Be Obsessed or Be Average

1. Embrace Your Obsession: It's Your Path to Success

Obsession itself is not a deficit or a character defect; it's a gift!

Redefine obsession positively. Society often views obsession negatively, but it's the key to extraordinary success. Embracing your obsessions allows you to:

• Tap into boundless energy and creativity
• Push beyond perceived limitations
• Achieve greatness in your chosen field

Historical examples prove this point:

• Steve Jobs was obsessed with design and user experience
• Oprah Winfrey was obsessed with connecting with her audience
• Michael Jordan was obsessed with winning and perfecting his craft

By channeling your obsessive nature into productive pursuits, you transform a potential weakness into your greatest strength.

2. Reject Average and Mediocrity

Average is a failing formula and it works for no one, no matter how much they try to make sense of it.

Embrace discomfort and growth. The pursuit of "balance" and comfort often leads to mediocrity. Instead:

• Set audacious goals that push you beyond your comfort zone
• Reject conventional wisdom about work-life balance
• Surround yourself with ambitious, like-minded individuals

Cardone argues that the middle class is shrinking because:

• 62-76% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck
• Over 50% rely on government assistance
• 92% of small businesses make less than $250,000 annually

To break free from average, constantly challenge yourself, take calculated risks, and refuse to settle for "good enough" in any area of your life.

3. Identify and Fuel Your Purpose-Driven Obsessions

Purpose is the holy grail of the obsessed.

Discover your driving force. To harness the power of obsession, you must identify what truly motivates you. Cardone suggests:

• Regularly asking yourself probing questions about your interests, skills, and aspirations
• Writing down your goals daily to reinforce and clarify your purpose
• Allowing your obsessions to evolve as you grow and achieve

Key areas to explore:

• Personal interests and passions
• Money motivations
• Skills and talents
• Market opportunities
• Legacy and impact
• Inspiring figures

By aligning your obsessions with a meaningful purpose, you create sustainable motivation and direction for your efforts.

4. Dominate Your Space and Brand

If you are the most successful person in the room, you are in the wrong room.

Become the undisputed leader. To truly succeed, you must dominate your chosen field:

• Develop unmatched expertise in your area
• Aggressively promote your personal brand
• Continuously expand your influence and reach

Practical steps:

• Identify your unique value proposition
• Create a powerful personal narrative
• Leverage social media and content creation (Cardone posted 78,000 tweets in 48 months)
• Seek opportunities to speak, write, and showcase your expertise
• Never stop learning and improving your skills

By becoming the go-to authority in your space, you create opportunities and attract success.

5. Overpromise, Then Overdeliver

When I overpromise, I am obligated to overdeliver.

Make bold claims, then exceed them. Contrary to conventional wisdom, Cardone advocates for making big promises:

• Grab attention with audacious claims
• Create urgency and excitement
• Force yourself to rise to the challenge

This approach:

• Differentiates you from competitors
• Pushes you to constantly improve
• Builds a reputation for exceptional results

Examples:

• Guaranteeing specific sales increases within short timeframes
• Promising to solve long-standing industry problems
• Committing to seemingly impossible deadlines or targets

By consistently overdelivering on bold promises, you build trust, loyalty, and a powerful reputation.

6. Build and Lead an Obsessed Team

You want people on your team who will do anything for you: jump off buildings, run through walls, and believe they can fly because of you.

Create a culture of excellence. Surrounding yourself with equally driven individuals amplifies your success:

• Recruit relentlessly, always seeking top talent
• Clearly communicate your vision and expectations
• Foster a high-performance, results-driven environment

Key strategies:

• Hold daily team meetings to reinforce goals and culture
• Implement performance-based compensation
• Celebrate successes and learn from failures
• Lead by example, demonstrating the work ethic you expect

Remember: A-players attract other A-players. By building a team of obsessed individuals, you create a powerful force multiplier for your vision.

7. Persist Relentlessly Through Challenges

Those who are truly obsessed are willing to persist when it no longer makes sense.

Never give up on your dreams. Persistence is the hallmark of all great achievers:

• Expect and embrace setbacks as learning opportunities
• Use failures as fuel to drive you forward
• Understand that breakthroughs often come after the most difficult challenges

Historical examples of persistence:

• Walt Disney was rejected 302 times for financing
• J.K. Rowling was rejected by multiple publishers
• Thomas Edison famously failed thousands of times before inventing the light bulb

Cardone's personal story of persistence led to his breakthrough in Salt Lake City, demonstrating that success often lies just beyond the point where most people quit.

8. Stay Dangerous and Take Calculated Risks

Avoiding danger makes sense only if you want to make cents.

Embrace strategic risk-taking. True success requires pushing boundaries and taking chances:

• Move out of your comfort zone regularly
• Be willing to make bold moves in business and life
• Calculate risks, but don't let fear paralyze you

Practical ways to stay dangerous:

• Relocate to new cities or countries for opportunities
• Constantly connect with new, influential people
• Adopt new technologies early
• Make decisions quickly, adjusting course as needed

By cultivating a "dangerous" mindset, you position yourself to seize opportunities others miss and achieve extraordinary results.

9. Master Sales and Customer Relationships

Sales is not a department, a career, or someone's job. Sales is the god of any business.

Prioritize revenue generation. Sales skills are crucial for success in any field:

• Develop a deep understanding of your product/service value
• Master the art of communication and persuasion
• Focus relentlessly on closing deals and generating revenue

Key sales principles:

• Always be closing – present offers and ask for the sale
• Quantify your success with clear metrics
• Hold yourself and your team accountable for results
• Continuously improve your sales skills through training and practice

By becoming a sales master, you ensure the lifeblood of your business (revenue) keeps flowing, enabling growth and success.

10. Control Your Environment and Outcomes

Those who don't like control are the ones with the problem.

Take charge of your destiny. Successful people actively shape their circumstances:

• Assume responsibility for all aspects of your life and business
• Make decisions confidently and swiftly
• Create systems and processes that support your goals

Areas to exert control:

• Your schedule and time management
• Your physical and mental environment
• Your team's performance and culture
• Your financial decisions and investments

By embracing control, you position yourself as the driving force in your life and career, rather than a passive participant subject to external forces.

Last updated: August 9, 2024