The Ten Times Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure

Chapter 12
Obsession Isn't a Disease; It's a Gift
The dictionary defines the term “obsessed” as “the domination of one's thoughts
or feelings by a persistent idea, image, or desire.” Although the rest of the world
tends to treat this mind-set like a disease, I believe that it's the perfect adjective
for how you must approach success. To dominate your sector, your goal, dream,
or ambition, you must first dominate your every interest, thought, and
consideration. Obsession is not a bad thing here; it is a requirement to get where
you want to go. In fact, you want to be so fanatical about success that the world
knows you will not compromise or go away. And until you become completely
obsessed with your mission, no one will take you seriously. Until the world
understands that you're not going away—that you are 100 percent committed
and have complete and utter conviction and will persist in pursuing your project
—you will not get the attention you need and the support you want. In this
context, obsession is like a fire; you want to build it so big that people feel
compelled to sit around it in admiration. And as with a fire, you have to keep

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adding wood to sustain the heat and the glow. You obsess over how to keep your
fire burning—or it will turn to ashes.
To create a 10X reality, you have to follow up every action with an obsession
to see it through to success. You need to stay seriously motivated to take 10X
actions every day. Though people take action constantly, we know that much of
this isn't the kind of action that's going to get them anywhere. Most are doing
nothing or have already given up, and others retreat in an attempt to avoid failure
and negative experiences. Huge segments of the population are merely operating
at normal levels in order to get by and fit in. Each of these groups lacks the
obsession to see their actions all the way through to success. 
Most people make
only enough effort for it to feel like work, whereas the most successful follow up
every action with an obsession to see it through to a reward.
If you become obsessed with your idea, purpose, or goal, you will become
equally addicted to the idea of making it work. Anyone who makes it his or her
mission to create long-term, positive 10X survival will have to approach each
moment, decision, action, and day with this level of fixation. After all, if your
ideas do not excessively preoccupy your own thoughts, then how can you ever
expect them to preoccupy the thoughts of others? 
Something
has to absorb your
thoughts every second of every day—so what should it be? Be obsessed with
something. Make your dreams, goals, and mission your mind's and actions'
dominant concern!
The word “obsessed” tends to have a negative connotation because many
people believe that obsession with something (or someone) is usually destructive
or harmful. But show me one person who has achieved greatness without being
obsessed on some level. You simply cannot do it. Any individual or group that
accomplished something significant was completely obsessed with the idea of it.
Whether it was an artist, musician, inventor, businessman, change agent, or
philanthropist, their greatness was a result of their fixation.
Someone once asked me if I've always been as obsessed with success and
work as I am today. I answered, “Absolutely not!” At first, I was—until about
the age of 10. Then I let it go and didn't become obsessed until I was 25. I have
remained that way—to some greater or lesser degree—ever since, and I regret
those years I was not obsessed with my dreams and goals. I can tell you that my
life has gone much better since I've been passionate about my dreams and goals
—even when things went wrong.
I recently saw a television interview with Israeli President Shimon Peres. Mr.
Peres was 87 years old at the time and had done 900 interviews over the prior 18
months. His obsession with his mission makes him seem youthful and energetic

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—despite his age. Even those who may not believe in his mission have to admire
his commitment to it, which is evidenced by his claim that “work is better than
vacation—and it is important to have a purpose to wake up each day.” Countless
truly successful people agree with the sentiment that their careers do not feel like
work but rather something they love to do. That is obsession at its best.
Children are a wonderful example of inherent obsession. They are almost
instantly fixated with any task they encounter—learning, mimicking,
discovering, playing, and utilizing their full energy for whatever captures their
interest. Unless some part of their development has been delayed, no child
approaches his or her activities without thorough obsession and complete
preoccupation of whatever they desire—be it a pacifier, a toy, food, daddy's
attention, or an urgent need to be changed. In this way, we see how obsession is
a natural human state. It doesn't become a “problem” until a parent, caretaker,
teacher—and eventually, society as a whole—begins