Transcription
If I offer you two choices: $3 million in cash right now, or one cent that doubles in value every day for 31 days, which one would you pick? If you've never heard this story, you would take that $3 million. Who wouldn't want fast cash? But here's the twist: if you take that one cent, it will change your life forever. Let me explain.
First, on day one, it's obvious you have one cent. By day 10, that one cent has grown to $5.12, way behind that $3 million. Let's skip forward to day 20. You might still regret not taking $3 million because that one cent has now grown to $5,243. On day 29, that 1 cent finally grows to $2.7 million. Ah, still lower than that $3 million, right? So let's skip forward to the 31st. Guess how much you have now? $10.7 million. Three times more than that $3 million.
This is the power of The Compound Effect. Yes, yes, I know you have heard about it, but let's be honest, do you actually know how to use it to hit your goals, build lasting habits, and grow your money in business? Probably not. That's why today I'll share 30 actionable lessons from Darren Hardy's book, The Compound Effect. These are the lessons that helped the author to reach $50 million by the age of 27. By the end of this video, you'll know how to create unstoppable momentum so that achieving your goals feels inevitable, build habits that push you towards success automatically, and make small actions work quietly in your favor. Let's get started.
Lesson number one: Law of Inertia. Ever wonder why successful people tend to get more successful? The rich get richer, the happy get happier, the lucky get luckier. You have to understand the law of inertia: objects at rest tend to stay at rest, and objects in motion tend to stay in motion. It's not easy to build momentum, but once you do, watch out. Take a look at the example of rocket ship launches. The space shuttle uses more fuel during the first few minutes of its flight than it does during the rest of the entire trip. Why? Because it has to break free from the pull of gravity. Once it does, it can glide in orbit. The hardest part is getting off the ground, but once you get momentum, you will be hard to stop. And here's something you probably don't want to hear: momentum works on both sides of the equation, the good and the bad. Just like when you start working, it's hard to stop. The same thing happens when you sit on the couch watching Netflix. It's also hard to stop. I will give you an example of three friends to illustrate how this law, combined with small daily choices, can either ruin or transform your life.
Lesson number two: The Story of Three Friends. Meet three buddies who all grew up in the same neighborhood. Everything about them is the same. They all make about $5,000 a month, they're married, they have the same body weight, and the same average health. Friend number one, Larry, he keeps doing the same thing every day. He's okay, but sometimes he complains that nothing changes. Friend number two, Scott, he wants to make changes in his life, but he doesn't want to make a fuss over it. So he starts reading 10 pages of a good book each day and starts to listen to something inspiring on his commute to work. And there's more: he walks more in the day, but less than one mile. He cuts 125 calories from his diet every day, like having less cereal and changing cans of soda to pure water. Nothing big, just simple changes. Scott sticks with those choices, even though they're easy to give up. Now, let's go to friend number three, Brad. Brad just wants to have a little fun and relax a bit more during the week. He bought a new big screen TV so he can watch more. He installed a bar in his family room and added one alcoholic drink per week to his diet. He's been trying out the recipes he's seen on TV: the cheesy meals and sweet desserts. So, let's see what happens after 5 months. Nothing changes. Yeah, funny, right? Now, all three of them keep doing the same thing. Larry changes nothing. Scott continues to read and listen to inspiring content. Brad enjoys life. At the end of 10 months, guess what? Still nothing. But wait until 2 years. The second friend, Scott, is trim. He lost 33 lbs. The third friend, Brad, is fat. He weighs 67 lbs more than Scott. But the differences are more significant than just weight. Scott has listened to more than 160 audiobooks and good podcasts. By putting his newly gained knowledge into practice, he's earned a promotion and a raise. Best of all, his marriage is thriving. Brad, he's unhappy at work, and his marriage is on the rocks. And the first friend, Larry, Larry's pretty much exactly where he was 2 years ago, except now he's a little more bitter about it. The power of The Compound Effect is simple: after two years, the person who applies The Compound Effect appears to be an overnight success. In reality, his success was the result of small, smart choices made consistently over time.
Lesson number three: Track Your Progress. Want more money in the bank? Track where you spend every single cent. Darren says he started tracking his money when he owed $100,000 in taxes, and the worst part is he didn't know where he spent his money. His accountant suggested that he carry a small notepad in his back pocket and write down every single cent he spent for 30 days. One of the tricks is it made him resist buying some things just so he didn't have to take out the notepad and write it in the dang book. The author also shares that he tracks what he eats and drinks, how much he exercises, how much time he spends improving a skill, the number of sales calls, and he even tracks the improvement of his relationships with family, friends, and his spouse. He also suggests that we track our behavior for at least one whole week. You cannot manage or improve something until you measure it. Just watch out: if you want to lose weight, you might resist eating that cake because you have to take the dang notepad out to write it down.
Lesson number four: System of Execution. We all want to install at least one new habit into our life, but sometimes it fails because we don't have a system of execution. For example, the author wants to incorporate the habit of stretching into his daily activity. He realizes the only way he's going to do it is by making it a routine. He had to figure out where in his schedule he could incorporate the stretching, so he put it under "while waiting for the coffee to brew" in the morning. So, if you want to add a new habit, find a routine you already do and fit the new habit into it. For example, you probably brush your teeth every morning, right? That's a routine. Why not try doing 30 push-ups before brushing? It's a simple way to stack habits and make it stick.
Lesson number five: Your Why. If your "why" power isn't great enough, you'll end up like every other person who makes a New Year's resolution and gives up too quickly. If I put a 10-inch wide, 30-foot long piece of wood on the ground and say, "If you walk across this wood, I'll give you $20," would you do it? Of course, it's an easy $20. But what if I take that same piece of wood and use it as a bridge between two 100-story buildings? That same $20 for walking the 30-foot piece of wood no longer looks desirable, or even possible, does it? You'll look at me and say, "Not on your life." However, if your child is on the opposite building and that building is on fire, would you walk across to save him or her? Without question and immediately, you'd do it, $20 or not. Look, people are either motivated by something they want or something they don't want. Love is a powerfully motivating force, but so is hate. You might worry that your "why" power derives from less than noble goals, but really, it doesn't matter what the motivation is, as long as it is legal and moral. You don't have to be motivated for great humanitarian reasons. What matters is that you feel fully motivated.
Lesson number six: The Power of Consistency. Imagine this: you and I fly planes from the US to Australia. You take off and land in every country in between, meanwhile, I fly straight to my destination. But here's another catch: even though you make multiple pit stops, your plane is way faster than mine. 500 mph. My plane, it's slower, 200 mph, but I don't stop. Guess what? I still arrive first because after landing, in order for you to take off again, it will consume your time and energy to get back to momentum. And what's even worse, you make multiple stops. Imagine how much energy and time you need to take off all over again. It's far easier and requires a lot less energy to take off once and maintain a regular speed all along the way.
Lesson number seven: Take Full Responsibility. A speaker once asked in a seminar, "What percentage of shared responsibility do you have in making a relationship work?" And the author responded, "50/50. Isn't that correct? For example, in marriage, we give 50, and our spouse or partner has to give the other 50." Sounds smart, right? But that answer is wrong. The speaker said, "You have to be willing to give 100% with zero expectation of receiving anything in return." Only when you're willing to take 100% responsibility for making the relationship work will it work. We need to take 100% responsibility, not just in relationships, but in everything. We are responsible for what we do or don't do, or how we respond to what's done to us, and just about anything. Take a look at how most people operate in the world. There is a lot of finger-pointing. If you've ever blamed traffic for being late, or decided you are in a bad mood because of something your kid, spouse, or coworker did, you're not taking 100% personal responsibility. The author also shares his experience where he lost more than $330,000 because his partner in business mismanaged and squandered all the cash. The loss was actually his own fault. He had agreed to partner and just trusted him. He didn't take full responsibility by not watching the finances more diligently. Nonetheless, he did not choose to waste time fighting. Instead, he learned his lesson about taking full responsibility and just moved on. Jim Rohn put it nicely: "The day you graduate from childhood to adulthood is the day you take full responsibility for your life."
Lesson number eight: Do More Than Expected. In one of the Oprah shows, she called 11 people to the stage. She gave every one of them a car. Then she distributed gift boxes to the rest of the audience, and she said one of the boxes had a key to the 12th car. But here's what happened: when the audience members opened up their own boxes, every one of them had a set of keys. She screamed, "You get a car! You get a car! Everybody gets a car!" Look, this example might be exaggerating a bit, but let me explain. You can do more than expected in every aspect of your life, whether in your work, serving customers, recognizing your team, acknowledging your spouse, planning a date night, sharing time with your kids, or whatever. The author shares his experience in selling houses. While other agents feel like their work is done after selling the house, the author did something extra. He drove to the owner's house and gave them a "sold" sign in person. By doing that little extra, the new owner of the house will remember him more. If he needs to buy or sell a house in the future, guess who he will look for. See, the only cost for him to do that little extra was the price of gas to drive there. It takes very little extra to be extraordinary.
Lesson number nine: The Ripple Effect. The Compound Effect can also work in a negative way and create a ripple effect that impacts your entire life. Remember the Three Friends Story? The third friend, Brad, decided to enjoy life more, so he started making some muffins from a recipe he learned from the Food Channel on TV. He loved his own cooking, his family loved it too, so he started making them more. When he made more, that meant he also ate more than his share, but not so much that anyone noticed. Let me walk you through what happened from that one small choice. First, those extra muffins made Brad sluggish at night, so he couldn't sleep well. He woke up feeling tired. This exhausted feeling affected his work performance. His boss gave him discouraging feedback. After a rough day at work, the commute home felt longer, which meant more stress and more comfort food to feel better. This led to more junk food, which drained his energy and made him talk less with his wife. Fewer shared activities with his wife also meant less exercise. The lack of fun activities made him less happy. His body started feeling flabby, so he felt less self-confident and less attractive. He stopped complimenting his wife and became less romantic. His wife felt neglected. She poured her energy into her work and spent more time with her girlfriends to talk. Men started flirting with her, but she would never cheat on Brad. Brad felt something is not right. His solution is to watch more TV late at night. Brad didn't know to look inside. His favorite Food Channel didn't offer self-improvement or relationship advice. Plus, he didn't read good books. If he did, he might have learned ways to change negative habits. Brad didn't realize how his lack of energy, caused by a poor food choice, led to all these negative ripple effects that caused problems in every part of his life.
Lesson number 10: Morning Routines. All high achievers develop a consistent routine. Did you notice that? Here's an example from the author: His morning alarm goes off at 5:00 a.m. Then he sets 8 minutes to do these three things. First, he thinks about everything he's grateful for. This activity attunes his mind for abundance. The world looks and acts in response to you very differently when you start your day with gratitude. Second, he sends love to someone. He imagines someone to send love to by imagining all that he wishes and hopes for them. This someone could be a friend, relative, coworker, or even a person he just met in the supermarket. It doesn't matter. And third, he thinks about his number one goal. He then decides the three things he's going to do that day to move closer toward reaching that goal. This goal doesn't always have to be work-related. It could also be a relationship, like making his wife feel loved and respected. After he finishes these three things, he gets up to brew his coffee, and while waiting for the coffee, he does stretching for 10 minutes. When his coffee is ready, he pours it into the cup and he watches a daily motivation video. Then he sets an alarm for 30 minutes, no more, no less, to read something positive and instructional. When the alarm sounds, he goes into deep work mode for 90 minutes, working on his most important project, no checking email during this time. At 7:00 a.m., he takes 15 minutes to go over his weekly, monthly, yearly, and 5-year goals. Then he asks himself, "If I only did three things today, what are the actions that will produce the greatest results in moving closer to my big goals?" After that, he opens his email and delegates tasks to his team. He then closes his email and works on his top three priorities that he set earlier. The rest of the day can take various different shapes, but what matters the most is he has set the strong foundation early in the day for The Compound Effect to work. For the evening routine, the author writes in his journal about whatever he learned that day and reads 10 pages of an inspirational book.
Lesson number 11: Multiplying Results. Do you want to know how you could speed up The Compound Effect process and multiply your results? The answer is: you have to do a little bit more. Let's take a look back at the example of 1 cent versus $3 million. If you only doubled that cent one extra time per week during those same 31 days, the compounded cent will result in $171 million instead of $10 million. Just a little extra effort in 4 days, and the result was many times greater. That is how the math of doing only a little bit more than expected works. Here's how you can apply this tip: Let's say you're weight training, and the program calls for you to do 12 repetitions of a certain weight. Now, if you do the 12, you're fulfilling the expectation of your program. But if you push out another three to five reps, your impact on that set will be multiplied several times. The real growth happens with what you do after you hit the wall. Those reps done after you hit your max will multiply your results. You can also achieve this by having a workout partner who assists with the last few reps you couldn't have done on your own.
Lesson number 12: Think of what you can do for years, not months or weeks. If you're truly excited after watching this video and you want to do so much now, you're setting yourself up for failure. For example, if you've never worked out and you decide to start working out 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, you'll never make it. Finding 2 hours, 5 days a week is unrealistic. Instead, you have to build a program that you can do for the long term, not just for a few weeks. Start by finding 30 minutes to an hour a few times a week. That's more realistic and doable. The Compound Effect, or the positive results you want to experience in your life, will be the result of smart actions repeated consistently. You win when you take the right steps consistently over time.
Lesson number 13: Garbage In, Garbage Out. If you want your body to run at peak performance, you have to avoid junk food. The same goes for your brain. If you want your brain to perform at its peak, you have to avoid consuming junk like negative news, negative TV shows, gossip, and endless social media. Look, our brain is programmed to seek out the negative. That's why the news is bombarded with negatives like robberies, fires, attacks, and the tanking economy because the media knows how to use shocking and sensational headlines to draw attention. So, we have to protect our minds. Our mind is like an empty glass. When we pour dirty water into it, like sensational news, sensational headlines, talk show rants, our thoughts will then be filtered through that muddy water. Garbage in, garbage out. However, just like a dirty glass, if you flush it with clean, clear water under the faucet long enough, eventually you'll end up with a glass of pure, clear water. What is that clear water? Read good books or listen to audiobooks, watch positive lectures on YouTube, listen to good podcasts.
Lesson number 14: Avoid, Avoid This. If you want to fly with the eagles, don't swim with the ducks. You cannot hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life. So, to avoid negative people, here are two things you need to know. Number one, there are some people you might need to break away from completely. Number two, there are some people you can spend three minutes with, but not three hours. Others you can spend three hours with, but not three days. Others you can spend three days with, but not three weeks. Here's what you can do: jot down the names of those five people you hang around with the most. Also, write down their main characteristics, both positive and negative. It doesn't matter who they are. It could be your spouse, your brother, your neighbor, or your friends. Now, average them out. What's their average health and bank balance? What's their average relationship like? As you look at the results, ask yourself, "Is this list okay for me? Is this where I want to go?" If not, then you have to make the hard choice not to let certain negative influences affect you anymore.
Lesson number 15: Once You Start, Don't Stop. As humans, sometimes we slack off in our routines, but if you understand the massive cost behind it, you will think twice before slacking off. Think of it like a hand-pumped water well. To get the water to the surface, you have to pump the handle up and down to create a suction that pulls the water out from the ground. So, when people start something new, they grab the handle and start pumping really hard. They pump and pump and pump, but after a few minutes or a few days, when they don't see any water, they give up. They stop pumping. They don't realize how long it takes to build enough pressure to pull out the water from way down in the ground before the water finally appears. While most people give up, the wise keep pumping. After some time, the wise who keep pumping will finally get a few drops of water. This is when a lot of people say, "You've got to be kidding me! All this pumping and for what? A few drops? Forget it." But the wise keep going. And here's where the magic happens: if you keep pumping, soon the water will start flowing steadily. You'll succeed when the water is flowing. You no longer need to pump the handle as hard as you used to. It gets easier to keep the water flowing. All you have to do is to keep pumping the handle consistently. But here comes the tricky part: what happens if you stop pumping for too long? The water will go back down into the ground, and you'll have to start over. That means you have to pump it really hard again. This will take a lot of energy to get back to the momentum you once had. It's like starting all over again. For example, if you've been working out for several months and you see no significant change, you might feel like quitting. If you stop, you'll have to start all over again, and trust me, it's hard. So, once you take off, don't slack off.
Lesson number 16: How to Remove Bad Habits. When you want to remove bad habits, here are three techniques you can apply. First, write down your bad habits. For each one you've written down, identify what triggers it. Figure out the "big four": the who, the what, the where, and the when underlying each bad behavior. For example, are you more likely to drink too much when you're with certain people? Is there a particular time of day when you just have to have something sweet? What emotions tend to provoke your worst habits: stress, fatigue, anger, nervousness, boredom? When do you experience those emotions? What situations prompt your bad habits to surface: deadlines, feeling physically insecure? Second, clean your house. Which means, if you want to stop drinking alcohol, remove wine and beer from your house. If you want to stop watching so much television in the evening, cancel your Netflix. If you want to eat more healthfully, stop buying junk food. Third, instead of focusing on what you have to remove, think about what you can get to add in. For example, if you want to lose weight and you want to eliminate your poor diet, instead of thinking, "I can't have hamburgers and Cokes," think about what you can have instead. "Today, I'm going to have a salad, steamed vegetables, and salmon." The same goes for breaking bad habits like wasting too much time watching TV or scrolling. Think of the new activity you will do to occupy those three free hours: working on a new side business, reading books, photography hobby, spending quality time with your spouse and kids.
Lesson number 17: You Get in Life What You Tolerate. When you're creating an environment to support your goals, remember that you get in life what you tolerate. If you tolerate disrespect, you will be disrespected. If you tolerate people being late and making you wait, people will show up late for you. If you tolerate being underpaid and overworked, that will continue for you. It's amazing how life will organize around the standards you set for yourself. Some people think they're the victims of other people's behavior, but in reality, we are the ones teaching others how to treat us.
Lesson number 18: Change Your Environment. The dream in your heart may be bigger than the environment in which you live right now. Sometimes you have to get out of that environment to make your dreams a reality. Darren shares a story where when he was working in the real estate industry, he lived and worked in a limited environment. He saw the same kinds of people at the same level. In order to grow, he realized that he needed to find a higher circle of associations. So he started driving to one of the rich and most beautiful spots where rich people live. It wasn't that far, just somewhere north of the same state where he lived. Apart from having a new circle there, he also loved to sit at a particular restaurant and look at the hillside where multi-million dollar houses were built off the cliffs. There was a particular house that caught his attention: a blue, four-story home with an elevator and a whale lightning rod at the top. One day, on his way home from brunch, he saw an "open house" sign and thought it'd be fun to check it out. He followed the zigzagging road up the cliffs and finally reached the top of the hill and found the advertised home. Little did he know that was the blue house he had been watching for years from the restaurant. He signed the contract on the spot and owned his dream house. The new environment that he first decided to move to had a powerful effect on him. Seeing those homes up on the cliffs fueled his ambition to work harder.
Lesson number 19: Who's Influencing You? The best way to develop the characteristics you want is to spend time with people who already have them. Eventually, you will start to talk like they talk, read what they read, think like they think, treat people how they treat them, and even dress like they dress. Their influence is so subtle, you might not even notice. Spend time with them long enough, and you're likely to realize similar successful outcomes in your life. But here's another trick: you can also spend time with people who live far away from you by watching their videos online. The same goes for great people who are no longer alive, like Jim Rohn. The author loves spending time with Jim Rohn by listening to his lectures in his car or reading his books.
Lesson number 20: Celebrate. Take time to celebrate and enjoy some of the fruits of your victories along the way. Find little rewards to give yourself every month, every week, every day, even something small to acknowledge that you've held yourself to a new behavior. For example, take a walk, relax in the bath, book a massage, or have dinner at your favorite restaurant.
Lesson number 21: Shake Your Routine. Every now and then, change up your routines. If you don't, life can get boring, and you'll hit a plateau. For example, when we work out the same way, at the same time, doing the same repetitive movements week after week, our body stops showing compounded results. We get bored, we lose our passion. I bet you've felt that, right? That's why it's important to mix it up, challenge yourself in new ways, and freshen up your experience. Darren also shares that he's working on adding more adventure into his life. He set weekly, monthly, and yearly goals to do something he wouldn't normally do. Nothing fancy, just simple things like eating different kinds of foods, taking a class, visiting a new destination, or joining a club to meet new people. This change of pace makes him feel alive, helps recapture his passion, and offers him opportunities for fresh perspectives. Look at your routines. If something that used to energize you has become "same old, same old" or is no longer generating powerful results, switch it up.
Lesson number 22: Set Yourself Up to Succeed. If you join a gym that's too far away, you won't go. Your gym must be close and convenient, and the opening time must fit into your schedule. If you want to lose weight and eat healthier, keep healthy food in your fridge and pantry. If you want to make sure you don't binge on vending machine snacks when you are hungry, keep nuts and healthy snacks with you. One strategy the author uses is to have protein on hand. He grows up a bunch of protein on Sunday, packages it, and has it ready for the week.
Lesson number 23: Give First to Receive. Whatever we want in life, the best way to get it is to focus on giving the same thing to others first. I'm pretty sure you believe in karma, right? The author shares that when he wanted to boost his confidence, he looked for ways to help someone else feel more confident. If he wants to feel more hopeful, positive, and inspired, he tries to infuse that into someone else's day. So, if we want more success for ourselves, the fastest way to get it is to help someone else obtain it. For example, to help others succeed, you can share this video with one friend.
Lesson number 24: Success, Old School. We are constantly bombarded with ads to get rich, get fit, get younger, get sexier, all overnight with little effort, for only three easy payments of $39.95. The truth is, there is no magic bullet, secret formula, or quick fix to success. The most challenging thing about The Compound Effect is that we have to keep working for a while before we begin to see the payoff. Our grandparents knew this. They didn't spend their evenings glued to the TV watching infomercials about how to have thin thighs in 30 days or a real estate kingdom in 6 months. Back in the day, people worked hard to achieve something. The secret to success was then, and is now, hard work, discipline, and good habits. We've lost sight of the good old-fashioned value of hard and consistent work.
Lesson number 25: Find a Peak Performance Partner. The author has a peak performance partner, and they talk every Friday for 30 minutes to discuss their weekly wins, losses, fixes, "a-has," and where they are on their own growth plans. So, what should you consider when selecting a performance partner? The partner should be someone you trust. He or she must be bold enough to tell you what they really think about you, your attitudes, and your performance. It could be a longtime friend or someone who doesn't know you very well. It doesn't matter. The key is to get an honest opinion and an outside perspective. But here's one challenge: life is life. The author and his friend are both busy executives. So are we, right? Nonetheless, they still do the weekly meeting without fail. What makes him committed to his goal every week is knowing the call is coming, and he has to be accountable to his friend.
Lesson number 26: Ease In or Jump To Change. Some deep-rooted habits try making small changes bit by bit. The author shares how his wife was advised by a doctor to cut out caffeine from her diet for several months. Here's how she did it: For the first week, she drank 50/50, 50% decaffeinated and 50% regular. For the second week, she drank 100% decaf coffee. The third week, Earl Grey decaf tea. The fourth week, decaf green tea. In a different story, there was an alcoholic who attended a wedding and saw someone 10 years older than him, but he looked 10 years younger. He watched the man dance, laugh, and play during the wedding, radiating an energy he hadn't felt in many years. He made a decision on the spot that he would never touch a drop of alcohol again. Cold turkey. That was it. Never again. And he hasn't since, now some 15 years later. So, from these two different stories, here's the question: ease in or jump in? The answer is, you'll have to figure out the strategy that works best for you. The author gives an example where diving into the water is not something easy for him to do. So whenever he gets in the water at the beach, he gets his ankles acclimated first, then he walks up to his knees, then his waist and chest before taking the plunge. Some people just run and dive in and get it over with. He also shares a moment when he was a kid, his family went camping at the lake. The water was really cold, and his father insisted that he go water skiing. His dad didn't want him to miss the fun, so he just threw him in the water. What seemed hard at first, he got used to, and he got to enjoy the water. So, you can decide to just take it slowly or jump in.
Lesson number 27: Who You Have to Become. When most people set out to achieve new goals, they ask, "Okay, I have my goal. Now, what do I need to do to get it?" It's not a bad question, but it's not the first question that needs to be addressed either. The question we should be asking ourselves is, "Who do I need to become?" When Darren was single and ready to find a wife, he made a long list of traits he desired for a perfect wife. He filled more than 40 pages of a journal describing her in great detail: her personality, character, philosophies about life, her culture, and physical makeup, down to the texture of her hair. But later on, he looked back at the list and asked himself, "What kind of man would a woman like this be looking for? Who do I need to become?" He then listed out all the attributes, qualities, behaviors, attitudes, and characteristics he needed to become. Then he went to work on becoming and achieving those qualities. Guess what? It worked.
Lesson number 28: Don't Get Off Course. Bad habits don't seem to have any negative effects at all at the moment. For example, eating highly processed food doesn't cause a heart attack right away. Not making that 10th sales call doesn't cause you to get fired immediately. And eating that piece of cake doesn't add 50 lbs to your weight right after the last bite. But that doesn't mean you haven't activated The Compound Effect. After some time, these small habits can add up and change the course of your life. Let me illustrate this with an example of an airplane traveling from Los Angeles to New York City. If a pilot makes a slight mistake, just 1% off course, it might look fine at first. But by the time it lands, it will end up in a far different state: Delaware, which is 150 miles far away from the main destination. The same thing happens with habits. A small bad habit, which doesn't seem like a big deal at first, but over time, it can take you far off track from your goals and the life you desire.
Lesson number 29: Don't Take Success for Granted. When success finally appears, don't stop doing what you're doing to get there. The author shares a story where a great new restaurant opened up close to his home on the beach in San Diego. In the beginning, the restaurant took off very well. The hostess had a big, welcoming smile for everyone. The service was perfect. The manager came over and assured it, and the food—it was excellent. Soon, people started lining up to eat there and would often wait more than an hour to be seated. Then, unfortunately, the restaurant's staff began to take its success for granted. The workers became rude, looked messy and unorganized, and the food was sometimes good and sometimes bad. The result: after 18 months, the restaurant had to close. They failed because they stopped doing what had made them successful in the first place.
All right, before I end, here's one last story to help you be consistent, which is lesson 30: The Small Little Thing. Have you ever been bitten by an elephant? How about a mosquito? It's the little things in life that will bite you. The author was once mentoring a CEO of a company that was doing more than $100 million in sales annually. The company was doing fine. However, the CEO hadn't even talked to most of his employees for more than 5 years. He was mostly staying in his office and just worked closely with the management team. The problem it created: lack of engagement, trust, and enthusiasm in the organization. The author suggested one small change: for three times a week, the CEO had to step out of his office, find three employees who were doing things right or whom he'd heard good things about, and then offer praise and recognition. This one small change took less than an hour a week, but had massive results. Over 18 months, this small change increased profits by 30% with the same staff and with no extra spending on marketing. Employees who were recognized worked harder and performed better. It's the small little thing that took less than an hour of work for the CEO, done consistently over time, that brought in the success. Thanks for watching.