The 10X Rule - critical summary review

Do you have a big dream and are not sure how to achieve it? Maybe you want to become a bestselling author or lead a successful company? Many of us have big goals, but struggle to start out on the road to get there.

Luckily, sales expert Grant Cardone has written “The 10X Rule” which provides you with a few simple steps to create success in your own life. The 10X Rule will allow you to achieve more than you ever dared to dream of. Anyone can be successful, so, get ready to discover how to get what you want in life!

What is the 10X Rule?

Looking back on your life, how many times have you underestimated the amount of effort needed to achieve a goal, however big? Chances are that that’s happened to you before – and the 10X Rule is about understanding how much effort is needed to truly become successful. According to Cardone, ”it is the one thing that will guarantee that you will get what you want in amounts greater than you ever thought imaginable.”

The 10X Rule, quite simply put, means doing 10 times more to achieve 10 times more. Applying the 10X Rule can make anyone successful, as it does not require any special character traits, special background or education. It can also be applied to any area of life: making money, finding the right partner, or losing weight. Whatever your goal, your desire to achieve these is what is essential – it defines your potential.

What exactly is success? Basically, it means to accumulate events that have turned out well or that allowed you to achieve your desired outcomes. To achieve success, set your goals 10 times higher than what you want, and then do 10 times more than you think is necessary. Following the 10X Rule means to become extraordinary. Anything you do, your thoughts, your commitment, your actions, will be 10 times higher than other people’s. To get to where you want to be, it’s essential to set the right goals, map out how to get there and then take appropriate action.

You might think that this sounds like a lot of work, but in fact, following the 10X Rule will mean you won’t have to work forever. If you set the right 10X goals from the start, it won’t feel like work, since your efforts will pay off in a way that feels fair. The 10X Rule is not for everyone though – you have to be truly willing to do anything necessary to achieve an exceptional life.

Cardone is a good example of how the 10X Rule can impact your life. At the age of 10, his father died, which caused Cardone to retreat and to turn to drugs and alcohol to cope. At the age of 25, however, he decided to put his energy into becoming successful. Now, he is a best-selling author and successful and internationally-recognized sales training expert.

Setting the right goals

You may have been warned of setting goals too high in the past. Well, if you genuinely want to achieve success, you’ll have to forget this notion. “The reality is that if you start small, you are probably going to go small.” Would you get excited about setting realistic goals? Probably not. Maintaining your enthusiasm means setting yourself high goals. Realistic goals are often based on what others think you can achieve in life. But just as no one else can judge your success, only you can know your true potential.

Cardone says there is no such thing as setting your goals too high. You would be more disappointed if you failed to meet an average goal than if you failed to meet a high goal, as this would make you feel inadequate. And even if you did meet an average goal, you probably wouldn’t be happy, as you would know you hadn’t tapped into your full potential. On the other hand, failing to meet a high goal will still result in having achieved a great deal. Let’s be honest, you’d rather fail to make a million dollars than fail to make a thousand dollars, right?

Setting high goals also means you’re not going to give in when you encounter challenges, as your purpose will keep you going. Set goals that are equal to your potential, not below it! It takes the same amount of energy to make $10-million and $10,000. Setting high goals from the start will mean you are more likely to deal with unforeseen challenges.

Write your goals down every day and choose goals that are just out of reach. Formulate them as though you’ve already accomplished them. When setting your goals, also tie them to a greater purpose. Be creative, the sky's the limit! 

Whatever you do, though, don’t settle for average. You will only be successful through over-committing, expanding, and obsessing. The middle class is the definition of average, and probably the most trapped and restricted group of people set in their ways. Think of it: the middle-class mentality is aiming to “get by,” but this does not tap into full potential, and therefore creates neither success nor happiness.

Taking action

The 10X Rule is also about being able to estimate the right amount of effort necessary to complete your goal. “The more action you take, the better your chances are of getting a break.” You’ll have to be disciplined, consistent, and persistent to achieve what you want. 

To simplify matters, when something happens to us, there are four degrees of action we can take in response:

1. Do nothing.
2. Retreat.
3. Take normal degrees of action.
4. Take massive degrees of action.

Most people fail because they do not take the right amount of action to achieve their goals. If you want to be hugely successful, only massive action will get you where you want to be. And massive action is actually a natural state for all of us. Take children, for example, they have a never-ending enthusiasm for the world around them.

Be committed to your action and take every opportunity that comes your way. Massive action will always have a positive effect in the long run. These actions will sometimes seem unreasonable or even downright crazy to others. They may even create new problems along the way. But if you’re not creating new problems, you’re simply not taking enough action yet! Don’t let yourself be held back by what other people might think, as this will only limit your ability to reach your full potential.

Set distinct and definitive priorities. If success is your main motivator, you should spend most of your time working on it. You shouldn’t worry too much about time management and balance, but rather ask yourself: “How can I have all of it in abundance?” You can try to keep track of the time available to you in a journal, and then allot your available time to your activities, in relation to how important they are to you. 

Paradoxically, achieving balance is made possible through working harder when you’re at the office. You will accomplish your job in less time, and it will make it feel less like work and more like success. Changing your mindset can make a big difference as well: see your work as a challenge or a race; how much can you get done in the time you have? 

The good news is taking massive action makes routine days a thing of the past as “you will end up instigating opportunities that you will have to address earlier, later, and in a different way than you would on a ‘normal’ day.”

Having the right mindset

    Having the right mindset is just as important as setting the right goals. Your thinking is a big part of the 10X Rule. The right mindset will help you stay motivated and enthusiastic in the face of criticism and challenges. To be able to take massive action, you should adopt a “pure domination mentality.” It means to see yourself dominating the sector that you want to be successful in.

Keep these five maxims in mind when setting out to become successful:

1. Anything is possible. 
2. You have much more potential than you realize. 
3. Success is your duty, obligation, and responsibility. 
4. There is no shortage of success. (Meaning: anyone can be as successful as they want to be without limiting other people’s chances of success.)
5. Regardless of the size of the goal, it will require work.

Apart from these five maxims, you should always assume responsibility for what you are doing, as success is something you earn. Your confidence will convince other people to follow you in whatever you’re doing. Similarly, be obsessed with your goals! This obsession will make others take you seriously.

You can compare your obsession to a fire: you want to build one so big that other people can sit around it and look at it in awe. You have to keep adding wood to the fire though, otherwise it will turn to ashes.

Don’t measure your success with what others are doing. This will hinder your creative thinking as it preoccupies your mind. Only measure your success in terms of your own potential. Keep this in mind: “If competition is healthy, then domination is immunity!”

If you do experience fear of failure or criticism, these are actually signs that you are on the road to success. Your fear is an indicator that you are taking massive action that often includes taking massive risks. Criticism means you have taken enough action to be noticed by other people. Always see it as a way to improve yourself!

Getting started with the 10X Rule

So, how do you apply the 10X Rule to your life? Be focused a little bit on the now, and a great bit on the future you wish to create. Don’t stop to think, start acting now! Every action taken will lead to your desired future.

Start by making a list of your goals and then a list of actions to help you achieve these goals. Then immediately start taking actions. Keep these things in mind when starting out:

1. Don’t reduce your goals as you set them down on paper.
2. Don’t get lost in the details of how to accomplish them from the start.
3. Ask yourself: “What actions can I take today to move me toward these goals?”
4. Take whatever actions you come up with – do not let yourself be distracted by their nature or your feelings.
5. Don’t value the outcomes of your actions prematurely.
6. Review your list every day.

You may feel overwhelmed at first, but once you get started, you’ll be on the way to sure success!

Final Notes

To be truly successful, aim higher and work harder. Aim 10 times higher than you normally would and work 10 times harder to get there. On the way, adopt the right mindset and do not let yourself be held back by criticism, challenges, or fear of failure. 

“The 10X Rule” has been described as a “nuclear weapon for the reader.” Although a bestselling book, “The 10X Rule” is very repetitive, expansive, and does not provide the adequate amount of information to justify a 200+ page-book. 

12min Tip

Try out the steps outlined in “Getting started with the 10X Rule”.