The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure

by Grant Cardone

They take risks while others conserve. So rather than cut my staff or cut our expansion, I eliminated my own salary—and took the money I normally paid myself and used it to fund 10X. Even as I was challenged like never before on every front imaginable, I did everything I could just to keep the target in focus. It wasn't easy, and there was no guaranteed outcome, but I did everything I could to remind myself that we could make it happen. The more committed I became, the more challenges I faced. I almost felt as though the universe was just trying to see how strong I was and whether I could stick to it. My PR firms would get me one measly interview in three months, the banks were asking for more and more money, and my income had been cut off (by me, of course—but it still hurt!). The only thing I had going for me was my marriage, a new baby coming into the world, and my fierce belief in my capacity to persist and work. I was in love with my 10X goal. I knew it wasn't just good for me but that the world needed to know a new way of doing things. To me, it wasn't just an issue of personal success; it was about being on a mission to help. The entire world was suffering economically. I felt that my goal was substantial enough to move the bar in a big way—and not just for me. I felt that the risk of expansion was worth more than the money or the energy I was expending. The goal has to be more valuable than the risk—or you have determined the wrong target.