At
Turner Machine, we are avid readers. As one of our core values, we strive to
encourage each other towards personal and professional growth. We share with
each other the best of what we have read and learned. We would love to share our "cliff notes" of our latest book we read as a team here at Turner. If you would like to subscribe to our mailing list to receive this straight in your inbox feel free to contact us. Happy reading!
The Compound Effect
receives 5 stars
The Compound Effect was written to help those who read it to
clear out the clutter in their daily lives. After you have read this book you
should be able to identify what you know is important to you and what you need
to focus on. Small, focused steps that you can measure is what will lead you to
success. This book will debunk all that the surrounding media tells us are the
shortcuts to achieving overnight success.
The Goal summary:
This is my book summary of “The Compound Effect” by Darren
Hardy. My notes are very informal and often contain quotes from the book as
well as my own thoughts. This summary also includes key lessons and important
passages from within the book.
Overview:
Darren shows you how making small changes, and not always
going “for broke” making big changes, can set you up to build momentum. The Compound
Effect will teach you 3 lessons:
1.
Turn your life goals into daily habits.
The moment you come up with a new life goal, immediately make it into a small
daily habit you can practice.
2.
Come up with a routine and consistently show
up to build momentum. You can only make something a part of your routine
when you have turned it into an everyday habit. Creating the routine will
enable you to be able to show up and make it a habit. Keep showing up until
your habits click into the routine.
3.
When you hit a ceiling, use your momentum to
push through, even if you have to cheat a little at first. We have all
tried losing weight only to hit a wall. You stop losing the weight, then what?
That’s when Hardy tells you is the time to capitalize on all the power you’ve
built up so far with the momentum you have gained. Don’t let it stop you, you think outside the
box and find a tweak here and there until you climb over that wall.
Darren gives you the basics on how to track every action
that relates to the area of your life that you want to improve. He states that
95% of everything we feel, think, do and achieve is a result of a learned
habit.
Who should read this
book?
We have added this book to our “must read” book list for all
company employees. The Compound Effect is right in line with our core value of
“FOCUS”. The Compound Effect would also be a great read for students headed to
college, as well as anyone who is seeking for ways to take their goal setting
up a notch.
What is your favorite
quote from the book?
“Jim Rohn thought that we become the combined average of the
five people we hang around the most. Rohn would say we tell the quality of our
health, attitude and income by looking at the people around us.”
What is a specific
real world application you will be able to make from what you learned in the
book?
After reading this book I concluded that a person could
build all their goals and dreams on the foundations that are laid out in this
book. Anyone can also take chapter 4 about momentum to build a routine that
they can stay consistent with. We all know the areas where we are not
consistent. The world is constantly changing and we feel the need to waiver
often. Now is the time to declare to build a routine and to commit to
maintaining the momentum.
What is one thing
that you think you will do differently or think differently about since you
read this book?
When we did our company book club meeting many of us all
spoke about the issues that plagued us because of the energy and focus that the
media zaps from each of us on a daily basis. The consensus was that we could
all do without the constant stream of media, but especially during the few
hours before bed time. What if you took that time and invested it in your
family or the goals that you had identified as important and non-negotiable?
I’m expecting big dividends for everyone as they make this one simple change.
What is the one thing
that you disagreed with, or at least questioned in the book?
When a book has so much positive to offer it can be
challenging to place a finger on a point that you disagree with. As with
anything new you read about in any “self-help” type book the author can
sometimes over simplify what he or she is trying to convey. Even though “nothing
works for everyone” still rings true with the Compound Effect, you will find
that there is something in this book that everyone can take away and have that
“Ah Ha” moment that will change the direction of their life forever.
How does something
you learned from this book tie into ONE of more of our company’s core values?
Hardy’s analogy of striving to be a tenth of 1% better each
workday is an amazing goal that ties into our company core value “Focus”. He
stresses the importance of goal setting throughout the theme of the book. At
TMC we focus on our #1 goal. We set SMART goals and we keep them at the
fore-front of our every action. We push ourselves and we set goals that align
with the company. In the end we are a team of focus-minded individuals that
accomplish great things together.
Creating yourself a BHAG at your job and in your life can benefit you in unexpected ways. Once you settle on what your Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal is you can cut out the clutter in your life. If it doesn't pertain to your goal then ask yourself why you are doing it. Let's remember why we're here and what we're working for. Create yourself a BHAG and see if it doesn't free up some time in your day because you stopped doing the things that aren't working you towards your goal at work, at home or in your life. I'd like to challenge you to come up with a BHAG for your life and your job. Then share it with us in a comment below. Choose to stand out and be the best you can be, not only at work but at home for your family too. They want the best you that you can offer them as well.
