Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions
Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Cardone, Grant.
The ten times rule: the only difference between success and failure / Grant Cardone.
p. cm. Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-470-62760-0 (cloth)
ISBN 978-1-118-06406-1 (ebk)
ISBN 978-1-118-06407-8 (ebk)
ISBN 978-1-118-06408-5 (ebk)
1. Success in business. 2. Success. I. Title. HF5386.C2543 2011
650.1—dc22
Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
“Anyone tftat suggests to me to do less
is eitfter not a real friend or very confused!”
—Grant Cardone
Introduction
Chapter 1
What Is the 10X Rule?
ix
Chapter 2
Why the 10X Rule Is Vital
Chapter 3
What Is Success?
Chapter 4
Success Is Your Duty
Chapter 5
There Is No Shortage of Success
Chapter 6
Assume Control for Everything
Chapter 7
Four Degrees of Action
Chapter 8
Average Is a Failing Formula
Chapter 9
10X Goals
Chapter 10
Competition Is for Sissies
Chapter 11
Breaking Out of the Middle Class
Chapter 12
Obsession Isn’t a Disease; It’s a Gift
Chapter 13
Go “All In” and Overcommit
Chapter 14
Expand—Never Contract
Chapter 15
Burn the Place Down
Chapter 16
Fear Is the Great Indicator
Chapter 17
The Myth of Time Management
Vii
viii
Chapter 18
Criticism Is a Sign of Success
CONTENTS
Chapter 19
Customer Satisfaction Is the Wrong Target
Chapter 20
Omnipresence
Chapter 21
Excuses
Chapter 22
Successful or Unsuccessful?
Chapter 23
Getting Started with 10X
Glossary
205
About tfte Autftor
229
Index
231
Y
ou’ve probably picked up this book and wondered, what exactly is this 10X Rule? And how will it help me?
The 10X Rule is the Holy Grail for those who desire suc- cess. Seriously, if there is an end all, be all—then this is it! The 10X Rule establishes right levels of actions and thinking that guarantee success and ensure that you’ll continue operating at these levels throughout your life and career. The 10X Rule will even dissolve fears, increase your courage and belief in yourself, eliminate procrastination and insecurities, and pro- vide you with a sense of purpose that will revitalize your life, dreams, and goals.
The 10X Rule is the single principle that all top achievers are using in the most flourishing areas of their lives. Regard- less of how you define success, this book will show you how to guarantee the attainment of it—with any dream and in any economy. The first thing that has to happen is for you to adjust your thinking to 10X levels and your actions to 10X quantities. I will show you how 10X thoughts and actions will make life easier and more fun and will provide you with more time. After spending a lifetime studying success, I believe the 10X Rule to be the one ingredient that all successful peo- ple know and use in order to create the lives they desire.
The 10X Rule will show you how to define the correct goals, accurately estimate the effort needed, discern how to approach your projects with the right frame of mind, and then determine exactly how much action to take. You will see why success is guaranteed when you operate within the parameters of the 10X Rule, and you will finally understand the single
Ix
xINTRODUCTION
reason why most people never achieve success. You will dis- cover for the first time the mistake people make when setting goals that, when done, single-handedly destroys any chance of those goals becoming reality. You will also learn how to figure out the precise right amount of effort necessary to accomplish any goal—of any size. Finally, I will show you how to make it a habit and a discipline to operate at 10X levels. And trust me— once you are doing so, success won’t just be guaranteed; it will continue to perpetuate itself, literally producing more—and virtually unstoppable—triumphs.
The 10X Rule is a discipline—not an education, gift, talent, or good fortune. It doesn’t require some special per- sonality trait; it’s available to anyone who wants to employ it. The 10X Rule will cost you nothing and gain you everything you have ever wanted. It is the way that individuals and orga- nizations should approach the creation and attainment of all goals. I will show you how to make the 10X Rule a way of life and the only way to handle projects. It will allow you to stand out among your peers and the industry in which you work. It will cause others to see you as almost superhuman and extraordinary in your actions and your commitment to success. They will recognize your status as a role model—not just in terms of professional achievement but how to live life to its fullest.
The 10X Rule simplifies and demystifies the phenom- enon of what success is and what it takes to be successful. Personally, the biggest mistake I’ve made is failing to set my targets high enough—in both personal and professional aspects of my life. It takes the same amount of energy to have a great marriage as it does an average one, just as it takes the same amount of energy and effort to make $10 million as it does $10,000. Sound crazy? It’s not—and you’ll see this when you start operating at 10X levels. Your goals will change, and the actions you take will finally start to match who you really are and what you are really capable of doing. You will start taking action(s), follow by more action(s)—and will achieve
Introductionxi
what you’ve set out to do, regardless of the conditions and situations you face. The single most important contributor to the success I have created in my own life came as a result of operating with the 10X Rule.
These concepts of goal setting, target attainment, and taking action are not taught in schools, management classes, leadership training, or a weekend conference at the Four Seasons. No formula exists—at least that I could find in any book—that determines the correct estimation of effort. Talk to any CEO or business owner and he or she will tell you that sufficient levels of motivation, work ethic, and follow-up are clearly in shortage today.
Whether your goal is to improve the planet’s social con- ditions or to build the most profitable company in the world, you will be required to use 10X think and actions to get there. It isn’t a matter of education, talent, connections, personality, lucky breaks, money, technology, being in the right industry, or even being in the right place at the right time. In every case in which someone has created massive levels of success— be it a philanthropist, entrepreneur, politician, change-agent, athlete, or movie producer—I guarantee that he or she was operating using the 10X Rule during his or her ascent and attainment of success.
Another component that’s required for success is the abil- ity to estimate the right amount of effort necessary for you— and your team—to achieve a goal. By using the exact level of effort necessary, you will guarantee achievement of these objectives. Everyone knows how important it is to set goals; however, most people fail to do so because they underestimate the amount of action necessary to accomplish that goal. Set- ting the right targets, estimating the mandatory effort, and operating at the right level of action(s) are the only things that will guarantee success—and that will allow you to blast through business clichés, competition, client resistance, eco- nomic challenges, risk aversion, and even fear of failure while taking concrete steps to reach your dreams.
xiiINTRODUCTION
The 10X Rule will ensure your success regardless of your talent, education, financial situation, organizational skills, time management, the industry you are in, or the amount of luck you have. Use this book as though your life and your dreams depend on it, and you will learn to operate at new and higher levels than you ever thought possible!