Albert Einstein once said, “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world,” pointing out the impressive results when money is compounded over time with interest. In the same way, I believe we should make compound results the ninth wonder of the world since results compound upon themselves over time just like money does. Regretfully, however, few stay consistent long enough in their success efforts to experience this ninth wonder. Nonetheless, just in case someone is truly hungry for answers, I will share this simple, but not easy, principle again.
Success Takes Consistent Work!
Remember when you learned to use an old-fashioned hand water pump at summer camp (or at an old farm, park, etc.)? Typically, one person would pump the handle and another would prime the pump by pouring water into the assembly and down the well. By continuously working the handle up and down, one would eventually hear and feel the pump prime itself and draw water to the surface. In contrast, if at anytime during the priming process, the person responsible for working the handle became despondent or lackadaisical because of repeated efforts without water, the prime would not hold, and the process had to be repeated from the beginning. To achieve results then, one must pump repeatedly, ignoring the lack of evidential progress, until the well water is borne up from the well.
Likewise, the success process must be primed before results can compound. Indeed, many times, it will take years to develop the proper skills, techniques, and leadership to win in your chosen field. Unfortunately, it seems the advertisers have won out over common sense in our cur culture today. For instance, consumers are told that they can be fit in less than a month, achieve millionaire status overnight, or be happy and fulfilled people just by buying the advertiser’s product. True success takes time and effort, but the world is filled with people who are looking for shortcuts because they desire success without sacrifice. Accordingly, many people buy the latest and greatest elixir without realizing the promised results. Worse yet, they begin to believe something is wrong with them because they never seem to get the same results as those paid actors claimed to achieve.
Needless to say, it’s time to wake up from the fantasy of dreams without dedication. This simply doesn’t happen outside of novels, movies, and advertisements. The truth of the matter is, just like priming a manual water pump, one must put forth consistent effort over time to win in any worthy endeavor. In fact, I believe it’s because we have lost the commonsense principle of achieving success through hard work over time that North America is struggling to maintain competitiveness across the globe. Nevertheless, I refuse to give up hope or sit idly by and watch our once great civilization quietly decline. In reality, we can turn this around if we are willing to apply a heavy dose of thinking and work ethic.
What are you doing to achieve your dreams and goals? Are you giving it the consistent effort to learn, grow, and apply that success demands? Without an unequivocal yes to this question, you will remain like the person priming the water pump who stops moving the handle just short of the water reaching the surface. Thus, despite working hard, you must begin all over again because no one can violate the law of consistent effort over time without sacrificing the compounding of results. In other words, there is nothing wrong with the pump, as I have witnessed many families produce water from the pump, but the problem is with a person’s philosophy on what it takes to receive water from the pump.
Essentially, it’s your life, it’s your responsibility, and it’s your future. Learn the principle of compounding results over time and win. The LIFE business has taught me many lessons, and my goal is to pay them forward into others’ lives. Please share how and where you learned the lesson of compounding results.
Sincerely,
Orrin Woodward
