Hi! Welcome back to #FabulousFriday! Today is a celebration and a major milestone in our personal lives. Therefore, I want to share the power of the compound effect and the impact it has had on us. First, let me give credit to the author of The Compound Effect-Darren Hardy. It is a great book and I highly recommend it for everyone who wants to achieve lifetime success. But, I will summarize the lessons included in the book in a few simple sentences:
The compound effect is the strategy of reaping huge rewards from small, seemingly insignificant actions. The compound effect is the operating system that has been running your life whether you know it or not. Here's the real secret...Success is simply doing a half dozen things really well, then repeat them every single day.
Small choices + consistency + time = significant results.
I know this concept really well. You see, 2,500 days ago today-we made a specific goal designed to change our life. We decided to walk 2 miles per day. When we started-we got exactly zero applause. It felt uncomfortable. We had lots of excuses, but we kept doing it and the results are simply incredible. Our health is greatly improved. Our marriage is better. We became vegetarians. We became yoga teachers. We became better people. Many people when they thing abouk setting goals, they think about-"What do I need to do to achieve my goal?". Instead, the compound effect teaches, "Who do I need to become?". That synthesizes down to daily choices.
Choice is at the center of all success and failure. It is what we choose that makes the biggest difference. Too often we sleepwalk through our choices. We default to choices that our society and culture tells us we should do. It's not often big choices, but ones that you think don't matter or count for much that actually derail us. In fact, did you know that if the nose of a plane is pointed just one percent off course when it leaves LA for New York, it will end up in Delaware once it reaches the east coast? You alone are responsible for your situation. Your life is the result of your moment to moment choices. The first step to change is awareness. So, today do an honest assessment of your life. What are you proud of? What would you like to change? Start with where you are. Then, begin with the end in mind. Who do you want to become?
Then, feel gratitude in knowing that you can change your habits. They are all under your control. It stands to reason that since you learned every habit you currently have, you can also learn new ones. Merely becoming conscious of your actions has already begun to change them-simply by learning this new information. You have already started your journey towards transformation.
Next, once you have decided who you want to become and acknowledged where you are-begin to track your progress. Tracking your progress and misssteps is the key to long term success. Begin by tracking your behavior for at least a week. All winners are trackers. You cannot improve something until you measure it. Professional athletes are particularly big trackers. Tracking will revolutionize your life. The author of the Compound Effect started by tracking every financial decision in a notebook. We started by tracking our 2 miles every single day. The earlier you start making changes the more the compound effect works in your favor.
Moreover, you need a deep why for doing stuff. According to the author-too many people focus on achievement without fulfillment. If you create goals for yourself that have friction with your values, you're going to self sabotage or feel guilty about your progress. For example, if your family is a high priority, but you set high financial goals for yourself there can be friction between those two goals. (Note: this is basically identity-based habits. You can't have friction between your identity and your goals.) The author suggests that you design the life you want first and the business you want second. Most people choose a career before thinking about what kind of life they want to live. Fulfillment and gratitude are like rocket fuel for achievement.
I suggest that you keep a daily gratitude journal or whiteboard. What you appreciate, appreciates. You have to be willing to give 100 percent to your relationships. Always take 100 percent responsibility for everything that happens to you. I still wrestle with this, but I keep my intention clear-I want to be better every day. Remember, you alone are responsible for your situation. Blaming others keeps you stuck. I will leave you with this thought--everyone has the opportunity to be lucky. If you live in a free society, you are lucky.
Tune in next Friday for more tips and tricks for living the best life ever. With love and gratitude to all you readers. Warmly, Susan