purpose, your core self, and your highest values. You've got to want something, and know why you want it, or you'll end up giving up too easily.

Your life comes down to this formula

YOU ... CHOICE + BEHAVIOR + HABIT + COMPOUNDED = GOALS

(decision) (action) repeated action) (time)

The book concludes with helpful strategies for eliminating bad habits, techniques for installing good habits and getting momentum on your side. The author also advises to occasionally interrupt your routine. Otherwise life gets stale. He also emphasizes focused time with the important relationships in the family including time with the spouse and children.

An important concluding thought from the author is:

"I don't want you thinking of the rhythms you can do for this week, month or even the next 90 days. I want you to think about what you can do for the rest of your life. The Compound Effect -- the positive results you want to experience in your life--will be the result of smart choices (and actions) repeated consistently over time. You win when you take the right steps day in and day out."