Quote from Lucio Buffalmano on September 6, 2020, 3:45 am

Be Obsessed or Be Average deals with one of the demons of highly successful people: the obsession that drives them.

Bullet Summary

• Obsession can be used for good causes
• Don't let average drag you down: pick a passion, obsess over it and reach greatness
• Persist on your obsession, always want more

Full Summary

Cardone shares a touching personal story at the beginning of the book and says that obsession saved his life. Obsession has a bad connotation today, but don't buy into that.
Yes, obsession can be used for terrible causes. But it can be used for good ones too.
A good obsession for worthy goals is is what can drive you to achieve beyond your wildest dreams.

Unhealthy VS Healthy Obsession

Unhealthy obsessions lets you escape reality. Healthy obsessions instead lead you to create the reality of your dreams.

What to Obsess About

What to obsess about is a question only you can answer. Cardone lays out some good questions to help you find the answer. Some that I found most useful were: :

1. What would you do for no money?
2. What can you do better than anyone -or I'd add: what could you do (remember a growth mindset)

Once you have an answer, test if it's a good field to be obsessed about:

1. Does your obsession improve your life and others' lives
2. Does your obsession help you maximize your potential

My note: one last note I would like to add is don't think you "find" your passions. You cultivate your passions.

Despise Average

Average people will try to drag you down, or tell you that you are too obsessed. Do not allow those people to take you down to their level. Be content and happy with your obsession for success.

Obsess With Higher Goals

Similar to his 10X Rule, Cardone says you need to feed your obsessive beast. Everyday wake up with the obsession of wanting more. Higher goals, bigger dreams, more action.

Overpromise

I found particularly interesting that Grant Cardone recommends you to over promise. Now the normal reaction could be to push back on that, and that was my reaction.
However Cardone says that overpromising will force you to deliver. As a matter of fact, he says your goal should be to overpromise and overdeliver.

Persistance Obsession

Stay on your task, don't see failure as a sign to quit. Winners see failures as fuel for more action and more obsession. I also invite you to read Grit by Angela Duckworth.

[bctt tweet="Tomorrow's success lays on today's persistence" username=""]

Build a Team of Obsessed

Hire more people who are equally obsessed. Also check The E-Myth Revisited.

Avoid Comfort

Comfort in the sense of complacency, together with doubt, one of the biggest enemies of obsession. Keep a certain amount of danger and fear to drive you instead.

CONS

Playing it Safer or Go Extreme?
Cardone is extreme.
But as Nassim Taleb explains in Fooled by Randomness, skills and smart decision making easily gives you success. But runaway success is also randomness. And extreme risks. Which can also lead to extreme failures.
Hence:

No Happy Medium?
I believe you can be "moderately obsessed". Meaning you can be very successful without giving up on holiday, relationships or some relaxing time, sometimes.
Of course, that's not the point of the book though.

PROS

True insight
At the end of the day, the top of the top do are obsessed with achieving more and more. It's the spirit that drives what Tim Grover refers to as "The Cleaner".

Review

I had written an article on Grant Cardone's relationship, but back then I wasn't fully aware of his background and personality. This book and some interviews I've seen shed some more lights on both Cardone's personality and psychology in general.
I have to say knowing that he overcame addiction make me admire the guy and Be Obsessed or Be Average could give hope -and a way- to many people struggling with addiction.

Obsession Wisdom

With just the title of the book, Grant Cardone drops a major insights on runaway successes: the need for obsession. I do believe indeed that in a world with 7 billions people, to be a world class, to be runaway success, you do need obsession.
Also check out Relentless by Tim Grover which I believe describes even better the way with which obsession leads to success.

Obsession as a Cure for Drug Addiction

I was blown away when I realized something: Grant Cardone has the same overactive personality I see many a few addicts friends have. Always moving, jumpy, always doing or saying something.
These personalities, I believe, use drugs as a way to take the edge off their own minds. What if instead they became obsessed on a goal? Could that be a cure?
It worked for Grant..

Get obsessed with Grant