“Be Obsessed or Be Average”, by Grant Cardone, is a journey through the life of a self-made multimillionaire. Being obsessed with becoming the best salesperson helped Grant build a huge business empire. I have been in the Marine Corps for close to 22 years now. My goal from the start was to be the best Marine possible. After I had been in for 10 years, I began to become obsessed with becoming an E-9. This is the top enlisted rank in the military and only 1% of the enlisted population can hold this rank at any given moment. That was my obsession. After 20 years, I achieved this rank. After a couple of months of celebration, I realized that I had achieved my dream. I then proceeded to have a small mid-life crisis. Over the next 5-6 months, I started to focus on what my next obsession would be. Finally, after about a year, I came to the conclusion that becoming rich was my next obsession. Only 1% of the world’s population will have become millionaires. So the odds are stacked against me.
This book opened my eyes to the methods of becoming obsessed with performance and results. As you start to truly achieve your goals, you realize that most people are not your supporters. They are haters and naysayers. I had already started to see some of this behavior, however, the book explains where this “hate” comes from. The book also does a great job of explaining how to also encourage others to become obsessed with performance. With that, let’s jump into my 5 takeaways.
1) Most people will say “you should be more balanced”. People who tell you that you should be balanced have settled for being average. If you want more time, money, influence, etc. then you have to become obsessed with your passion project.
2) People will tell you that you can’t have it all. Most people will tell you that you can’t have a happy marriage, great kids, a nice house, a great job, and a lot of money. Don’t listen to them. You can have it all. You have to work hard in all facets of your life to obtain and keep these things.
3) We are living in a world of average. The average person is….average. Most people do not even think of becoming great, let alone attempt to become great. In order to become a special person, first, you have to understand that the world is not built for you. It is built for you to be average. When you tell others of your goals to become special, they will not understand or, even worse, become haters.
4) Hiring great people is hard. Trying to find people that are obsessed like you are extremely hard. Most people come in with degrees and work experience but are worried about time off and benefits. They also fret about pay raises and such. Rarely, you will find someone who is willing to come in early, leave late, take on additional assignments, and earn more money for the company. In those rare instances, promote these people as fast as you can.
5) Ensure your spouse or partner understands your obsession. This is a very hard conversation. I know because I had it with my wife. I needed my wife to understand that now that my Marine Corps career was winding down, that I was starting a new obsession to become rich. I also asked if she would join me on my journey. She said yes and here we are. We are not becoming rich for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren.
“Be Obsessed or Be Average” is not for most people. In fact, it is probably for around 5% of the world. Most people would rather watch sports, listen to politics, or play videogames than educate themselves on how to become rich. This is just the way things are. I for one want to become rich. If the only thing stopping me from becoming rich is information, then I will obtain the information. A healthy obsession is a good thing, and it can help reduce negative obsessions such as alcohol, drugs, and gambling. This book will challenge who you are versus who you think you are. Do you want to be average or do you want to be obsessed?
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Disclosure: I am not a financial advisor or money manager, and any knowledge is given as guidance and not direct actionable investment advice. I am an Amazon Affiliate. Please research any investment vehicles that are being considered. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
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