12 Rules for Life

Lesson 1: 10X Goals and 10X Actions

The 10X Rule says:

• You should set targets for yourself that are 10X greater than what you believe you can achieve.
• You should take actions that are 10X greater than what you believe is necessary to achieve your goals. 

To reach great heights, one has to put in 10X times more effort than an average person. Only then can he be successful. Realistic goals are a violation to the 10X rule. They are less powerful and too easy. Setting average goals and average targets will only lead to an average life. But, there is no guarantee that you would be happy even after fulfilling those average dreams. 

Most of us set certain goals for ourselves as New Year resolutions. But somewhere down the path, we fail to abide by them. That is because, our goals are too realistic and we don’t feel any kind of excitement or a sense of success when we fulfill them. We need to set for ourselves 10X goals and put in our 10X efforts to achieve them. 

To put it in simpler words, aim unrealistically high and use your full potential to accomplish it. For example, if you want to earn a sum of 1, 00,000, make it a goal to earn 10, 00,000. 10X your dreams. 

If you plan on participating in a competition, make it your goal to win the first prize and put in all your efforts. Even if you don’t come out at the top, you may end up as a runner-up, which is bound to make you feel successful. 

Lesson 2: The Four Levels of Action

Most often, when a person encounters certain problems or issues, he would choose to respond in any of the following ways:

• Do Nothing: 

This is the response of an apathetic person who believes that solving the problem or doing something about it serves no purpose. This response mostly arises out of boredom or a sense of lethargy and ultimately leads to the belief that things are better left unexecuted. But doing nothing takes energy as well. 

In the words of Grant Cardone “If you are using your energy doing nothing, why not get off your ass and put all that energy into the things you want to achieve.”

• Retreat:

Many people feel like this is the easiest option to opt for. Whenever they face an obstacle, they find it convenient to take a step back and move away from it.