By 
Content Synopsis:
Darren Hardy, successful businessman, public speaker, and publisher of Success Magazine provides in the compound effect a careful study of the things we must do and the things we must avoid in order to be successful. It teaches how small efforts, repeated over time, create compound effects, that is, turn into a much greater achievement than one might realize by doing the little things every day.
Similarly, the compound effect also works to defeat us if we don’t do the right things every day or do the wrong things every day. That once-a-week candy bar, for example, adds pounds to us over the course of a year. That an apple a day can help promote better health over time.
How does it work
Hardy begins by describing how the compound effect works both to our advantage and to our detriment, and demonstrates how crucial it is to be aware of what we’re doing and take control of the things that matter. It’s about forming and maintaining good habits and overcoming bad ones.
It then explains how the choices we make each day influence and drive our results. He describes how positive habits make us stronger and create long-term achievement, while bad habits do the opposite.
impulse
Next, he discusses momentum: how small steps taken deliberately and consistently over time create momentum that then makes everything easier and more effective over time. It explains the power of rhythm and consistency in what we do.
Influence
Finally, it analyzes the power of influence on us, both good and bad, from the people we interact with, the things we choose to do, the way we spend our time, etc.
The book also includes several resources that you can access online that can deepen your experience and put the lessons learned to work.
some have criticized the compound effect like another version of the same old ideas that are found in a thousand success or self-help books. In a sense, this is true, and Hardy, who is a die-hard fan of Jim Rohn, cites Rohn’s observation that the principles of success are never new, they are old and time-tested. We do not benefit from them to the extent that we do not understand them or, more often, to the extent that we do not pay attention to them.
What Hardy does in this book is repackage these old ideas into a more modern discussion and format using helpful illustrations and his own unique perspective on how they have worked for him and many others. There is always value in this. The more we can see how others have learned from these principles and applied them, the more we will understand how we can do the same.
Hardy was raised in a very disciplined way by a pretty tough dad who was a serious sports coach. Against this background, naturally, he is comfortable with the kinds of self-discipline he urges the reader to achieve at a higher level. For those who are lazy or just don’t like the rigor of self-discipline, this book may not offer much. For anyone willing to do the work, this book is an excellent introduction to what works.
Utility:
Anyone who is serious about improving their lives and their bottom line can benefit from this book. It is an easy read and contains many practical lessons on how to implement these ideas.
Readability/Write Quality:
The book is well written and easy to read. It is well organized and contains enough repetition to be instructive, but not so much that it is redundant.
Author’s Notes:
Darren Hardy was a self-made millionaire at a young age and was successful in business for many years before moving on to the success industry. He is an author, speaker, mentor, and editor of Success magazine.
Three great ideas you can use:
1. A great tool for determining how well or how poorly you are really doing in any area of your life is tracking. If you keep a little notebook with you at all times and write down what you’re doing or not doing in any area you want to improve, you’ll gain a great insight into your own success and failure.
2. You cannot change your life or improve your life unless and until you accept complete and unconditional responsibility for your own life. This sounds simple, and it is, but it’s not always easy. However, it is essential to make real progress.
3. One of the biggest secrets to success is to eliminate bad habits and replace them with good ones. This requires intentional planning and disciplined action for at least a month, often longer. It will be worth the effort.
Disclosure Information:
Darren Hardy’s Compound Effect. Copyright 2010 by Success Media; published by Vanguard Press.