It had been sitting on my Kindle shelf for years, but I never got around to reading it until this year. Grant Cardone’s book “The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure” is one of the best personal development books I have read. I regret putting it off for so many years while I was busy reading other books. The book outlines a set of principles and strategies designed to help individuals achieve extraordinary levels of success. And by extraordinary, we are talking massive results—10X the impact of your daily, one-step-at-a-time kind of results. It encourages you to think in terms of getting ten times as many customers as you normally would or aiming for an Olympic gold medal instead of simply dreaming of representing your high school at the local competition. Or how about achieving financial freedom and living the dream life by your late 30s or mid-40s, instead of grinding for decades and retiring at 65 with just enough money to barely live a decent life in your 60s and 70s?
With this book offering you the chance to take an exponential approach to your success and goals, let’s go through some of the 10X steps, rules, and methodologies. We will also provide ways for you to apply them to your own life to elevate it to the next level—or rather, to a much higher level.
Here is the list with the sub-bullets removed:
- Set 10X Goals:
Aim for goals that are ten times greater than what you initially think you can achieve. This forces you to stretch your thinking and effort beyond what you initially believe is possible. For example, if you have a timeline of paying off your $15,000 debt in 4 years, why not aim to do it in a fraction of that time, say 6 months? Seems impossible? Not when you sit down and start planning the details. As they often say, if your why is strong enough, you will figure out the what and how. Your ‘why’ in this case is the immense financial freedom you will feel when this significant debt burden is removed from your life. - 10X the Effort:
Commit to putting in ten times the amount of effort you think is required to achieve your goals. Cardone argues that most people underestimate the effort needed to succeed. For our previous example of paying a massive amount of debt in a short period of time, it means possibly working overtime, taking on a second part time job, doing side gigs etc. More importantly, effort in this case may also mean making huge sacrifices for 4-6 months to set aside enough money to pay this debt. Instead of taking average levels of action, take massive, determined, and consistent actions towards your goals. This differentiates you from the rest or from your old personality that would have put fraction the effort and commitment. - Assume Control:
Take responsibility for everything in your life. This mindset shift means you stop making excuses and start finding solutions to achieve your goals. The less excuses you seek, the more solutions you find. This applies to finances, or your life in general, including your career, family, business and more. - Be Obsessed:
Be deeply committed to your goals and success. This level of passion and dedication is necessary to achieve extraordinary results. However, focus on a healthy kind of obsession – the kind that fuels your drive without burning you out. Remember, without consistent effort, you’ll likely achieve average results. - Fear is a Sign to Take Action:
Use fear as an indicator of what you need to do next. Embrace and confront your fears to move forward and grow. Remember, fear often points towards areas of potential growth and opportunity. By facing your fears head-on, you build resilience and unlock new levels of personal and professional development. If you want to expand your business but are worried if you can take on the new challenge, this is a good sign that you should go for it. If there is no fear, it is not big enough or worth it your time. - Criticism is a Sign of Success:
Just as fear is a sign to take action, understand that criticism and opposition are indicators that you are on the right path. Successful people often face criticism. Don’t let it stop you; instead, use it to your advantage on your journey to achieving 10x the results. - Seek Problems:
Problems and challenges are opportunities in disguise. Seek them out and solve them to create value and advance your goals. It is easy for people to avoid or run away from problems and challenges, but not if you are aiming to achieve 10x results. Successful billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk didn’t become wealthy by avoiding problems; they embraced them head-on and got paid for it in a massive way. - Never Settle:
Don’t become complacent once you achieve a goal. Always set new, higher goals and continue striving for more. Successful athletes don’t take it easy once they have won their first title or medal. Instead, they shift to the next gear to achieve greater things and accolades. The same is true for successful companies and entrepreneurs: they use the successful launch of a product to develop the next one that will dominate the market and keep it that way for a long time. Imagine if Microsoft had sat on its heels and never released better and newer versions of Windows 95? Where would they be now? - Success is Your Duty:
Treat success not just as a desirable outcome but as your duty and obligation. This mindset will drive you to persist and overcome obstacles. When something is a duty, it becomes almost sacred, and there is virtually no other outcome than to win—or die trying, metaphorically speaking. This level of commitment ensures that you will put in the necessary effort and resilience to achieve your goals, no matter the challenges you face. - Focus on Opportunities, Not Challenges:
Shift your focus from what’s wrong to what’s possible. This positive outlook will help you identify and seize opportunities. It is those who turn challenges into opportunities that achieve massive, 10X results. By maintaining an optimistic and proactive mindset, you can transform obstacles into stepping stones toward success.
Life gives you two choices: you can do things the normal, traditional, or even lazy way. This is how the majority of people live their lives. Or, you can live your life at 10X the pace and achieve extraordinary results. By adopting the 10X mindset, you push beyond the limits of average thinking and effort, striving for goals that seem almost out of reach. This approach not only sets you apart from the crowd but also propels you towards unparalleled levels of success and fulfillment. The choice is yours: settle for mediocrity or embrace the challenge of 10X living and unlock your true potential.