Hi! Welcome back to #FitFriday! One of my favorite mentors is Jim Rohn. He was one of the great contemporary American business philosophers. He tried to teach people that they could be whatever they chose to be. He once said, "discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." He had a profound impact on my life and on one of my favorite authors, Darren Hardy--author of The Compound Effect. The compound effect is the reality of success in motion. It is the understanding that huge rewards come from hard work and daily routines. Here are some of the highlights of the compound effect in action:
*The compound effect is the idea that small, seemingly insignificant actions can lead to huge results over time. You don't need to do anything dramatic or drastic to achieve your goals-simply make a few small changes every day and over time you will see a radical difference. For example, if you want more money, start by earning more or spending less of it each day; its about making little changes and small steps regularly that add up over time.
*Choices--the choices we make dictate the majority of our life. Choices are the first component of the compound effect. These can the be simplest of choices, such as walking or riding your bicycle every day. These little actions may not seem like anything special, but the truth is they represent positive changes.
*Habits-Habits are the second component of the compound effect. Habits are the actions that you take without thinking. "Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."-Jim Rohn It's important to note-you can have good habits and bad habits. Habits don't necessarily require conscious effort. Instead, they're done automatically with repetition and practice, over time. The best part is that when those daily habits become ingrained in who you are, change becomes easy!
*Momentum-momentum is the third component of the compound effect. Momentum is what keeps you going. It's what helps you plow through difficult or frustrating areas of your life. Not giving up-even in the face of adversity. Achieving momentum is all about creating that sense of, "I can do anything!" It is created by organizing a big goal into smaller pieces with milestones and metrics of accomplishment. It starts slow before it picks up steam. Once you have momentum going for yourself, you'll feel motivated to keep going.
*Influence is the fourth ingredient in the compound effect. Influences are the ideas and people that you spend time with regularly and the messages they offer. It's not just about what influences us--it's also about how we influence others. Daily habits of what we choose to watch, read, and consume have an affect on who we are and what we do. It's important to respect whatever positive contributions others make towards us while being cautious about negativity.
*Acceleration is the result of mastering the first four components. The person with an ongoing workout regimen will have much better results than someone who only began exercising in January because they've had more time to accelerate their fitness level and build momentum around that goal through repetition. They will also experience less resistance from the law of inertia. Acceleration allows you to unlock your full potential.
You can begin to apply the compound effect to your life right now. Begin by tracking your progress on the first day of whatever goal you want to accomplish. Then, at the end of every week, take a look at what went well and what didn't go so great and make adjustments in subsequent weeks/months. This is how to achieve exponential growth with consistency over time. The compound effect says that even small improvements will yield remarkable results when applied with repetition.
Be sure to check back next Friday for more tips and tricks. See you soon! Warmly, Susan