The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone
Great book summary by James Clear
https://jamesclear.com/book-summaries/10x-rule

I found the book interesting: There were sections I really disagreed with but it is valuable to see a different perspective. Equally there were large sections I strongly beleive to be true. Read with an open mind.


The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone
The Book in Three Sentences

The 10X Rule says that 1) you should set targets for yourself that are 10X greater than what you believe you can achieve and 2) you should take actions that are 10X greater than what you believe are necessary to achieve your goals. The biggest mistake most people make in life is not setting goals high enough. Taking massive action is the only way to fulfill your true potential.
The 10X Rule Summary

This is James Clear book summary of The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone. These notes are informal and often contain quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. This summary also includes key lessons and important passages from the book.

1. The biggest mistake most people make in life is not setting goals high enough.
2. The 10X Rule is based on understanding the level of effort and the level of thinking required to succeed.
3. Operating at activity levels far beyond the normal is 10X action and execution. It will take you far.
4. Set targets that are 10X the goals you would ever dream of.
5. Your thoughts and actions are the reason you are where you are right now.
6. In order to go farther than you ever thought possible you must both think and act at levels 10X beyond the norm.
7. Why keep working once you have achieved a certain financial level of success? Because you can be happy while accomplishing things, not while resting and doing nothing. If you loved your wife and kids yesterday, should you just stop at that? Or should you build upon it? Same way with your work and legacy.
8. Limiting the amount of success you desire is a violation of the 10X Rule.
9. The 10X Rule: You must set targets for yourself that are 10X more than what you think you want and then take 10X the action you think is required to get there.
10. Common mistake 1: setting your sights too low.
11. Common mistake 2: underestimating how much action is required.
12. Common mistake 3: spending too much time competing and not enough time dominating their sector.
13. Common mistake 4: underestimating the amount of adversity they will have to overcome.
14. Any goal you set is going to be difficult to achieve, so why not set them higher from the beginning?
15. Most people feel like they are working – rather than chasing passion – because the payoff isn't large enough.
16. You will either work to accomplish your goals and dreams or you'll be used to accomplish someone else's goals and dreams.
17. Never reduce a target. Do not explain away failure. Always increase your actions.
18. Nobody wins when you diminish the importance of success.
19. People will say, “success isn't everything.” No shit. Of course success isn't everything. But it is important. And diminishing that importance with saying like “success isn't everything” gives you an excuse to limit your vision of success for yourself and the actions you take.
20. It is your duty to be successful. Do not view success as an option.
21. Being dependent on only one person or one solution for success is your fault. Winners bring in success from many different avenues.
22. Politicians make all these promises, but your success (or your children's success) is not dependent on politics. Whether one person gets voted in or not does not determine if you will win. As long as the system provides the opportunity to succeed, no one individual, politics, or president will dictate your success – except you.
23. Success by others is an indication that something is possible. It should inspire you.
24. Those who use blame as a reason for not achieving success will never be successful. Victim thinking doesn't benefit you.
25. If you're willing to take credit when you win then you have to be willing to take responsibility when you lose.
26. Even when bad luck or random events strike there is always something you can do to be better prepared next time.
27. If you were really legit, people would come to you. Stop driving and flying to everyone. Step up your game.
28. If people comment on your level of action, then you're doing something right.
29. The biggest business problem is obscurity.
30. Money and power follow attention.
31. Rid yourself of average thinking and average action.
32. Failing to think big in the beginning will lead to failing to act big.
33. Set your goals 10X bigger than you think they should be.
34. Top achievers don't copy or compete. They dominate. They set the pace.
35. How can you get an unfair advantage?
36. Never play by the agreed upon norms of your industry. Create new ways to dominate your sector.
37. You don't have to be the first to do something, but you should be the best at it.
38. Create “only” practices. What is something only you are doing?
39. You have to be obsessed. Nobody has ever accomplished something incredible without obsession.
40. The ability to be obsessed is not a disease. It is a gift.
41. What goal would cause you to be obsessed?
42. The saying “under commit and over deliver” is stupid. Instead, over commit and figure out how to show up at a higher level.
43. Don't follow the pack. Lead the pack.
44. Interesting trend: when people and businesses cut spending and focus on saving, they almost always save their energy, effort, and creativity as well. It is as if the mindset of dialing down spending naturally dials down activity in other areas.
45. Success is like a garden. You must constantly tend to it and care for it.
46. Most people never get close to being overexposed. Nearly everyone is hindered by obscurity.
47. Last minute preparation is just a way to delay and be fearful. Focus on training better beforehand and when the resistance comes face it and take action.
48. Fear is a signal to do what you fear right now. Do not feed fear by waiting and letting it build.
49. Don't worry about time management or balance. Instead, focus on abundance. Don't think either/or. Instead, think all/everything.
50. Time management is more about knowing your priorities clearly than finding balance.
51. When the author had his first child, he and his wife created a time schedule for his daughter's sleep that allowed him to spend an hour with her each morning, maintain the same work calendar. The bonus was the daughter was asleep by 7pm, which meant uninterrupted spouse time.
52. Nobody will save you or make you successful.
53. Weak and overwhelmed individuals resort to criticism.
54. Customer satisfaction is not nearly as big of a problem as “non-customer satisfaction.” People not knowing you exist and not buying your product is the real issue.
55. Create an exit survey for non-buyers. (Anyone who leaves sales page?)
56. Customer acquisition is the primary objective, not customer satisfaction.
57. Customer complaints are not to be avoided. They are problems you can solve.
58. Powerful companies and brands are omnipresent. You need to be everywhere.
59. The best revenge against your critics is massive success.
60. Duplicate the thoughts and actions of successful people and you too will become successful.
61. Approach everything with the attitude that it can be done. Believe that you will figure it out.
62. Losing money or a business never dominated your ability to take action.
63. The author told his whole staff they needed to make 50 sales calls. Then he told them they needed to make the calls in 30 minutes. He went and made 28 calls in 22 minutes. The point is to stop analyzing and paralyzing yourself with overthinking. Just act.
64. Challenge traditions and established ways of thinking.
65. Don't worry about how much work it is. Think about how great the results will be.
66. Commit first. Figure out the details later.
67. Reach up in your relationships. Find people better than you.
68. Taking massive actions is the only way to fulfill your true potential.

WTF – WHATS THE F that gives your life balance

About 2 years ago I took part in a PhD study of Mindfulness for Entrepreneurs and came to better appreciate that although success comes from almost mindless pursuit of a single goal there is real happiness in balance.

So success seems to be about focus and happiness seems to be about a diversity if interests and outlets, not least because it reduces dependency on one aspect of life.

Dr Alessio Agostinis had a great metaphor: think of life as a pizza and each slice as a different aspect.

I’m interested in understanding colleagues, community, country and cultures. As a change agent I am interested in people’s thoughts and motivations. So, as well as Mindfulness for Entrepreneurs I’ve taken an interest in CBT.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave. It's most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, but can be useful for other mental and physical health problems.

It seems to me that both Mindfulness and Cognitive behavioural therapy may be useful when managing change

Once of the CBT ways of tackling anxiety or depression is to increase the amount and diversity of positive experiences and a bit like Dr Alessio Agostinis’ life pizza the idea is to get out and do more (whilst recognising that doing this is a challenge, but essential for personal growth and happiness)

As a project manager and change agent I know simplicity is the key to success so here is my suggestion

Focus – have something that drives you: your job, vocation, beliefs
Friends – make time to see friends
Family – keep in contact with your family
Food – eat good wholesome food
Fitness – do at least 20mins three times a week
Fun – have fun, do something silly to make you smile
Following – follow your interests or hobbies
Freedom – have time “away from it all” to chill
Financial – work to have enough, but not at the expense of the above

So WTF – WHATS THE F that gives your life balance

Do not rush to leave something that is supposed to be fun.

I saw a meme on Linked-In that said ALWAYS LEAVE THE OFFICE ON TIME. Ostensibly this was about the futility of work and the need to have meaning in our lives beyond slavish efforts for the boss or the business.

Whilst I understand and respect the need for a work-life balance and the importance of Friends, Family, Fitness, Food, Fun and well as Finance my inclination is that if you are rushing for the exit at 5pm you are probably in the wrong job.

I’m not aware that great leaders or inspirational people delineate their time so precisely . Surely if you care for your colleagues, community, country or culture that isn’t something that is strictly between 9am and 5pm with a different set of values and behaviors at other times?

I am lucky that I like what I do, and what I do allows me to share ideas and help people and organizations achieve their goals. I realize I am lucky. However that luck is not without having to make difficult choices.

If you dread Monday or cannot wait till Friday then I suggest you make a change in your life because only living for the weekend means that over the course of your life you will slave for 50 years (five days) to enjoy 20 days (the weekend) that that is not a great return on your investment of time and effort.

Friends, Family, Fitness, Food, Fun are really important, but so is what you do. In many cases what we do defines us as a person, gives us identity and gives our lives meaning. It is great then to share the knowledge, joy and excitement outside of work. But I strongly suggest you find something that brings you the knowledge, joy and excitement for you to be able to share it.

Yes, you should have balance in your life but you should not be rushing to leave work any more than you would rush to leave a friend, family member or a fun party.