An excerpt from The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
—Think of a hand-pumped water well, which uses a pipe to draw water up from the water table several feet underground. To get the water to the surface, you have to pump the well’s lever to create the suction that brings the water above the ground and out of the spout.
Consistency is the key to achieving and maintaining momentum.
When most people start a new endeavor, they just grab the lever and start pumping really hard… They pump and pump and pump, but after a few minutes (or a few weeks) when they don’t see any water (results), they give up pumping the lever all together. They don’t realize how long it takes to create the vacuum needed to suck the water out of the spout and into their bucket…it takes time, massive energy, and consistency to pump water. Most people give up, but wise people continue to pump.Those who persevere and continue to pump the lever will eventually get a few drops of water. This is when a lot of people say, “You’ve got to be kidding me! All this pumping, and for what – a few measly drops? Forget it!” Many people throw their hands up in defeat and quit, but wise people persist further.
And here’s where the magic happens: if you continue to pump, it doesn’t take ling before you’ll get a full and steady stream of water. You have your success! Now that the water is flowing, you no longer need to pump the lever as hard or as quickly. It becomes easy, actually. All you have to do to keep the pressure steady is to just pump the lever CONSISTENTLY. That’s the Compound Effect. —Will you be the wise one???
—Think of a hand-pumped water well, which uses a pipe to draw water up from the water table several feet underground. To get the water to the surface, you have to pump the well’s lever to create the suction that brings the water above the ground and out of the spout.
Consistency is the key to achieving and maintaining momentum.
When most people start a new endeavor, they just grab the lever and start pumping really hard… They pump and pump and pump, but after a few minutes (or a few weeks) when they don’t see any water (results), they give up pumping the lever all together. They don’t realize how long it takes to create the vacuum needed to suck the water out of the spout and into their bucket…it takes time, massive energy, and consistency to pump water. Most people give up, but wise people continue to pump.Those who persevere and continue to pump the lever will eventually get a few drops of water. This is when a lot of people say, “You’ve got to be kidding me! All this pumping, and for what – a few measly drops? Forget it!” Many people throw their hands up in defeat and quit, but wise people persist further.
And here’s where the magic happens: if you continue to pump, it doesn’t take ling before you’ll get a full and steady stream of water. You have your success! Now that the water is flowing, you no longer need to pump the lever as hard or as quickly. It becomes easy, actually. All you have to do to keep the pressure steady is to just pump the lever CONSISTENTLY. That’s the Compound Effect. —Will you be the wise one???