by Garrett Mickley |
Last Updated: 2022-01-12 On this page, I am keeping track of everything I’ve learned from Darren Hardy.
Darren Hardy Book Notes
Darren Hardy Course Notes
10 X-Factors of the Super-Successful
- Relentless drive.
- Supersize your thinking.
- Massive leverage.
- Focus. Control your attention.
- Unrelenting resiliency in the face of failure.
- Constant pursuit of better
- Steadfast Consistency
- “Power tribe.” Seek out high achieving peers.
- Consummate learners.
- Unshakable resolve.
3 Advantages for Success
- Access to counsel.
- Connections.
- Strategies.
How to be Authentic
- Owning your shiitake.
- Being a professional.
- Stop the whining, moaning, and groaning.
- Stop taking on other people’s monkeys.
- Stop tolerating BS.
- Speak frankly.
- Speak deeply.
- Think for yourself.
- Stop giving a rip about what others think.
DON’T fake it till you make it. Be real. Be transparent. Be authentic. Be yourself.
You get and continue receiving what you tolerate in life.
– Darren Hardy
Key Systems to Scale Hyper-Growth
“Freedom requires structure. Structure is what makes freedom possible. Structure liberates creativity.”
Everything needs to be simple, clear, and certain.
Rule of thumb: You want to systemize the predictable (routine), so that you can humanize the exceptional.
5 areas to audit:
Communications
Email communication has best practices.
Project Management
Cut everything down to the most essential, high value, vital tasks and priorities.
Documents and Data Storage
Simplify everything. Only focus on the most important data points.
Finances
Same as above.
Customer Touchpoints
Make all customer facing documents (invoices, etc.) and marketing materials as simple, clear, and certain as possible.
Skill Building
Darren’s 1-1-3-5-1-30-30-5 Plan
- Define Number 1 Goal
- Define Number 1 skill important to achieving Number 1 Goal
- 1 Skill development plan per quarter
- Identify the best 5 books on that skill
- 3 audiobooks or podcasts
- 1 comprehensive training program
- 5 days a week, for 30 minutes, read the books (approximately 30 pages)
- 5 days a week, for 30 minutes, listen to the audio (doing during NET time – no extra time)
5 Steps for Studying
- Study – while reading think about current applications
- Extract – only look for 3 big ideas
- Act – implement 1 idea right now (one per month)
- Measure – measure your improvement
- Review – assess and adjust, repeat process
8 Tips for Better Learning
- Become comfortable with the struggle of learning. The brain has to make new neural pathways. Things get easier as you learn and use what you learn.
- Become curious. Ask questions. Don’t presume anything.
- Have a goal for your learning. When you know what you’re working towards, your Reticular Activating System will find, show you, and store the info that is important.
- Learn in focused sessions. Studies show 30-90 minutes is best. Too little or too much and you won’t retain the info. If you must go more than 90 minutes, take 5-10 minute breaks.
- Use spaced repetition. This prevents neural pathways from decaying.
- Go deep vs. wide. Our brains can only handle so much. Avoid learning outside of the scope of what you want to accomplish.
- Reflect, revisit, and review to improve. Like spaced repetition. This keeps your neural pathways strong.
- Teach someone else. Teaching someone else will improve and cement your understanding of something. Start a blog!
How to Get a Promotion
Comes down to two things:
1. Help the people you work for make more money.
We get paid for value, not time.
To get paid more money, become more valuable, and delivery more value.
Hitting your goals does not earn a promotion.
You have to go above and beyond your job description.
Deliver increased value in advance.
There is never a lack of promotion potential (opportunity). There is only a lack of value being proactively contributed.
You don’t wait for a promotion; you make your own.
Earn more value by bringing more value.
6 ways to provide more value:
- Sell more (to existing clients)
- Find more clients
- Identify more opportunity
- Save money
- Recruit talent
- Mentor and help others
2. Make life easier.
Be a problem solver.
Lighten the cognitive load of your leaders.
If you have a question, do research first and come up w/ three possible solutions to present.
If you know it’s going to solve the problem — just go do it!
Speak up!
Don’t wait to be called on.
Contribute!
Have guts!
Volunteer for tough jobs.
Be reliable.
Take extreme ownership.
Your leader shouldn’t need to follow up.
If there’s a problem (it’s going to be late, etc), let your leadership know as soon as you know so that they’re not left wondering.
Deliver excellence.
Set a reputation that your leadership knows you will do a good job without even questioning.
“Sign your name to your work” and you will stand out.
Have an ambitious, positive minded, can-do attitude.
Be positive and focus on “how do we get there?” instead of “this is what will prevent us”.
“Be an engine, not an anchor.”
Disconnected Day
Pick one day during the work week and disconnect completely for a full 24 hours (I chose Thursdays).
NO:
- Texting
- Project management notifications
- Pings
- etc
Spend the day on Deep Work.
Tips:
- Treat your Disconnected Day as sacred (no social engagements, no trivial work).
- Strategize and plan every bit of the day.
- Alert the world – set autoresponders everywhere to make sure people know.
- Use Focus & Do Not Disturb features on phone, computer, and other software.
This is only for creative producers, not front-line customer service roles.
The best days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, in that order (I have meetings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays).
Problem Solving with 1:3:1
1: What’s the problem?
3: What are at least 3 viable, well-researched and thought through solutions?
1: What is your most recommended solution (between the three) and why?