I previously dismissed 10X thinking. When I finally read the book, I realised 10X thinking isn't just a strategy—it's a mindset shift that opens doors to new possibilities. This is what I learnt.
Think about it…
How do you become one of these people who achieve things other people look at with envy and disbelieve?
- A bout of good luck?
- Right place, right time?
- A financial boost from mum and dad?
- Exceptional education?
- Working day and night?
- Doing dodgy stuff?
NOPE TO ANY OF THESE (although they may help).
What really lifts you above everybody else is guts, dreams, goals, and a positive attitude.
And while there is nothing wrong with settling for average, many of us dream about floating to the top. Me included.
I’ve been fascinated by the power of mindset for quite some time and I have come to believe that mindset IS the key to achieving things others shrug off as “unrealistic”. Heck, I’ve experienced first-hand what a different mindset can do!
To this day, my mindset fascination continues. Digging deeper, learning anything and everything there is to learn about it.
And so my path crossed this book called "10X is Easier Than 2X" by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy.
In all honesty, I had previously dismissed it as nonsense talk of jet-setting hotshots who were a bit attention deprived. I mean, the book IS a bit “shouty” on several levels.
I know…. preconceived ideas like that come to haunt you. 
Long story short, I read the book.
AND BOY, DID IT BLOW MY MIND!!!! 
What Does 10X Thinking Mean?
OK, so what made me change my mind about the book?
I went in with the idea that…
- 10X thinking was far-fetched, if not unrealistic.
- setting ambitious 10X goals requires enormous effort and resources, and maybe even some shortcuts.
- you have to do 2X thinking before you can do 3X thinking, then 4X,… eventually 10X.
That idea was quickly challenged.
According to the book, 10X thinking isn’t about working ten times harder; it’s about thinking and strategizing differently.
The 10X mindset forces you to break away from incremental improvements and instead focus on transformative change. It asks you to think about your goals, then multiply them by 10X. Reimagining what’s possible, pushing beyond the limits of what you can currently see or believe.
That’s a butt-kicking approach.
As soon as I got engrossed in the book, I saw the 10X mindset everywhere.
Which begs the question: What’s the big deal with 10X thinking? How to think 10X? Why is it so powerful, and how can you apply it to your life and business?
How to Think 10X ?
Here are some practical steps for a 10X mindset:
1. Define Your 10X Goals: What impact do you want to have, not just for yourself but for your clients and community? What do you want your legacy to be? What level of generational wealth do you want to create?
- Think: Take a moment to reflect on your current goals. Stretch them! What’s one way to make them 10X more exciting?
- Feel: Allow yourself to be inspired to think big. Imagine the possibilities and let that excitement fuel your actions.
- Do: Set those BHAGs—Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Sit down with a cup of coffee and dream big. What’s your Big Hairy Audacious Goal?
But don’t just imagine, write it down.
2. Break Down Your Goals: We both know big goals can be overwhelming. The answer to that is to break them down into smaller, manageable steps. My strategy is to start with the end in mind and reverse engineer the implementation. This is nothing new. I’ve spoken about this in my podcasts and blogs about setting annual goals. When you’re working with your 10X goals, you break down the big goals down into yearly goals for 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, etc. This way, the path to achieving your 10X goals becomes clearer and less daunting.
3. Take 10X Action: This is the part that really hit home for me. Unless you set 10X goals, you will not achieve 10X results. Dreaming alone won’t get you there. It’s going to need action. Consistent, strategic action every day. Not so much in time, but in strategy.
4. Embrace Failure: We conveniently like to forget about this step. Because who likes failure? Yet failure is an integral part of success. And we shouldn’t let setbacks stop us from aiming high. Instead, I like to view failure as a learning opportunity. I also communicate this to my team. I’m guessing you’ve never 10X’d your business before, so it’s not like you know how to do this. If something doesn’t work, you try a different approach and keep trying until you find what does.
Why I Clicked With The 10X Idea?
Ultimately, the question we need to answer is this one: “What would it take to achieve ten times the results with the same amount of effort?”
Most of us think about change as an incremental process—improving by small margins. 10X thinking, however, requires you to think on a different scale.
Maybe the biggest take-away from the 10X book for me is the change in mindset.
You can’t expect a 10X result, unless you set 10X goals and actually believe you can do it! It’s very much like winning the big lottery ticket. You can dream about it all you want, but unless you actually buy a ticket, you’re never going to win. If you don’t set the goals, it’s not going to happen. Simple!
Making the 10X goals a reality will demand some innovative and creative thinking that plays to your strengths.
I know, it’s very bold, but it’s not impossible. (It’s all in the mind, remember! You don’t believe, it ain’t happening.)
Proof in point: The Darwin Smith story.
A Powerful 10X Thinking Example
The year is 1971.
Darwin Smith became CEO of Kimberly-Clark , a company with a long history in paper products, including paper towels, tissues, and writing paper.
Kimberley-Clark had been around since 1872, but recently the company was struggling.
To everyone’s surprise, the new CEO went all in, selling the company's mills and subsequently investing all proceeds in disposable diapers and tissues, competing head-to-head with industry giants like Procter & Gamble.
The move was seen as bold, even reckless, and received a fair amount of criticism.
But Smith had a vision and a goal. How the story ended?
Ever heard of Huggies and Kleenex?
Do You Want Some Help With That?
So, are you, like me, fascinated by the potential of 10X thinking?
10X thinking isn't just a strategy—it's a mindset shift that opens doors to new possibilities. If today's blog got you excited about wild goals you didn’t think possible , I'd love to help you on that journey.
Click the link to Book A Discovery Call, or simply reply to this post to chat about how we can work together to make your big dreams a reality. Let's turn that spark into a roaring fire!
Until next time, keep dreaming big!
