When Darren Hardy published The Compound Effect in 2015, I devoured it.
After all, Darren knows what he’s talking about. He’s the Publisher and Editorial Director of Success magazine… and he’d already achieved a high level of business success while he was still in his 20s.
When I first read the book, I was an overwhelmed business owner. I read every book I could find that might give me some magical advice I could use to make all my struggles go away and guarantee my success in business.
And, while the book was full of great general advice for everyone, it didn’t seem to speak directly to me. So, just like I did with every book I read at that time, I took away a few choice nuggets of wisdom and promptly forgot the rest.
Fast-forward a few years, and I “retired” to enter the world of writing. Like so many new writers, I’m searching for magical advice once again.
After reading endless volumes about writing, I decided to revisit some of my old books.
That’s when I found The Compound Effect to be just what I needed to set me back on track.
Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success
That’s the subtitle of the book.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to tackle jumpstarting all those things at once, but I decided to keep an open mind as I dove into the book again.
I was amazed that this book, once full of great general advice for everyone, suddenly seemed to have been written just for me, the writer. On every one of the 208 pages, I found valuable ideas that will transform my writing practice.
Right from the introduction of the book, I found lessons that will stay with me. For example, this quote from the first pages:
“Success is not doing 5,000 things really well.
Success is doing a half dozen things really well, 5,000 times.”
With all the options out there for us as writers (and my severe case of Shiny Object Syndrome), I needed this reminder that I’ll never excel at every single type of writing, but I can master some.
And, reading this book with a new perspective helped me make some simple changes that are already paying off for me.
Chapter 1: THE COMPOUND EFFECT in Action
The first chapter of the book uses stories and examples to demonstrate the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small, smart choices.
By making changes that are almost imperceptible, and repeating those changes daily, you’ll gradually begin to see substantial results. The change in results is minor, at first. But, as time goes on, with continued compounding of the effort, the changes can be astronomical.
For example, a small decrease in daily calories consumed will add up to weight loss – a pound or two at first, but 20 pounds, 50 pounds, or a hundred or more pounds as more time passes – just by cutting out a single cookie every day.
And, it occurred to me I could make simple changes like that to my writing practice.
Simple changes like writing an extra 100 words every day about a niche I want to pursue…
Or reaching out to one extra LinkedIn contact every day…
Or working on new writing courses for an extra 15 minutes every day…
Every change takes little time, and seems to reap no reward when done just once. But over time, each one of those changes can have a massive effect on my skills and success as a writer.
Chapter 2: Choices
In the second chapter, Darren Hardy talks you through how to decide which changes to make first.
And, he shares ways to help you track those new changes until they become good habits.
One bit of advice is to keep a small notepad with you always and track your progress as you record the daily completion of your small change (or, as you make note of successfully eliminating something you’ve decided to cut out of your daily routine).
For a writer, it’s a natural step to keep notes on these changes. And, to keep making notes for the first week. Go for three weeks, and you’ll begin to establish a new habit.
Even though you’re tracking tiny changes, you may begin to see some results in the first week – like a new client from the one extra contact you made, or an extra article completed and ready to submit from the extra writing.
As Hardy says:
“Improving 1/10 of 1% each weekday = 26% each year.
That’s a 1,000% improvement in 10 years in skills, income and results.”
Chapter 3: Habits
A quote from John C. Maxwell that Hardy includes in the book says, “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret to your success is found in your daily routine.”
And, Darren Hardy stresses the importance of keeping your changes “super-small.” Tiny changes are more sustainable in the long run.
The book offers a framework to help you stay on track with your new changes, and you’ll even get worksheets to help you evaluate your habits.
Important note from the book: Knowing your “Why” is key… sound familiar?
Identify your bad habits, and how to get rid of them, using the handy Bad Habit Killer Worksheet, and follow these recommended practices to help you instill new habits:
- Set yourself up to succeed. (Make sure your changes are sustainable and not overwhelming.)
- Think addition, not subtraction. (View your little changes in terms of what you’re gaining, not what you may be losing.)
- Go for PDA (Public Display for Accountability).
- Get a success buddy. (A peer can be an invaluable source of encouragement and advice.)
- Competition and comradery. (You’ll be more likely to stay engaged with your changes when competing with or making similar changes as one of your peers.)
- Celebrate! (Making a small change may seem unimportant, but the long-term effects will be HUGE!)
For me, this advice echoes a lot of the advice I’ve heard from the wise teachers and mentors at AWAI.
Chapter 4: Momentum
Consistency is a major component of success.
Inertia can make it difficult to get started, but most people tend to overdo it when starting a new endeavor. Then they burn out or lose interest, without ever achieving momentum.
But, the biggest take-away from this book for me is this: “The compound effect will be the result of smart choices and actions, repeated CONSISTENTLY, OVER TIME.”
It’s the consistency that builds momentum and keeps your focus, energy, and motivation going. Once you let your momentum die, it’s hard work to get it going again.
The easiest way to achieve the benefits of the compound effect is to keep up with your small changes, every day, no matter what. No excuses – write the extra paragraph, send the extra email, study two more pages, no matter what – and you’ll reap benefits that can make a radical difference in your future.
Chapter 5: Influences
According to Darren Hardy, everyone is affected by three kinds of influences:
- Input (what you feed your mind)
- Association (the people you spend time with)
- Environment (your surroundings)
He recommends vigilance when it comes to each of these influences.
For instance, be aware of everything your mind is consuming (news, social media, books, music, even gossip). It’s difficult to filter out everything negative or harmful, but you can make an effort to focus on information that will help you achieve your goals and improve your outlook.
Try reading a blog post by a writer you admire instead of reading a tabloid article. Or, listen to an inspirational podcast instead of listening to the news.
Think about the people you surround yourself with, and try to spend time with the ones who encourage your writing success instead of telling you to “get a real job.”
And, try to spend time in an environment that makes you feel successful. Maybe you can spend some of your writing time in a coffee shop in an upscale neighborhood you would like to live in. Or, occasionally you might study in a beautiful park, where you won’t be distracted by dirty dishes or chatty family members.
Managing the influences in your life will help you be more successful with the changes you’ve decided to make in your daily routine.
Chapter 6: Acceleration
According to the book, everyone hits a wall. And, it’s easy to become discouraged at that point and to stop trying.
But, Hardy encourages you to realize everyone else hits the wall, too. It’s what you do at that point that makes the difference. This is where you separate yourself from the former you.
“Hitting a wall isn’t an obstacle, it’s an opportunity.” – Darren Hardy
When an athlete, a teacher, a mom, or a writer gets to a point where moving forward feels difficult, or even impossible, the choices are simple: stop or push forward.
And, in every single case, it’s the ones who push through – with patience, persistence, and sometimes creativity and audacity – who will surpass expectations and achieve spectacular results.
After all, history books aren’t filled with the names of quitters!
The Compound Effect concludes with this bit of advice: Learning without execution is meaningless.
To execute on what you’ve learned here, the first step is to commit for 21 days to one or two new habits or disciplines. (Do this every three weeks and you could add 17 or more new habits in a year.)
Second, once you’ve hit the 21-day mark, keep your momentum going… keep at it for 90 days. It may take patience, but stick to it.
Third, keep it up for five to seven years. If you do, you can become world-class at whatever you want to do.
If you’re interested in reading The Compound Effect and seeing for yourself the radical difference small changes can make, you can check it out here.
