Quick Takes:
Every action in life has an equal and opposite reaction. So I’ve heard, and so I’ve experienced.
An opposite reaction doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a negative one. It could be that an action you take, in one way or another, creates a very positive reaction. A reaction isn’t inherently negative or positive, a reaction just is, and happens in response to any action, large or small.
When you decide to drive to work instead of taking public transit, the action of driving results in the reaction of you arriving at work earlier. Not positive or negative, but equal.
When you go out of your way to help a friend, the action of help may result in them reacting by helping you. Not positive or negative, but equal.
And finally, when you decide to skip out on that networking event or meet-up group, the consequence - or reaction - is that you lose out on the chance to expand your network.
Again, a reaction or consequence isn’t inherently negative or positive, but is simply an equal result of the catalyst that enacted it. There are certain actions, however, that when performed, compound to create exponential reactions, and exponential results.
Indulge me, while I tell you a little story.
If you’ve been reading this blog consistently, then you know that I have quite a crush on the Entrepreneur On Fire podcast and EOFire brand. Listening to the podcast over the past few years has helped me shift my outlook on life so that I not only believe that entrepreneurship is possible, but believe that I can become a great one.
In fact, a supporting argument can be made about the fact that the daily action of listening to EOFire has compounded to yield some incredible results - or reactions - in my life. I wouldn’t even have a website if not for listening to Entrepreneur on Fire daily. In this sense, its small actions that have resulted in exponential results. But that’s not the end of my story.
I wrote an article a few weeks back on the 5 things I’ve learned from EOFire, and proceeded to reach out and share with both John and the Head of Content Creation, Kate. I knew they might be thankful, but the response was exponentially greater than expected.
They were elated to read my article! Well, they at least made me believe they were elated, but I will continue to believe it without question. Both responded with very kind words, and even promoted the article to their community of friends, fans, and partners. The reaction I received to the simple action of writing a blog post and then making them aware of it, was exponential.
While I was able to promote their brand to my audience, its no secret that their platform dwarfs mine. So while they received kind words and a bump in traffic, I received exposure beyond anything I’ve had before. Actions like these, when focused on adding value to others, yield some incredibly positive reactions.
But it doesn’t stop there. That small story alone is enough to make me believe that certain actions result in exponential reactions. It’s possible, however, to compound these types of actions to yield even greater exponential reactions.
After I contacted John and Kate, and received such a positive and exponential response, I decided it was time to add even more value. Reaching out to Kate, I pitched her an idea for a guest blog post I thought would be beneficial to their online community. Because I spent the time building a relationship, she was extremely receptive to the idea, and suggested I hop on a call!
What?? I thought to myself. Does she realize that not only am I an EOFire super fan, but that by promoting my guest blog on their site, my exposure would be massive? Of course she did.
So, where my first action resulted in the reaction of kind words and a re-tweet, my second value-adding action compounded into an even greater reaction. At the time of publishing this, the guest blog and promotion has generated multiple email subscribers and hundreds of page views, and all because of a few simple actions.
What’s more, the fact that John and Kate were so willing to help deliver my messages, further increased my adoration and belief in the EOFire brand. Although their reaction to my action was exponential on their part, I know that it will come back around in exponential results for them, because I’ll be looking to help them in any way possible.
Then, from their perspective, it will be that their action resulted in an exponentially positive reaction, and the catalyst will go round and round, pushing both of our interests upward.
What types of actions can you identify in your life that have yielded exponential reactions? What did the actions center around? Can you find a theme or commonality between all your actions that had exponential results?
For me, it’s the theme off adding value, but it could be different for you. The point is that you need to identify what actions in your life results in exponential reactions, and then compound those actions to achieve even greater results.
Remember that everything is connected, and focusing on positive actions that beget increasingly positive results, will only work together to further increase the positive yield on your life.
Check out my recent newsletters on the topic
