2015 Book Club: January’s Book Review

In an attempt to read more this year I decided to participated in an online book club. Every month we have a book theme and will link to others’ book reviews in hopes to give our readers a quick highlight of what we hope to be great book suggestions.  January’s theme was a motivational book.

For my motivational book I chose “The Compound Effect“, by Darren Hardy

If you are looking for a motivational book to help simplify what you need to do to be successful, then this is it.  The author shares from first hand experience how he learned “the compound effect” in his own life and how he saw first hand how it led to his own success and the success for others.

Darren Hardy is the publisher of Success Magazine.  He is responsible for researching countless articles and books and he helps in choosing who will be featured in the magazine and then reviews all their material.  Everyday he sifts through an enormous amount of personal achievement information.  He is surrounded by success everyday.  He has spent a huge amount of time and money testing out different ideas and philosophies.  He has been studying success and human achievement for over 20 years.  He has trained tens of thousands of entrepreneurs.  I’d say he’s a bit of an expert when it comes to identifying successful ideas.

He recognizes that we are bombarded by every trick in the book to sell us on quick fixes and overnight success ideas.  He sheds truth to these ideas and brings us back to the basics to attain success in our lives.  He strips away all the false claims and gives it to us straight.  There is no fast and easy solution but instead we are told that it is small consistent steps that will bring huge returns for us.

Hardy shares with us how he started learning the compound effect throughout his upbringing by his dad who raised him as a single dad.

Throughout the book we are given real examples to help solidify the concept that he is trying to teach us.  The truth is, most of what he is revealing I think most of us already know to some degree.  Most of us have an idea of what we should do or should no longer do, but we lack the discipline or desire perhaps to do what needs to be done.

We are taught that there are things that we do, every single day that are either helping us achieve our goals, or sabotaging them.  There are mindless decisions that we make every single day that affect our success.  We need to learn to identify what they are and develop healthy habits that will bring about the desired outcomes we are looking for

At the end of each chapter we are given action steps to apply what is shared with us.  Included with the book is access to online assessments to help you identify areas that you need to improve on or pin pointing the specific bad habits, etc. that might be preventing you from accomplishing your goals.

I’ll admit I didn’t take the time to go through all the assessments but did walk away from reading this book with some motivation to do some small things every day to help me achieve greater success in areas on working on.  I’ll likely go back and still do the assessments at a later time.

How about you?  Have you read a good motivational book lately?  If yes, I’d love to hear your recommendation.  Also, please check out other motivational book reviews below.