Book Babble #13: "The 10X Rule" by Grant Cardone

"The Only Difference Between Success and Failure"

Who is Grant Cardone, and what's all this 10X business??

Here we have a beast. Ten times the beast in fact! Mr GC himself getting in on the series at number 13… lucky for him. And lucky for us!

Cardone is the author of a number of books and this is perhaps his most famous. And impactful. He has also built a brand around this concept.

I was first introduced to him when I was referred to a more recent book of his - Be Obsessed or Be Average. You can tell by the title of these 2 books the kind of character and material we're dealing with!

I found that book to be very inspiring, if a little more on the extreme end of the spectrum. But I re-read it a couple of times in quick succession. The thing is, is not necessarily to go to the extremes (whatever works for you) but to help it push you further along the path you want.

His first book was called Sell to Survive, which he wrote in 3 hours in the middle of the economic downturn in 2008. His business took a nose-dive but served to give him the impetus to push harder and actually re-launched his career. That book was updated and expanded on in Sell or Be Sold. He has written a few other sales/success type books and is a prominent speaker and social media personality.

He made his money mostly in real estate and has a number of businesses. Oh, and the guy's a salesman and obsessed with success. Unashamedly so. Nothing wrong with that, but not to all tastes.

Back to The 10X Rule. Put simply, this book is all about massive action. And massive thinking.

I've read it a couple of times as well as the audio a few times. This is definitely a guy worth getting the audio version of his books. He likes to go off script, and ad-lib which is entertaining and also useful. Not too rigid like most, and he doesn't really care what the publisher or anyone else thinks about it. He's also a funny guy but perhaps a little 'redneck' for some.

I have 85 highlights for this one so best to trim it down a bit, otherwise we'll have 10 times the post and we'll be here all day ;).

Supersonic quotes from the book followed by my additional 'ramblifications'…

The first thing that has to happen is for you to adjust your thinking to 10X levels and your actions to 10X quantities.

It's a two-headed sword (mixed metaphor, but it works for me). Raising your thinking, and raising your actions… in tandem.

the biggest mistake I've made is failing to set my targets high enough

We set our goals too low. They don't inspire us, so we often don't follow through. It's also a tragedy as we don't realise what we're capable of.

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it" ~ Michelangelo.

You must set targets that are 10 times what you think you want and then do 10 times what you think it will take to accomplish those targets. Massive thoughts must be followed by massive actions.

Sounds extreme. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but what do we want? Whether the figure is exactly 10 times what you want or just significantly larger than your current level of thinking, it matters not. We should all shoot for much more then we currently imagine. Then follow that up with the same amount of full-on action to set out to achieve it.

Would setting high goals set us up for disappointment? Not really, the high goals are a target… you don't necessarily need to hit them, they just need to lift you enough in order to take the action required to get anywhere near. We think too small and act too small, it's as simple as that. And if you're happy with the basics and the scraps (are you sure?), then best not to read on or get the book!

you will either live to accomplish your own goals and dreams or be used as a resource to accomplish someone else's.

Do you want to be a cog in someone else's machine? Or do you want to be a player and live a great life?

Never reduce a target. Instead, increase actions.

This is a common theme. When targets look a little difficult or a bit out of reach, often they are reduced. Grant argues that this should never happen. Rather, actions should be increased. With that attitude, even if the target is out of reach, then you're going to get a whole lot further than you would have done.

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars" ~ Norman Vincent Peale

I don't care if your product cost nothing to make and it's 100 times superior to its closest competitor; you will still have to apply 10 times more effort just to push through all the noise in order to get people to even know about it.

There is so much noise out there. Even if you are the best, no-one is going to know it without the activity. You're far better off being inferior but actually getting out there, than being superior and no-one knowing anything about you. You probably won't be randomly discovered. And if you are, the good fortune will follow some insane work leading up to it.

Multiply every expectation you have by 10

Central tenet of the book.

Manage every action as though you have a camera on you every step of the way.

Imagine if someone was watching you! They probably are or will be. Act how you would like to be seen.

follow through completely: That is the great common denominator of all winners. They see every action through to completion.

They stick with it until a task is completed. Not fritter back and forth or give up.

1. Success is important. 2. Success is your duty. 3. There is no shortage of success.

3 central features of the book spread over different chapters and expanded upon.

Success is important. Not just a possibility, or a good to have but a major priority.
It is your duty and an ethical responsibility to produce and come near to your potential.
There's plenty to go round! Don't believe the folk who say there's a shortage of anything. There is an abundance of everything for all.

Think of success in terms of expansion. Without continued growth, any entity—be it a corporation, dream, or even an entire race—would cease to exist.

We're either growing or dying.

It is not enough just to play the game; it is vital that you learn to win at it.

There are no 'taking part' awards given out for this one ;).

One of the greatest turning points in my life occurred when I stopped casually waiting for success and instead started to approach it as a duty, obligation, and responsibility.

Hungry dog on the back of a meat truck! Realising it's not all about you… your success is required by all around you.

You have to approach the notion of success the way good parents approach their duty to their children; it's an honor, an obligation, and a priority.

You're nurturing a baby. Treat it accordingly.

luck is just one of the byproducts of those who take the most action.

"Luck is where preparation meets opportunity" ~ Seneca

Success must be approached from an ethical viewpoint. Success is your duty, obligation, and responsibility!

Hear that again? Duty, obligation, and responsibility. Don't take it lightly or squander it. I like the talk of it being an ethical responsibility, certainly adds an extra dimension to the game.

Once you start to approach every situation as someone who is acting—not being acted upon—you will start to have more control over your life.

Take control over your circumstances. Not at the expense of others of course, but not being pushed around to the whim of the rest of the world. Proactive vs reactive.

The more action you take, the better your chances are of getting a break.

Continuous and constant. Not a one-off or occasional kind of deal.

if you're going to expend effort, why not do so in the direction of success?

You'll be making the effort anyway, you may as well focus it for good.

It is only by moving from the third to the fourth degree of action that a person can turn an average existence into an exceptional life.

Cardone's 4 degrees of action:

Do nothing
Retreat
Take normal levels of action
Take massive action

Most people meander around the first 3. The third is the most prevalent and can be the most 'dangerous' as that's where mediocrity lies. The reason it's potentially 'bad' is that it feels so 'normal'. I'm sure you can guess which one Grant advocates.

When you are taking massive action, you aren't thinking in terms of how many hours you work.

The 'work day' falls out the window. It's not a 9-5 or Mon-Fri kind of deal. You're just relentlessly taking action towards your goals, which could be all day every day although not necessarily. And remember you're doing it because you want to, it's not for someone else.

The problem wasn't competition; it was obscurity.

Our biggest problem is obscurity. If no-one knows you you're dead in the water anyway. Why write a perfect article that nobody sees rather than something a little lower in quality but the volume gets you in front of eyeballs. Of course, you don't want to put out an inferior offering, but we need to up our game in terms of frequency and consistency first, then we can fine tune our skills.

If you don't create new problems, then you're not taking enough action.

Ties in with some of Mark Manson's chit-chat the other day. There will always be 'problems', they will just change… you want to be creating new problems, otherwise nothing's happening.

The best way to plan is to condition your thinking and your actions to 10X levels.

It's a tricky one due to all the faulty conditioning we've been fed, but we need to do all we can to redress that balance and excel.

Rid yourself of everything that is average including the advice you get and friends you keep.

I'll leave you to ponder that one. I don't want to have to bring in Jim Rohn and his 5 people average quote again.

People's failure to think big enough usually means they will never act big enough, often enough, or persistently enough!

Thinking first, action second. Grant himself says that he always took big action but even he didn't set his targets nearly high enough (probably higher than most people to be fair but nowhere near the potential of him or anyone else).

That big thinking will help give you the energy to persist.

Never set realistic goals; you can get a realistic life without setting goals for it.

"Why be realistic?" ~ Will Smith. Yeah, you can have average without actually aiming for it. That's automatic. Go for the so-called 'unrealistic'.

“If competition is healthy, then domination is immunity!”

Go for domination rather than competing. Let the rest of them fight it out and you be the main man or woman.

Forward thinkers don't copy. They don't compete—they create.

Creation is the cornerstone. You can emulate, take the best bits and add your own twist, but make it your own. Again, let your competition scrap it out and you own the space.

The first step is to decide to dominate.

It all starts with a decision, whatever that may be.

Though I am always ethical, I never play fair.

Contentious one. Of course, always be ethical… let your boundaries decide how you want to play it.

The marketplace is brutal and will punish anyone and everyone who does not take the right amounts of action.

The market decides and rewards action takers. It forgets quite quickly those who take no action, little action or action in the past.

“work is better than vacation—and it is important to have a purpose to wake up each day.”

The importance of purpose, and the over-emphasis in society on 'time off'. The reason you want vacation time is mainly because your work life isn't fulfilling. Make it an extension of who you are, enjoy that time and the work itself will be more fulfilling than any holiday. In fact, you'll be itching to get back. Not because you are obligated but because you want to.

Time to bring Seth in:

once the obsessed finally do become successful, they're no longer labeled as crazy but instead as geniuses, exceptions to the rule, and extraordinary.

Why not get Gandhi involved whilst we're here - "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win". You're a nut-job until you're a genius.

What if the only thing standing in the way of your greatness was that you just had to go after everything obsessively, persistently, and as though your life depended on it? Well—it does!

Sounds simple. That's the secret formula right there.

The ability to be obsessed is not a disease; it is a gift!

Obsession isn't a bad thing per se. It's what that obsession is and how it's directed that can be an issue. You're probably obsessed with something at any given time whether you know it or not, so best to take advantage and use it for good.

The most valuable chips you have are your mind-set, actions, persistence, and creativity.

Nurture those chippies! They're all you've got.

There are no shortages of how many times you can get up and continue! There is no failure unless you quit!

I imagine there's a William Churchill quote in there somewhere. Although, this is in danger of becoming a quote-fest, so Churchy can feature another day. But absolutely, whilst you're still alive and in reasonable health, then the game is still on!

Overcommit, be all in, and take massive levels of action followed up by massive amounts of more actions. You will create new problems and deliver at levels that will amaze even you.

Do over-promise. Just make sure you then over-deliver too with the appropriate amount of action. (Action is important apparently, surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet).

Repeated attacks over extended periods of time will always be successful.

Every day showing up, forever. Something will happen.

You never want to blindly follow the masses; they are almost always wrong.

Ok, quote-fest continues: "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect" ~ Mark Twain.

Most people don't really know what they're doing and are just doing as they're told by the media and those around them. So you don't really want to be blindly following them. Find things out for yourself and then live according to your findings.

"Observe the masses and do the opposite" ~ James Caan.

“I would rather die in expansion than die in contraction. I would rather fail pushing forward than in retreat.”

Don't whimper out. At least 'die' trying… you never know!

Fear isn't bad or something to avoid; conversely, it's something you want to seek and embrace.

Fear's just a little warning signal. Usually, it's inappropriate or excessive for the situation. You want to hunt it down and confront it, rather than slink away from it.

Fear, for the most part, is provoked by emotions, not rational thinking.

Observe the signal. Then allow your rational thinking to determine what to do next.

It does not take money or luck to create a great life; it requires the ability to move past your fears with speed and power.

It's mainly worrying what other people may think. The fun fact is, is that most people are far too concerned about what other people think about them to give two hoots about your shenanigans. Often it's for good reason as they care and want what's best (you can safely ignore the others), so they mean well but you're the one with all the data, so it's you who gets to decide.

Quit thinking in terms of either/or and start thinking in terms of all and everything.

Yes, you can have it all. You don't need to pick one thing or another… although certain focus at particular times will be required. There's no reason you can't have everything you'd like over the course of time.

Work should provide a purpose, a mission, and a sense of accomplishment.

Yes, should. So we must work towards that ideal.

Wake up! No one is going to save you.

Oh. Looks like you're on your own kiddo. That's fine, you don't need to be saved… you just need to participate in your own rescue!

utilize every moment of every day at 10X levels.

Relentless. Action upon action (and massive apparently). Making the most of every moment.

criticism precedes admiration

Refer back to the Gandhi quote earlier. If you achieve any modicum of success (or heading that way) then you will be criticised and maybe ridiculed. That's a good sign, as it means you're making headway. Then when it all transpires you will receive the plaudits, you won't get those before.

Make your primary focus commanding attention and generating customers before you worry about making them happy. / Customer satisfaction cannot exist without a customer first.

You need to get actual customers first before worrying too much about their satisfaction. Obscurity is your first problem… then you can deal with keeping everyone happy.

Every decision we make at my company is based on this one mission: Introduce the entire planet to Grant Cardone.

Big-headed and arrogant? Possibly, but irrelevant. The point is, having an overarching objective that decisions are based around. That's a huge goal as well as being very clear on purpose. Every decision, big or small, can be put through this filter.

"When values are clear, decisions are easy" ~ Roy Disney

You have to attend and be seen at events, write in the local paper, and get connected to the players in your community.

Getting in amongst it. Get your face and name everywhere.

Commit to omnipresence!

All places and at all times. If you want to be a major player in your space, people need to see and hear you everywhere and you'll be the only option.

“The best revenge is massive success.”

One of my favourite sayings (or variations on it). 'Revenge' sounds quite negative but in this case you're not dishing it out but simply making your life amazing which may well piss off some well-deserved people in the process.

Real success is measured by longevity.

Not a 15 minutes of fame kind of deal. You can 'get lucky' or have some one-off or occasional wins, but the long haul is a whole other matter and that is the mark of a true great.

the best way to even the score against those who have it in for you is to make yourself so well known that every time they look up—each morning when they wake and right before they go to sleep at night—they see evidence of you and your success.

A slightly immature but fun way to look at your success and the effect on detractors.

“Nothing happens to you; it happens because of you.”

You affect everything on some level. And even if you don't believe that, act like you do.

you must commit to never using excuses for anything!

Full personal responsibility.

Even if you're not sure how to do something, the best answer is “I will figure it out”—not “I don't know.”

You don't have to lie, but don't be a bozo. If you're reading this, you can find out any piece of information in existence in about 10 seconds.

Remember: Success is overcoming a challenge. Therefore, you can't succeed without some kind of difficulty

Pressure creates diamonds. Fire refines gold.

you have to say yes to everything.

At least until you're so busy, you have to say no. Yes to all opportunities and see where it leads.

“Half measures achieved us nothing.”

Referenced this quote in the Rich Roll episode. An AA maxim to mean total abstinence from drinking (as in there's no half way - all or nothing). Is applied here in more of an 'all in' success sense. You can't just dip a toe in or pop your head in occasionally, you have to dive right in fully immersed and give it your all. Sitting on the fence means you're achieving neither side. Climb over and roll around in the mud.

procrastination is the ultimate weakness.

It must be a sin. Putting things off is the worst thing and we all do it. It might be a combination of factors, but fear and uncertainty lead the way. Nurturing a strong belief and clear sense of direction can help us out here.

Whatever—or whoever—drives you, go get it now—and quit being reasonable with yourself.

Go get it! And stop making it ok to weasel out of it.

The goal has to be more valuable than the risk—or you have determined the wrong target.

A strong motivation.

every time I would get disappointed or experienced a setback, I would go back and write down my goals.

Cardone is a huge advocate of writing down goals. He suggests writing them down twice a day, ie. first thing in the morning and last think at night. In addition, when you feel a little off course or down. This re-focuses your mind and pulls you back round. He doesn't dwell on them too much, literally writes them out and gets on with his day. Of course, he has plans for their attainment but the writing down part is just a quick job (no suggestion of visualisation etc) to have the habit and to always keep them fresh in his mind.

successful keep their eye on their targets regardless of the challenges.

The author is more of a destination kind of guy rather than the process. Very future-driven and not too concerned about smelling the roses (although I'm sure he does in his own way). The target is the main thing and that makes everything leading up to it doable as the pull is so strong. Other people suggest focusing more on the 'journey'. The downside to that is that many people are constantly smelling roses, maybe having a pleasant time but not really achieving anything.

I'd say there's a balance between the 2. Concentrate on the process and enjoy laying each brick, whilst keeping in mind the beautiful cathedral it will become.

Successful people commit first and figure the rest out later.

What it says. Jump in and make the commitment first, thus forcing you to work everything else out to fit in (which is also where 'miracles' or odd conveniences occur). Rather than dilly-dally and let the opportunity sail by.

“Anyone with this much belief and clarity I will get behind.”

This is a reference to a TV show Grant was going after. He showed so much belief and clarity in his mission that this person felt compelled to help as much as possible.

creativity follows commitment

It comes back to waiting for inspiration. Sometimes creativity comes in a flash but often it follows the commitment to something and forward action. Then the whimsical creative fairy enters the building to see what's going on.

Make your fire so big and so hot that others will have no choice but to sit around it in amazement.

Burn brightly! :)

Thanks Uncle G! Anything else?

Oh, I think we've covered it. There's plenty to review in the quotes section so I will wrap this up.

The book could be considered a success manual for a lot of people. It covers the most important tenets of achieving anything, not least big and consistent action and activity. Keep things moving and in circulation.

Although this concept is nothing new, we can't ignore it and perhaps need it hammered home. This book and Grant Cardone are a hammer.

You may not agree with it all, but you can definitely draw on some of that enthusiasm at least. And if you like The 10X Rule, check out Be Obsessed or Be Average which is a more recent book filling in some of the gaps and lighting your ignition some more. I suspect it will be coming to a #BookBabble near you soon! ;)

10X!

Check out the others in the series…