The compound effect is always working, and it will always take you somewhere. The question is, where? You must know where you want to go. What goals, dreams, and destinations do you desire? Something almost magical happens when you organize and focus your creative power on a well-defined target. Laura Woods (May 26, 2015). "25 Best Personal Finance Books for Your Summer Reading List". The Huffington Post . Retrieved July 3, 2015. It’s one of the biggest pitfalls for people struggling to achieve. Most people don’t know how to sustain it. Attitude – your belief or mindset of reframing all situations, conversations, and circumstances as positive and fortuitous

THE COMPOUND EFFECT had renewed energy, her interaction with her children became more active and animated. She noticed she no longer had time to hang out with her “Debbie Downer” friends, who still gathered together after work for greasy appetizers and drinks. She made new “healthy” friends in a running club she joined—which led to a whole host of additional positive choices, behaviors, and habits. Following that fi rst conversation in my offi ce and Beverly’s decision to fi nd her why-power and commit to a series of small steps, she lost more than forty pounds, becoming a walking (and running) billboard for fi t and empowered women. Today, Beverly runs full marathons! Your life is the product of your moment-to-moment choices. In our SUCCESS CD (May 2010), TV’s Biggest Loser fi tness trainer Jillian Michaels shared with me a powerful childhood story: “When I was a kid, my mom would have these elaborate Easter egg hunts for me. I would run around the house, and when I would get close to a hidden egg, she’d say, ‘Oh you’re warm.’ You know, you get closer to it, ‘Oh, you’re on fi re.’ And then you move away from the egg and she’d go, ‘Oh, you’re cold, you’re freezing.’ I teach contestants that, on a moment-to-moment basis, I need them to think about their happiness and their ultimate goal as being warm—how every choice and every decision they make in the moment is getting them closer to that ultimate goal.” Since your outcomes are all a result of your moment-to- moment choices, you have incredible power to change your life by changing those choices. Step by step, day by day, your choices will shape your actions until they become habits, where practice makes them permanent. 4/21/10 12:59:59 PM Chapter_2.indd Sec1:52 Chapter_2.indd Sec1:52 4/21/10 12:59:59 PM Stand Guard: The media can take your mind hostage and hinder your creativity, productivity, and focus. Therefore, put yourself on a media diet by avoiding the news and filtering the information that will help you in your personal and professional life. Book end your days. You can always ensure how your day starts and ends. Finish your most important tasks first. Review your day each evening.More than anything, The Compound Effect left me utterly sad to believe that so many would place personal gain over being kind and loving. Money won't cry at your funeral. Clients won't visit you in the hospital. Tombstones aren't marked with your social media ranking. Limited Associations – these people require a time limit, so determine how much time you can “afford” to be influenced by them Tony Robbins’ no man’s land concept is when you’re not really happy about your life, but you’re not unhappy enough to do anything about it. You want to avoid this complacency. From now on, you must be the master of your life by taking control and completely owning your life. Many others before you have succeeded in the face of great weaknesses and obstacles. Thus, you should not complain or make excuses about unfortunate circumstances in your life. Your Scorecard: Your Secret Weapon

Eventually, we start to eat what they eat, talk like they talk, read what they read, think like they think, watch what they watch, treat people how they treat them, even dress like they dress. You get caught up and lose two hours watching mindless TV - scratch that, let’s give you some credit and make it an educational documentary - before realizing you spaced on preparing for an important presentation to land a valuable client. If you say self-improvement is a priority, but you spend more time with your Xbox than at the library, I’m believing the Xbox. What are you willing to tolerate? If you tolerate people being late that is what you’ll get. If you tolerate earning less than what you’re worth, that’s what you’ll earn. (This is similar to Mark Manson’s idea of “what kind of pain do you want?” Except here it is applied to the negative forces in our life whereas he applies it to our goals and ambitions.)The answer is “whatever you’re allowing yourself to hear and see.” Your mind is like an empty glass that the world will inevitably fill it with dirty water: The compound effect is the strategy of reaping huge rewards from small, seemingly insignificant actions. Identify your triggers for your bad habits: the who, what, where, and when that prompts you to start your bad habits. THE COMPOUND EFFECT Fig. 7 Is your why-power great enough? Why is it that the fi rst time I asked you to cross that sky- high plank, you said no way, yet, the second time you wouldn’t hesitate? The risks and the dangers are the same. What changed? Your why changed—your reason for wanting to do it. You see, when the reason is big enough, you will be willing to perform almost any how. To truly ignite your creative potential and inner drive, you have to look beyond the motivation of monetary and material goals. It’s not that those motivations are bad; in fact, they’re 4/22/10 4:55:30 PM Chapter_3.indd 64 4/22/10 4:55:30 PM Chapter_3.indd 64

More often than not, we are completely unaware of the similarities between us and our circle of five. When the reason is big enough, you will be willing to perform almost any how.” Your why needs to be meaningful internally beyond any external financial, social, and material goals. The access point to your why-power is through your core values: Montell Williams has an add-in principle where he focuses on adding something in to his life rather than what he is cutting out or sacrificing. You have heard you can achieve anything you set your mind to, right? Well, only if you know how. The Compound Effect is the operator’s manual that teaches you how to master the system. When you do, there is nothing you can’t obtain or achieve. My mentor, the great business philosopher Jim Rohn, often said, “There are no new fundamentals. Truth is not new; it’s old. You’ve got to be a little suspicious of the guy who says, ‘Come over here, I want to show you my manufactured antiques!’ No, you can’t manufacture antiques.” Swap It: Attempt to replace, delete, or swap these worst habits with less harmful or healthier alternatives.I looked for the things my wife was doing that touched me, or revealed attributes, characteristics, or qualities I appreciated. I wrote them all down secretly for the entire year. By the end of the year, I’d filled an entire journal.