The Compound Effect

by Darren Hardy

What’s it all about?

Oh boy do I love this book!! I first read it many years ago and have just re-read it – re-read it twice actually (it’s a very quick read) and I’m also listening to the CDs of the book in the car – and I’m talking about it to anyone who will listen – so I have really really got into this one!
 
What surprises me is that I thought I knew this book. It’s about one of my favourite things – compounding – and frankly I consider myself to be a compounding expert – but I clearly missed all the nuances when I first read it many years ago.
 
{this has led me to go rushing to my bookshelves for any book with a fine layer of dust on it, as clearly I’m more ‘receptive’ now than when I first read all those wonderful personal development and financial development books when I first started my wealth creating ‘journey’! What a klutz I must have been to have only seen the surface issues}.
 
Anyway I digress. Back to the Compound Effect. What this book proves to us is that everything in our lives can be affected by compounding – whether it be money, or time, weight, friendship or even love. The examples are very well placed and there are exercises to do along the way, you can go to the book’s website to download all the suggested ‘freebies’.
 
I love the 1p illustration (ok so I know it’s a money based illustration – but they still capture most of my interest) and the concept that in the main, the changes created by any compounding go unnoticed by the masses – until they are overwhelming, which leads on to the fabulous word commitment.
 
Hardy proves that any change is possible with very small steps applied regularly over time – and that ‘over time’ is the key. What that needs is perseverance and commitment – and for him: Commitment is doing the thing you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left you.

How has it helped me?

I have to admit that this book has challenged me and forced me into a major rethink – my office layout and daily routine has been changed as a result – all I have to do is keep it up!!!
 
The main message for me is that greatness is caused not by doing 5,000 things well but by doing just one thing well – 5,000 times.