Book Summary - 10x is easier than 2x

I was recommended this book by my coach – and found it had some very good insights, which I would like to share with you.

• The basic theme of the book is that one should aim high. And that while growing incrementally is natural, growing exponentially is where the real adventure begins. And the corollary to this point is that when we aim to grow 10x, we do things very differently. Here, growing 10x does not mean become 10 times wealthier or earning 10 times more. It simply means becoming a far better version of yourself than you could have imagined.
• Another very important insight the authors share is that becoming 10x, does not mean that you have to become 10 times better than others. You only have to be 20% better than the rest of the world to be far ahead of the pack. They give the example of Mr. Beast, the phenomenally successful Youtuber, who says in the book that he focuses relentlessly on high quality videos. And his videos get 10x the views of others, but are only 20% better, not 10x better. And that 20% makes all the difference.
• One very powerful statement the authors make is – “How you do anything is how you do everything”. I absolutely loved this line. The focus, attention, and character you bring to any task, is what you bring to all tasks. To imagine that you can do one activity with a whole different mindset than another and that that’s okay is wrong. Quality should be an aspect we focus on with everything we do – parenting, working out, managing a team, any activity we engage in – we should be fully present.
• Becoming 10x also requires one to let go of a lot that is holding one back. In the book, the authors give the examples of business letting go of 80% of their low-paying clients, to focus on the top 20% of their clients and make revenues 10x from those. Or of Apple, when Steve Jobs came back for the 2nd time, letting go of multiple product lines and focusing only on 4. “Only when you make the goal 10x bigger, do you realize which strategies, behaviors and relationships won’t work”.
• A common occurrence we are all familiar with:

“The $500 client: I just feel as though with this investment I am about to make in your company, that we should understand how our lives are about to change and I need the results and you need to bring them, and your senior management needs to be involved, blah blah”. The $50,000 client: Money sent, thanks”

• When you go for 10x in your life, you eliminate most of the competition. Because the majority of the world is happy growing incrementally year on year. Whereas you are aiming for the stars.
• Going 10x involves a process: Commitment. You commit to a far higher standard above your current capability and confidence. Courage. Through experiencing losses and failures along the way, you build courage to chase your 10x goals. Capability. This process of falling and getting up, enables you to learn things and grow as a person, thereby building your capability. Confidence. As you progress towards becoming 10x, your confidence starts to build
• Wanting not needing. What are your needs? Articulating your needs limits you. Your needs are not that great. Fulfilling your needs isn’t going to make you 10x. But what is it that you want? This is very different. It creates a mindset of abundance. You want it for its sake itself – you don’t need to justify your wants or explain them to anyone. Defining and chasing your wants puts you in a buyer mindset. Chasing your needs puts you in a seller mindset. Always be a buyer, not a seller.
• The Gap and The Gain. This is another powerful idea. We always tend to focus on where we are today and compare to where we would like to be. And this is always going to show us negatively in our own minds. Cause where we want to be is always the next aspiration. Instead, we should take a moment every now and then to appreciate how far we have come. Many of us have already made such 10x jumps in our lives. We need to remind ourselves that we have done well, we have accomplished much, and we are capable of 10x jumps. And with that confidence, focus on the next 10x journey.

“You can’t move forward and grow until you’ve acknowledged how far you’ve come and have properly measured your gains”

• Your time should not be just spent on work. Your days should be spent as Free Days (take a break, do nothing related to work – vacations, essentially). Focus days (actual deep work, most of the year would be spent on this). You’re in the zone. You feel the flow. Buffer days (study, prep, introspect, document). You should intersperse your year with buffer days to help you grow.

Hope you found this useful. Have a nice weekend! ??