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The Charge: Activating the 10 Human Drives That Make You Feel Alive
On a dark and steamy Caribbean night, Brendon Burchard stood bleeding atop the crumpled hood of his wrecked car. That night he learned about mortality, discovering that at the end of our lives we will all ask, “Did I live? Did I love? Did I matter?”
Since that fateful night, Brendon has lived a fully charged life, and he’s helped millions of people around the globe transform their lives and feel more alive, engaged, and fulfilled.
Brendon observes that the emotional energy of the world has flatlined, and he sets out to fix it. People are stressed, restless, and wanting more out of life. Despite the fact that most people have what they “need” to be happy, they rarely feel the levels of excitement, engagement, or satisfaction they deserve. So what’s the solution?
In The Charge, Brendon argues that the only way to measurably improve the quality of your life is to learn how to activate the very 10 drives that make you most human. These drives are your desires for more control, competence, congruence, caring, connection, change, challenge, creative expression, contribution, and consciousness. These drives shape everything you think, feel, and do in life, so understanding and mastering them is critical to your success and happiness. Strategically activating these drives on a consistent basis is the fastest path to living a fully charged life.
Harnessing our human drives is not easy; if it were, we wouldn’t see so much restlessness in the world. That’s why Brendon has devised what he calls the true “activators” of human experience—a series of powerful yet simple actions you can take to radically increase your levels of energy, engagement, and fulfillment in all areas of your life.
What Brendon uncovers in The Charge will surprise and challenge you. It turns out that most of the ways we seek to meet our human drives are actually counterproductive. We all want more control, for example, but seeking to have more certainty in our daily lives or to control other people will actually decrease our levels of control (and happiness). We have a deep desire for change, too, but we often fail to make the right kinds of change that would make us feel more alive and in command of our lives.
In The Charge, Brendon helps us overcome these mistakes and illuminates the path for strategically and intelligently activating our 10 human drives so that we can have the one thing we all want: more life in our lives! Brendon Burchard is the founder of High Performance Academy and author of the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling book The Millionaire Messenger. He is also the author of Life’s Golden Ticket and one of the top motivation and high performance trainers in the world. His famous training events and videos inspire millions of people to find their charge, share their voice, and make a greater difference.
Since that fateful night, Brendon has lived a fully charged life, and he’s helped millions of people around the globe transform their lives and feel more alive, engaged, and fulfilled.
Brendon observes that the emotional energy of the world has flatlined, and he sets out to fix it. People are stressed, restless, and wanting more out of life. Despite the fact that most people have what they “need” to be happy, they rarely feel the levels of excitement, engagement, or satisfaction they deserve. So what’s the solution?
In The Charge, Brendon argues that the only way to measurably improve the quality of your life is to learn how to activate the very 10 drives that make you most human. These drives are your desires for more control, competence, congruence, caring, connection, change, challenge, creative expression, contribution, and consciousness. These drives shape everything you think, feel, and do in life, so understanding and mastering them is critical to your success and happiness. Strategically activating these drives on a consistent basis is the fastest path to living a fully charged life.
Harnessing our human drives is not easy; if it were, we wouldn’t see so much restlessness in the world. That’s why Brendon has devised what he calls the true “activators” of human experience—a series of powerful yet simple actions you can take to radically increase your levels of energy, engagement, and fulfillment in all areas of your life.
What Brendon uncovers in The Charge will surprise and challenge you. It turns out that most of the ways we seek to meet our human drives are actually counterproductive. We all want more control, for example, but seeking to have more certainty in our daily lives or to control other people will actually decrease our levels of control (and happiness). We have a deep desire for change, too, but we often fail to make the right kinds of change that would make us feel more alive and in command of our lives.
In The Charge, Brendon helps us overcome these mistakes and illuminates the path for strategically and intelligently activating our 10 human drives so that we can have the one thing we all want: more life in our lives! Brendon Burchard is the founder of High Performance Academy and author of the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling book The Millionaire Messenger. He is also the author of Life’s Golden Ticket and one of the top motivation and high performance trainers in the world. His famous training events and videos inspire millions of people to find their charge, share their voice, and make a greater difference.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
491 people are currently reading
5531 people want to read
About the author
Brendon Burchard
63 books1,539 followersBRENDON BURCHARD is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, THE CHARGE, and the #1 New York Times bestseller THE MILLIONAIRE MESSENGER. He is also founder of High Performance Academy, the legendary personal development program for achievers, and Experts Academy, the world's most comprehensive marketing training program for aspiring authors, speakers, coaches, and online thought leaders. For these works, Brendon is recognized as one of the top trainers in the world on the topics of both motivation and marketing.
Brendon's books, videos, newsletters, products, and appearances now inspire two million people a month worldwide.
Brendon was blessed to receive life's golden ticket -- a second chance -- after surviving a car accident in a developing country. Since then, he has dedicated his life to helping individuals, teams, and organizations find their charge, share their voice, and make a greater difference in the world.
Brendon is regularly seen on public television, and he has been in media appearances on Anderson Cooper, ABC World News, Wall Street Journal TV, NPR stations, Oprah and Friends, and other popular outlets like SUCCESS magazine, Inc.com, Forbes.com, FastCompany.com, and the Huffington Post.
As one of the most in-demand trainers of our time, Brendon has shared the stage with the Dalai Lama, Sir Richard Branson, Tony Hsieh, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Stephen Covey, Deepak Chopra, David Bach, John Gray, Jack Canfield, Tim Ferriss, and more. His clients include entrepreneurs and executives from 59 countries, and his advice and training has been in use at, or sought by, Accenture, Alcoa, Amazon.com, The United States Naval Academy, and 34 or the top 50 universities in the world.
Brendon's recent online marketing campaigns have set records in publishing, online product launches, and live video broadcast revenue, and he has become the go-to marketing advisor for many of the most successful companies and celebrities in the world. Anderson Cooper calls Brendon "one of the top marketing and business trainers in the world."
Brendon blogs on his FB page at http://www.facebook.com/brendonburcha...
Brendon's books, videos, newsletters, products, and appearances now inspire two million people a month worldwide.
Brendon was blessed to receive life's golden ticket -- a second chance -- after surviving a car accident in a developing country. Since then, he has dedicated his life to helping individuals, teams, and organizations find their charge, share their voice, and make a greater difference in the world.
Brendon is regularly seen on public television, and he has been in media appearances on Anderson Cooper, ABC World News, Wall Street Journal TV, NPR stations, Oprah and Friends, and other popular outlets like SUCCESS magazine, Inc.com, Forbes.com, FastCompany.com, and the Huffington Post.
As one of the most in-demand trainers of our time, Brendon has shared the stage with the Dalai Lama, Sir Richard Branson, Tony Hsieh, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Stephen Covey, Deepak Chopra, David Bach, John Gray, Jack Canfield, Tim Ferriss, and more. His clients include entrepreneurs and executives from 59 countries, and his advice and training has been in use at, or sought by, Accenture, Alcoa, Amazon.com, The United States Naval Academy, and 34 or the top 50 universities in the world.
Brendon's recent online marketing campaigns have set records in publishing, online product launches, and live video broadcast revenue, and he has become the go-to marketing advisor for many of the most successful companies and celebrities in the world. Anderson Cooper calls Brendon "one of the top marketing and business trainers in the world."
Brendon blogs on his FB page at http://www.facebook.com/brendonburcha...
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June 5, 2012
Wait.. I'm TOTALLY biased on this one! :) Can't wait to hear what y'all think!! Here's the preface of the book, just for my Goodreads friends:
Out There
The Charged Life, the truly lived life, is not a routine existence in some quaint, picturesque village of safety and certainty. No, the life worth living is out there, in the wooded wilds of the unknown, on the craggy battlefields that test our wits and wills in the daily fights with our own demons. It is found during the long onward slog through the storms and strife, when we hear only the whispers and taunts of foes and opponents stronger than we, on the ground where we are knocked sprawling and forced to face our own weaknesses, and on the mountaintops that we reach only because we pitted our every ounce of virtue, strength, character, and courage to keep climbing no matter the slings and arrows flung at our backs or the barriers thrown up before us. It is out there that we come face-to-face with the best in ourselves and with our destiny. It is out there, in a new world of uncertainty and adventure, that we push ourselves, better ourselves, realize ourselves. It is only in the herculean quest for something more that life fills us with wisdom and meaning, but only after we have paid with our sweat and, at times, our tears. It is in the marching on when we are tired and weak and fearful, and in the camaraderie of those fellow warriors we have striven with—our brothers and sisters and family and friends who cheered us on and toiled with us despite the messiness and apparent madness of it all. It is out there on the path less traveled, an uncharted path chosen by each of us alone, an often meandering, overgrown path that leads only to another unpaved road or open field of opportunity, where we must strike out once more with the same hope for victory and transcendance. It is out there when we have the guts to stand naked before the world as who we truly are, when we peer into the souls of those around us and finally see in them the image of the divine, that we plunge ourselves bravely and unconditionally into love that has no bottom or boundary. It is out there, outside the confines of our comforts and the pleasures of our accumulations, beyond our architecture of the routine, that we slip the bonds of our limiting beliefs, soar magnificently above our own shortcomings, and express our highest selves. It is out there, in a world rich with choice and challenge and fear and freedom, that your greatest gifts and adventures await you. Listen. It is out there that destiny calls. Be bold and ready yourself. It is time to charge once again.
—Brendon Burchard
Out There
The Charged Life, the truly lived life, is not a routine existence in some quaint, picturesque village of safety and certainty. No, the life worth living is out there, in the wooded wilds of the unknown, on the craggy battlefields that test our wits and wills in the daily fights with our own demons. It is found during the long onward slog through the storms and strife, when we hear only the whispers and taunts of foes and opponents stronger than we, on the ground where we are knocked sprawling and forced to face our own weaknesses, and on the mountaintops that we reach only because we pitted our every ounce of virtue, strength, character, and courage to keep climbing no matter the slings and arrows flung at our backs or the barriers thrown up before us. It is out there that we come face-to-face with the best in ourselves and with our destiny. It is out there, in a new world of uncertainty and adventure, that we push ourselves, better ourselves, realize ourselves. It is only in the herculean quest for something more that life fills us with wisdom and meaning, but only after we have paid with our sweat and, at times, our tears. It is in the marching on when we are tired and weak and fearful, and in the camaraderie of those fellow warriors we have striven with—our brothers and sisters and family and friends who cheered us on and toiled with us despite the messiness and apparent madness of it all. It is out there on the path less traveled, an uncharted path chosen by each of us alone, an often meandering, overgrown path that leads only to another unpaved road or open field of opportunity, where we must strike out once more with the same hope for victory and transcendance. It is out there when we have the guts to stand naked before the world as who we truly are, when we peer into the souls of those around us and finally see in them the image of the divine, that we plunge ourselves bravely and unconditionally into love that has no bottom or boundary. It is out there, outside the confines of our comforts and the pleasures of our accumulations, beyond our architecture of the routine, that we slip the bonds of our limiting beliefs, soar magnificently above our own shortcomings, and express our highest selves. It is out there, in a world rich with choice and challenge and fear and freedom, that your greatest gifts and adventures await you. Listen. It is out there that destiny calls. Be bold and ready yourself. It is time to charge once again.
—Brendon Burchard
March 24, 2016
I read the description of the book and had my doubts-- it was a $5.99-er from Audible which should have told me all I needed to know. I had $6 to burn so I bought it.
I shouldn't have.
See, the problem with these kinds of books, as well as the lives of Content Marketers I follow, is that they automatically assume people wake up every morning unmotivated to change their own lives and financial circumstances; that getting super rich is the only way to lead a fulfilling life. I get this vibe from so many Content Marketers-- from Gary Vee, Pat Flynn, John Somnez who is a Content Marketer who moonlights as a programmer. The tactics of Content Marketers bother me and seem like snake oil. This book is for people like Gary Vee and Pat Flynn and the If-you-don't-wake-up-at-the-crack-of-dawn-and-write-a-book-you'll-never-be-successful types of overly precious articles by 20 somethings on Medium.
I am old enough and jaded enough to know half of this stuff is complete bullshit.
Do I want to have a lot of money? Sure. But there are other methods to go about it than these steps laid out in this book. The call to action to live a "charged" life is dubious at best. A charged life by whose standards? Burchard's? Nahhh.
He uses the term neuroscience quite loosely. He also turned me off with that pseudoscience word salad about health and diet. Another turn off was bringing spirituality into it but most of these books do that, and for me that's a star deducted.
Honestly, I should have listened to my gut and saved the $6. Waste of time.
I shouldn't have.
See, the problem with these kinds of books, as well as the lives of Content Marketers I follow, is that they automatically assume people wake up every morning unmotivated to change their own lives and financial circumstances; that getting super rich is the only way to lead a fulfilling life. I get this vibe from so many Content Marketers-- from Gary Vee, Pat Flynn, John Somnez who is a Content Marketer who moonlights as a programmer. The tactics of Content Marketers bother me and seem like snake oil. This book is for people like Gary Vee and Pat Flynn and the If-you-don't-wake-up-at-the-crack-of-dawn-and-write-a-book-you'll-never-be-successful types of overly precious articles by 20 somethings on Medium.
I am old enough and jaded enough to know half of this stuff is complete bullshit.
Do I want to have a lot of money? Sure. But there are other methods to go about it than these steps laid out in this book. The call to action to live a "charged" life is dubious at best. A charged life by whose standards? Burchard's? Nahhh.
He uses the term neuroscience quite loosely. He also turned me off with that pseudoscience word salad about health and diet. Another turn off was bringing spirituality into it but most of these books do that, and for me that's a star deducted.
Honestly, I should have listened to my gut and saved the $6. Waste of time.
March 24, 2014
"These days, it's easy to get detached from all the marvels around us. We get antsy when our cell phones drop a call and forget the magical fact that the signal going from the little square box in our hand must travel to some distant cell tower or satellite in space, then through the air at tremendous speeds, then somehow, out of 7 billion people, find the right person's little square box on the other end. When it comes to our technological advancement, we are perhaps the most oblivious and unappreciative generation in history. And if we cannot marvel at our own advancement, it's likely that we will have difficulty marveling at that of an unspecified entity or force that we've never seen." -p. 236
June 7, 2016
I retained absolutely nothing from this read. I don’t know if I should shoulder all of the blame since I picked a type of book I despise, or if it all should go to the actual book itself since it was boring as shit. I will be kind and say that it was organized in a very easy to follow format and the vocabulary used wasn’t too complicated. I will be hateful and say that the lifestyles mentioned did not match my own so there was a certain level of irritation grumbling through my mind as I read it. Also rolling through my mind were thoughts of an infomercial salesman. Each little example story reminded me of one of those planted clueless audience members that share their own little made-up tidbit on cue that perfectly relates to the point the salesman is trying to make.
No I don’t want to buy-in and no I don’t want to attempt to change my life by doing it on your terms. I just want to be left alone to stew in my own juices.
No I don’t want to buy-in and no I don’t want to attempt to change my life by doing it on your terms. I just want to be left alone to stew in my own juices.
December 9, 2015
It's hard to put my finger on what turned me off about "The Charge." Was it Mr. Burchard's "golly-gee-whiz" overly-earnest narration? Was it the numerous times he mentions his "celebrity clients" or his "multi-million dollar" lifestyle? Perhaps it was his generous use of the term "neuroscience." Or was it the fact that Mr. Burchard looks like Walton Goggins...and I kept picturing Boyd Crowder of "Justified" doing the narration!?
My one takeaway from "The Charge" is that I am not the intended audience for motivational gurus seeking to electrify the get-rich-quick crowd in what amounts to a pyramid scheme of ideas (the message being "if you live a charged life like me, you too, can live a successful and inspiring life where you don't get out of bed for less than a quarter-million dollars.")
"The Charge" offers nothing new. The 10 Human Drives—all cleverly starting with the letter "C"—have made appearances in better books.
For down-to-earth information and knowledge you can apply to your everyday "regular-Joe" life, I recommend:
The Happiness Hypothesis - Jonathan Haidt
Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert
The War of Art - Steven Pressfield
10% Happier - Dan Harris
The Obstacle is the Way - Ryan Holiday
Essentialism - Greg McKeown
The Happiness Advantage - Shawn Achor
One more thing: the author's reading of the audio-version of this book drove me to distraction. From the YouTube clips I've seen of Mr. Burchard's presentations, he is a fast-talking guy, which makes his "reading" of his book come off as choppy and uneven. It's as if his mouth is not able to move fast enough while reading. You may want to stick with the printed version anyway, because at the end of each chapter he has fill-in-the-blank "charge points" which require you to write down answers.
I'm sure Mr. Burchard is a sincere and intelligent fellow. I am just not his intended audience. I obviously can't afford him as a coach.
My one takeaway from "The Charge" is that I am not the intended audience for motivational gurus seeking to electrify the get-rich-quick crowd in what amounts to a pyramid scheme of ideas (the message being "if you live a charged life like me, you too, can live a successful and inspiring life where you don't get out of bed for less than a quarter-million dollars.")
"The Charge" offers nothing new. The 10 Human Drives—all cleverly starting with the letter "C"—have made appearances in better books.
For down-to-earth information and knowledge you can apply to your everyday "regular-Joe" life, I recommend:
The Happiness Hypothesis - Jonathan Haidt
Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert
The War of Art - Steven Pressfield
10% Happier - Dan Harris
The Obstacle is the Way - Ryan Holiday
Essentialism - Greg McKeown
The Happiness Advantage - Shawn Achor
One more thing: the author's reading of the audio-version of this book drove me to distraction. From the YouTube clips I've seen of Mr. Burchard's presentations, he is a fast-talking guy, which makes his "reading" of his book come off as choppy and uneven. It's as if his mouth is not able to move fast enough while reading. You may want to stick with the printed version anyway, because at the end of each chapter he has fill-in-the-blank "charge points" which require you to write down answers.
I'm sure Mr. Burchard is a sincere and intelligent fellow. I am just not his intended audience. I obviously can't afford him as a coach.
Read
September 19, 2012I prefer books with a more Christian perspective. He swears quite a bit. However, it fascinates me that Brendon had a spiritual encounter when he was in a serious car accident that so much is in line with how God interacts with us through nature, situations, and thought processes, that it makes me think that he is on a journey to the One True God, and this is all part of his search for The Truth. The Truth can't contradict itself after-all! In spite of the swearing and his beliefs contradicting my own, I got a lot out of it. I keep a journal, and put many of the ideas into practice. The book is about being energized in all your endeavors, both business and personal. That is something I've really wanted to activate and so it's a timely subject. I'm rereading it to glean more. I want to read Jim Rohn next, because he's a Christian, and his insights are more in line with my beliefs. It's much easier and more congruent, to read and put into practice those things which agree with what matches what is in line with our conscience. No use weeding out lies and things that go against the Truth. Call me narrow-minded, I don't care if you do. Jesus said "Narrow is the way that leads to life and few are they that find it." I know that there is only One being that I will answer to in the end, and He is the "rightest" of all! So I want to keep my reading material and all media as well as my thoughts in line with the Truth as written in the Bible.
July 11, 2012
The Charge: Activating the 10 Human Drives That Make You Feel Alive
In 'The Charge', Brendon Burchard, top motivational expert, asserts that even in a restless, overworked and sometimes mundane world, it is possible to live an extraordinary life. He identifies 10 drives that are the force behind our humanity and these drives include: the desire for greater control, congruence, competence, challenge, connection, creativity, contribution, caring, change and consciousness. Burchard proposes that by seeking to fulfill these drives, one is able to experience a happier life and to live their passion.
Burchard is an inspirational trainer and I like the fact that his books, including this one, come out as thoughtful and well researched. Admittedly, there are piles and piles of self-motivation books out there. Yet, Burchard has a way of mixing psychological truths with familiar narratives and this serves to inspire you to want to achieve a better life. I have read most of his work and I have found them very useful. I like the question he poses: are you caged, comfortable or charged? It gets you to aspire for a more vibrant life.
This book is highly recommended to anyone who is looking for motivation to turbo charge their life. However, the book needs to be read over and over before understanding the underlying philosophy.
In 'The Charge', Brendon Burchard, top motivational expert, asserts that even in a restless, overworked and sometimes mundane world, it is possible to live an extraordinary life. He identifies 10 drives that are the force behind our humanity and these drives include: the desire for greater control, congruence, competence, challenge, connection, creativity, contribution, caring, change and consciousness. Burchard proposes that by seeking to fulfill these drives, one is able to experience a happier life and to live their passion.
Burchard is an inspirational trainer and I like the fact that his books, including this one, come out as thoughtful and well researched. Admittedly, there are piles and piles of self-motivation books out there. Yet, Burchard has a way of mixing psychological truths with familiar narratives and this serves to inspire you to want to achieve a better life. I have read most of his work and I have found them very useful. I like the question he poses: are you caged, comfortable or charged? It gets you to aspire for a more vibrant life.
This book is highly recommended to anyone who is looking for motivation to turbo charge their life. However, the book needs to be read over and over before understanding the underlying philosophy.
February 20, 2019
If you read this book alone, it won't be enough to motivate you. But if you are into changing yourself deeply and profoundly, you will probably read one hundred and one other books and THIS ONE. Burchard, yes, he has a bit shimmer glitter shimmer style where he goes into this celeb, that celeb, but if you neglect that noise, you will be left with a great read.
But, it is very important to understand that if you only read books like this and don't work by them, and yet expect to somehow just live your life in this way, there is a huge probability that you will suck at life and sunk deeper into your high expectations without progress hole. When I say, suck in life I mean, you are mentally aware of these book concepts, but without positive actions and continuous day to day awareness and implementation, you will soon forget what this book is offering you.
Because grasping it mentally is simply not sufficient enough for a long term change. Your actions have to follow your thoughts, which often means, out of the comfortable zone into the wild unknown.
But, it is very important to understand that if you only read books like this and don't work by them, and yet expect to somehow just live your life in this way, there is a huge probability that you will suck at life and sunk deeper into your high expectations without progress hole. When I say, suck in life I mean, you are mentally aware of these book concepts, but without positive actions and continuous day to day awareness and implementation, you will soon forget what this book is offering you.
Because grasping it mentally is simply not sufficient enough for a long term change. Your actions have to follow your thoughts, which often means, out of the comfortable zone into the wild unknown.
June 15, 2014
Loving this book way more than I expected. Brendon is the real deal. He has leveraged neuroscience and his scholarship of great leaders, exhaustively studied the physiology of high performance, to create this gem. Highly recommended for people with drive who want to be more effective. Brendon is the next gen Stephen Covey! WOOT!
August 17, 2014
At first I thought to myself: this is a motivational book that couldn't even motivate me to read through it! But I did manage to read it though and I found out that it's a very good book.
It's filled with virtuous rules and useful advices to better yourself and enliven your life, presented in a very easy manner to understand and follow. The author managed to deliver his message in a very intelligible way, very well organized and written.
However, that's not to say that it is easy to adopt and integrate what's written in the book into your life. It requires a lot of effort to actually digest the book in entirety and to master its teachings.
And while most of the information was quite novel to me, many was very well known to everyone. Furthermore, I think the book could be much much slimmer and more to the point.
Nevertheless, I did make use of this book and I do recommend reading it. Just don't expect it to radically change your life!
The only way this book would work is if you got a pen and a notebook and summarized everything and kept reading what you wrote frequently. Allowing it to soak through slowly and adapting to it at your own pace. That's how I personally benefitted from the book!
It's filled with virtuous rules and useful advices to better yourself and enliven your life, presented in a very easy manner to understand and follow. The author managed to deliver his message in a very intelligible way, very well organized and written.
However, that's not to say that it is easy to adopt and integrate what's written in the book into your life. It requires a lot of effort to actually digest the book in entirety and to master its teachings.
And while most of the information was quite novel to me, many was very well known to everyone. Furthermore, I think the book could be much much slimmer and more to the point.
Nevertheless, I did make use of this book and I do recommend reading it. Just don't expect it to radically change your life!
The only way this book would work is if you got a pen and a notebook and summarized everything and kept reading what you wrote frequently. Allowing it to soak through slowly and adapting to it at your own pace. That's how I personally benefitted from the book!
January 20, 2013
I loved this book. I've read a few of his books and enjoy his writing style, but this book is hands-down my favorite. It's not another rah rah self-help book. He lays out a strong case for living a "charged life" and a very clear action plan. He'll push you out of your comfort zone where the real fun (and challenges) begin. If you're tired of mediocrity, read this book. I highly recommend it.
January 23, 2018
Charge – Brendon Burchard
Brendon describes feeling charged means feeling engaged, energetic and enthusiastic. He states that there are 3 kinds of lives;
Caged life: People let others/their past dictate their identities and are trapped in a tight box of beliefs about what is possible for them. Life seems scary
Comfortable life: Have all the amenities in life yet you feel ambitionless and without drive/excitement. Life seems stale.
He suggests we should work on 10 drives that will bring us towards living a ‘charged’ life;
5 Baseline drives
1) Control – ‘The stability we cannot find in the world, we must create within our own persons’
Control your outlook and character – focus on doing productive/ intellectually enhancing tasks – keeping away from the pessimism of the media.
Control for new – the new things that come into your life need to be controlled
make lists, create challenges, write it down, make friends who share your ideas, plan!!!
Control workflow – workforce is not engaged or enjoying their work. Possibly because of a lack of ownership and distraction. Work doesn’t belong to you. There are no natural variations.
2) Competence – ‘A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself.’
‘competence-confidence loop’ – both empower each other.
This is about knowledge – how well do you understand things? Things in life/at work? Understand. Perform. Master.
Take active interest in learning your work. Ask yourself how this will lead you to your future identity. Look for intrinsic value in your work
3) Congruence – ‘Don’t compromise yourself. You’re all you’ve got.’
your self image could be a lot better and you ought to be a lot more congruent in how you engage with the world.
Congruence: How we look at ourselves and how we behave in accordance with that image in the real world is congruence
Set new standards for yourself – anything is achievable! You define You
Set your mood meter
Keep your word
4) Caring
Take good care of yourself – exercise/food diet
Allow others to care for you
Be more present, interested and attentive to others
5) Connection
Define and design your ideal relationships
Project positivity
Find and cultivate ‘growth’ friends
5 Forward drives
1) Change
Make change about the gains not losses.
If change has already happened, there’s little you can do other than change your perception
Think of the possibilities, not the pitfalls.
Get clarity, think big, be bold
Make real choices
2) Challenge
‘Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once’
Choose fulfilling challenges
Focus on the journey, don’t fear rejection
Set time limits
3) Creative expression
Allow your own individual uniqueness to shine through in the world
Amplify creative expression in all areas of life; home, work, friendships, leisure, contribution
Study people, learn from them
Create more, share more
4) Contribution
‘We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.’
Give of yourself: Give the very best of yourself in everything you do – exert the highest and strongest efforts in your contribution.
Give to: Others – engage in ‘meaningful’ contributions
Mentor others
5) Consciousness
Be aware of your thoughts, emotions, energy, feelings, experiences, meaning in life
behaviour, others, progress, transcendence
Live the NOW – the present moments
Live in wonder – appreciate life like whatever it comes
Brendon describes feeling charged means feeling engaged, energetic and enthusiastic. He states that there are 3 kinds of lives;
Caged life: People let others/their past dictate their identities and are trapped in a tight box of beliefs about what is possible for them. Life seems scary
Comfortable life: Have all the amenities in life yet you feel ambitionless and without drive/excitement. Life seems stale.
He suggests we should work on 10 drives that will bring us towards living a ‘charged’ life;
5 Baseline drives
1) Control – ‘The stability we cannot find in the world, we must create within our own persons’
Control your outlook and character – focus on doing productive/ intellectually enhancing tasks – keeping away from the pessimism of the media.
Control for new – the new things that come into your life need to be controlled
make lists, create challenges, write it down, make friends who share your ideas, plan!!!
Control workflow – workforce is not engaged or enjoying their work. Possibly because of a lack of ownership and distraction. Work doesn’t belong to you. There are no natural variations.
2) Competence – ‘A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself.’
‘competence-confidence loop’ – both empower each other.
This is about knowledge – how well do you understand things? Things in life/at work? Understand. Perform. Master.
Take active interest in learning your work. Ask yourself how this will lead you to your future identity. Look for intrinsic value in your work
3) Congruence – ‘Don’t compromise yourself. You’re all you’ve got.’
your self image could be a lot better and you ought to be a lot more congruent in how you engage with the world.
Congruence: How we look at ourselves and how we behave in accordance with that image in the real world is congruence
Set new standards for yourself – anything is achievable! You define You
Set your mood meter
Keep your word
4) Caring
Take good care of yourself – exercise/food diet
Allow others to care for you
Be more present, interested and attentive to others
5) Connection
Define and design your ideal relationships
Project positivity
Find and cultivate ‘growth’ friends
5 Forward drives
1) Change
Make change about the gains not losses.
If change has already happened, there’s little you can do other than change your perception
Think of the possibilities, not the pitfalls.
Get clarity, think big, be bold
Make real choices
2) Challenge
‘Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once’
Choose fulfilling challenges
Focus on the journey, don’t fear rejection
Set time limits
3) Creative expression
Allow your own individual uniqueness to shine through in the world
Amplify creative expression in all areas of life; home, work, friendships, leisure, contribution
Study people, learn from them
Create more, share more
4) Contribution
‘We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.’
Give of yourself: Give the very best of yourself in everything you do – exert the highest and strongest efforts in your contribution.
Give to: Others – engage in ‘meaningful’ contributions
Mentor others
5) Consciousness
Be aware of your thoughts, emotions, energy, feelings, experiences, meaning in life
behaviour, others, progress, transcendence
Live the NOW – the present moments
Live in wonder – appreciate life like whatever it comes
May 16, 2016
This book has to be the most intellectually insulting piece of work since the "10x rule" by Grant Cardone. Each chapter is started by a quote and/or anecdote that connects you to his message. To be completely honest, those so called anecdotes sound completely fabricated for the book. In the beginning of chapter 8, he speaks about an incident where he meets some random guy who ironically makes a living implementing changes to great companies, but can't keep his life in order. Brendon Burchard, author of the book, then goes on to insult the guy for saying he could be fat AND SMART. The guy allegedly thanks Burchard for insulting him, and bringing out that "charge" in him. It sounded completely unrealistic, and if it was an actual event, it shows the shallowness of him as a person.
Another story involved a "star" who was mulling over pitching a great show to a major network. The star is ambivalent and Burchard does his "charge" speech, in which the star responds "If I fail its all on me, they won't blame you. The media will chastise me instead, because of my reach". Burchard commences to give a pseudo-motivational speech that amounts to simply "just do it". The alleged star becomes so invigorated they start on the project.
This book is great if you are starting off reading books and have no clue about life and how to be a goal setter. If you are a veteran book worm, this book may not be for you. The 10-11 steps he gives you are simple common sense. Write your goals down and challenge yourself. Eat your greens and exercise. Yes, seriously.
I know for a fact he could've done better than this, because I loved another book of his. There are better self help books out there, but it is anecdotal at best to recommend. If you need a starter in self help books, this is all you need. For me it is redundant.
Another story involved a "star" who was mulling over pitching a great show to a major network. The star is ambivalent and Burchard does his "charge" speech, in which the star responds "If I fail its all on me, they won't blame you. The media will chastise me instead, because of my reach". Burchard commences to give a pseudo-motivational speech that amounts to simply "just do it". The alleged star becomes so invigorated they start on the project.
This book is great if you are starting off reading books and have no clue about life and how to be a goal setter. If you are a veteran book worm, this book may not be for you. The 10-11 steps he gives you are simple common sense. Write your goals down and challenge yourself. Eat your greens and exercise. Yes, seriously.
I know for a fact he could've done better than this, because I loved another book of his. There are better self help books out there, but it is anecdotal at best to recommend. If you need a starter in self help books, this is all you need. For me it is redundant.
July 7, 2012
This book is providing the incentive I need to get out of my blahs. I have known all along that my self-defeating attitude has been holding me back (I have become overwhelmed by knowing that technology is moving faster than my brain is) and this book is giving me some concrete instructions for coming out of it... a goal at a time. I have some learning plans I am developing, too. Very worthwhile.
July 25, 2016
Brendon Burchard differentiates The Charge from rewarmed, cheer-styled motivation books by utilizing amazingly clear and intuitive suggestions. Burchard challenges readers to proactively re-examine their everyday routines, thoughts and actions. This fresh perspective, combined with simple yet effective action ideas, allows the reader to reactivate emotional and motivational drives that may have been subtly muted by common life trials.
March 28, 2013
Very good. Usually with self-help or how-to books I end up making an action guide to go with, but that wasn't necessary in this case. It took me a long time to get through the book, because he includes a lot of journal exercises that require a lot of soul-searching. But I found it helpful, and I am feeling more happy and energized as I incorporate these things into my life. Recommended for anyone who's looking to eliminate the 'MEH' from their life.
December 27, 2012
If you want more out of life and don't want to just drink another cup of coffee to get it, this is a book for you. As I find myself in a particular part of my life, this is the exactly what I needed to read. Its not magic, but rather hard work to get the life you want but knowing you have to actively pursue it.
October 6, 2018
The Charge - by Brendon Burchard
Top 3 Takeaways
1. your identity (character) is the ultimate determiner of your success in life, so determine who you want to be ("to be" goals) and determine what actions you can take that would be congruent with that identity. If you keep that up for a long enough time, you will have consciously created who you want to be: your best self living your best life!
2. when making changes in your life, or when you're afraid to do something/make a change, instead of focusing on what you're going to lose, focus on what you're going to gain, whether emotionally or materially. Also, focus on how you can make the process/journey more enjoyable, and consciously design and focus on creating the best possible outcome
3. it's almost 2019... so when you want to make a change in your life, use the insanely vast network of resources like books, online courses, seminars, etc that you have available to research the best possible outcome of what you want to change, the best possible strategy or process, and consciously design your best life in advance
Would I recommend you read this? If you're interested in personal development and are willing to write out the answers to some thought provoking and positive change inspiring questions and take actions based on them, you should read this book (and his book High Performance Habits).
If you're not willing to do the journaling work or take the actions, you probably wont get much out of it. It's more of a book for designing a better life, and that takes thoughtful planning and action.
Notes/takeways:
living a more energetic life with more positive emotions - that's the goal of this book: more positive emotional charge and vibrancy
a consciously designed existence is a pre requisitive for the truly "charged life"
"death twitches my ear, 'live!' he says, 'for I am coming.' "
your identity, who you think you are, who you want to be, everything you associate with yourself, is among the key factors to if you achieve what you want in life ... so set some "to be" goals and take the actions that kind of person would take - it is only by action that we become who we want to be
you alone are fully responsible for your life. "God" has nothing to do with it, nothing outside of yourself is in control of your willful actions or ever will be or can be (maybe. I don't know, but it seems so in one sense)
your life only changes when you choose a new identity to act in accordance with
charity and contribution are also pre requisites for a truly "charged life"
7 characteristics of fully charged people
1. they are open and observant in the moment
2. they are future oriented
3. they are challenge seekers
4. they are deeply interested in and genuinely want to connect with others
5. they are self reliant/independent
6. they are creatively driven
7. they are meaning makers
which of those, if you embodied it, would have the greatest positive impact on your life?
the 10 human drives
5 "baseline" drives
1. control
2. competence
3. congruence
4. caring
5. connection
5 "forward" drives
1. change
2. challenge
3. creative expression
4. contribution
5. consciousness
The Drive For Control
The 3 activators
1. control your outlook and character - that means: set those "to be" goals and take actions consistent with that character/identity, and seek the positive lesson in all circumstances
2. control for new - that means consciously do new and novel things that are out of your normal routine
3. control workflow - that means get as much autonomy over your work (and subsequently your well being!) as you possibly can
your outlook is the greatest differentiator in how you feel
3 book recommendations in this regard: 1) man's search for meaning, and 2) learned optimism , 3) the alchemist
6 simple ways to "control for new"
1. vacation every 90 days, 1-5 days, goal = mental distance from work
2. do a restaurant/dining tour in your city
3. go to local shows, events, and sports games
4. make a bucket list - "X things to do before you die" and start checking them off
5. make new friends/expand your peer circle
6. develop a new skill and start practicing/applying it
The Drive For Competence
The 3 activators
1. assess and direct your desire to learn - this means - create a learning and implementation plan for your interests/goals
2. set a real challenge, plan for success, and get a coach - define the measurables involved in any project or desire, set goals based on those measurables, and review your progress at least weekly , if you have someone else to help you in this regard, all the better
3. integrate successes into your identity - invest 60-90 seconds a day and journal: top 3 successes I had today , review the entries every week
most steady, measurable change in people comes from reflection, and reflection is best done on paper
The Drive For Congruence
3 activators
1. set new standards for yourself - set those "to be" goals and take actions consistent with that identity/character
2. set your mood meter - pay attention to, preferably by writing it out/journaling, your moods each day, and determine why you felt/feel that way
3. keep your word and follow through on your responsibilities - #1 is self explanatory, and #2 means to ruthlessly prioritize your to do/actions list so that you fulfill your most important obligations
The Drive For Caring
3 activators
1. care for yourself - better self care is the foundation for all personal development
2. be more vulnerable and allow for others to take care of you - this means: be open about the challenges you are facing in life and ask other people for help/insight/perspective
3. be more present, interested in, and attentive to others - for the most important people in your life, make a point to know what they're interested in and what's important to them
6 basic self care recommendations
1. schedule at least 7 hours of sleep a night
2. eat smaller portions
3. eat at least a portion or 2 of green vegetables per day
4. exercise at least 3 times a week
5. meditate 2x a day, 20 mins each time, or find some other way to relax your body and focus your mind or relax your mind (in a healthy way!)
6. drink enough water - stay hydrated
in regards to self care, if you become observant of your feelings and why you feel them on a regular basis, you will soon become master of your emotions and experience by far more positive emotions than negative ones, and when the negatives ones do come, they are fleeting
The Drive For Connection
3 activators
1. define and design your ideal relationships - for each category of people, friends, family, lover, coworkers, determine "what defines a happy and deeply connection relationship with xyz-people-category?" or something like that, and then determine what actions you can take to bring that relationship status to fruition, and then take those actions
2. practice positive projection - consciously determine "what's the best thing about this person? what good qualities do they have?" and go looking for them
3. find and cultivate "growth friends" - the "challenge" issued is to have at least 10 growth friends in your life
2 book recommendations in this regard are: 1) how to win friends and influence people, 2) the 7 habits of highly effective people
The Drive For Change
3 activators
1. make change about the gains, not the losses - when making a change, never think about what you're going to lose, think about and focus on what you'll gain, material wise or emotional wise and stay focused on that and change will be much easier
2. get clarity, think big, and be bold - when trying to make a change, it's about to be 2019, so do some research, find out who has succeeded big in the change you want to make and learn from them, find out the best possible outcome for the change you want and start reverse engineering it
3. make real changes (determine your rules) - list of rules below
5 rules for making change stick - once you've decided on something you want to change, apply these 5 rules
1. determine what you want and also what you *don't* want in that same regard
2. do more of xyz, do less of or stop doing abc - determine what you need to start doing, do more of, stop doing, or do less of to make the change successful
3. when xyz happens, do abc - think about some things that could be problematic, or think about some big successes, and determine what you're going to do in advance so that lack of willpower doesn't stop you, you've already decided
4. always choose xyz over abc - this is a little bit like #1, determine your values, materially and emotionally, and make sure you choose your values and priorities over other people's
5. do xyz now and abc later - determine and act in accordance with your true priorities
(there are resources that go along with this book that you can google "charged book resources" and find, there is a worksheet that goes much more into detail into these goal setting rules)
3 kinds of pain that cause us to fear change
1. expectation of loss - turn this around by focusing on what you'll gain if you change
2. expectation of process pain, of change just being a hard slog through the mud - look for the good in the process, find ways to make it more enjoyable, find role models who have gone through it before
3. expectation of outcome pain, that the ultimate result of changing wont be worth all the effort, or something may happen and you'll end up worse off than you started - determine and focus on "the best possible outcome"
you could journal - 1) top 3 things I'm scared of changing that I know I need to change to live a full life, and 2) determine which of the 3 fears listed above is holding you back most and start eliminating that fear from your life by turning it around
The Drive For Challenge
3 activators
1. choose fulfilling "challenges" - make sure the projects you're working on or the goals you've set for yourself... 1) are exciting enough to hold your attention/focus, 2) stretch your efforts and capabilities, 3) have clearly defined measurables that you're consciously manipulating, 4) have (a) clear completion(s) line that you can celebrate, and 5) have other people involved that can share in your achievement and rewards
2. focus on the journey and don't fear rejection - realize you can only be where you are right now, so focus on the actions you can take now to reach your desired future , and realize also that you've (statistically at least) have probably only been truly, hurtfully rejected less than 7 times in your whole life. ( I can only personally remember 2 or 3), the rest of the fear of rejection is just that: the fear of it, not the actual manifestation of it
3. set monthly 30 day "challenges" - work on a project/goal or two each month that has the qualities of fulfilling challenges
5 qualities of fulfilling challenges
1. they demand singularity of focus
2. they stretch our efforts and capabilities
3. they have the ability to score performance - the measurables are defined and consciously manipulated
4. they allow for a sense of completion during and after the challenge
5. they allow a sharing of experience and achievement with other people - other people are involved in it
The Drive For Creative Expression
3 activators
1. amplify creative expression in all areas of your life - take inventory of all of the areas of your life and ask, "how much of myself do I see in this area? how much creativity am I expressing in this area?", then determine what actions you need to take to express yourself to your heart's content in each area of your life
2. study people and study design - see how others express themselves creatively or not, and see what kinds of design people appreciate, whether it's art, technology, or whatever it may be , use these things as inspiration
3. create more and share more - determine what outputs you have to produce to succeed in your personal and professional life and then produce more of them and share them with those you love!
The Drive For Contribution
3 activators
1. give *of* yourself - remember those "to be" goals? keep setting them and taking congruent actions that your best/ideal self and this will take care of itself. when you are at your best and living your best life, you'll automatically contribute more to others, especially inspiration and positive change
2. give *to* causes you care about - not just any cause will fulfill your personally, find one that makes you feel alive and excited
3. mentor, mentor, mentor - lift others up to where you are
3 factors that make contribution fulfilling
1. the ability to leverage your unique personal strengths
2. the ability to mentor others and help others grow
3. being able to see the direct social impact of your efforts
The Drive For Consciousness
3 activators
1. focus your consciousness - determine, as much as possible in advance, what you're going to focus on
2. transcend consciousness - realize you can only focus on one little bit of the universe at a time, there is something much bigger and vaster than our own individual consciousnesses/attentions
3. live in wonder - our reality, the lives that people live, are truly remarkable. just the fact that we're conscious at this moment and that we can interact with this world, and that we have all of these amazing capabilities is truly a wonder to anyone who pays attention and thinks!
4 things to focus your consciousness on
1. your thoughts
2. your emotions
3. your behavior
4. other people's thoughts, emotions, and behavior
3 things to be conscious of
1. this present moment - that you're alive right now and that you can see and interact with this world
2. coincidence and intuition - that when you seek/look for things, you tend to find them, and that you sometimes have insight into how to find the things you're looking for without having any physical connection to it (which is remarkable!)
3. love - the ultimate feeling is already available to you - you can conceive of it and feel it at will, and you can take actions as if you already felt that way, further conditioning that feeling into yourself
Top 3 Takeaways
1. your identity (character) is the ultimate determiner of your success in life, so determine who you want to be ("to be" goals) and determine what actions you can take that would be congruent with that identity. If you keep that up for a long enough time, you will have consciously created who you want to be: your best self living your best life!
2. when making changes in your life, or when you're afraid to do something/make a change, instead of focusing on what you're going to lose, focus on what you're going to gain, whether emotionally or materially. Also, focus on how you can make the process/journey more enjoyable, and consciously design and focus on creating the best possible outcome
3. it's almost 2019... so when you want to make a change in your life, use the insanely vast network of resources like books, online courses, seminars, etc that you have available to research the best possible outcome of what you want to change, the best possible strategy or process, and consciously design your best life in advance
Would I recommend you read this? If you're interested in personal development and are willing to write out the answers to some thought provoking and positive change inspiring questions and take actions based on them, you should read this book (and his book High Performance Habits).
If you're not willing to do the journaling work or take the actions, you probably wont get much out of it. It's more of a book for designing a better life, and that takes thoughtful planning and action.
Notes/takeways:
living a more energetic life with more positive emotions - that's the goal of this book: more positive emotional charge and vibrancy
a consciously designed existence is a pre requisitive for the truly "charged life"
"death twitches my ear, 'live!' he says, 'for I am coming.' "
your identity, who you think you are, who you want to be, everything you associate with yourself, is among the key factors to if you achieve what you want in life ... so set some "to be" goals and take the actions that kind of person would take - it is only by action that we become who we want to be
you alone are fully responsible for your life. "God" has nothing to do with it, nothing outside of yourself is in control of your willful actions or ever will be or can be (maybe. I don't know, but it seems so in one sense)
your life only changes when you choose a new identity to act in accordance with
charity and contribution are also pre requisites for a truly "charged life"
7 characteristics of fully charged people
1. they are open and observant in the moment
2. they are future oriented
3. they are challenge seekers
4. they are deeply interested in and genuinely want to connect with others
5. they are self reliant/independent
6. they are creatively driven
7. they are meaning makers
which of those, if you embodied it, would have the greatest positive impact on your life?
the 10 human drives
5 "baseline" drives
1. control
2. competence
3. congruence
4. caring
5. connection
5 "forward" drives
1. change
2. challenge
3. creative expression
4. contribution
5. consciousness
The Drive For Control
The 3 activators
1. control your outlook and character - that means: set those "to be" goals and take actions consistent with that character/identity, and seek the positive lesson in all circumstances
2. control for new - that means consciously do new and novel things that are out of your normal routine
3. control workflow - that means get as much autonomy over your work (and subsequently your well being!) as you possibly can
your outlook is the greatest differentiator in how you feel
3 book recommendations in this regard: 1) man's search for meaning, and 2) learned optimism , 3) the alchemist
6 simple ways to "control for new"
1. vacation every 90 days, 1-5 days, goal = mental distance from work
2. do a restaurant/dining tour in your city
3. go to local shows, events, and sports games
4. make a bucket list - "X things to do before you die" and start checking them off
5. make new friends/expand your peer circle
6. develop a new skill and start practicing/applying it
The Drive For Competence
The 3 activators
1. assess and direct your desire to learn - this means - create a learning and implementation plan for your interests/goals
2. set a real challenge, plan for success, and get a coach - define the measurables involved in any project or desire, set goals based on those measurables, and review your progress at least weekly , if you have someone else to help you in this regard, all the better
3. integrate successes into your identity - invest 60-90 seconds a day and journal: top 3 successes I had today , review the entries every week
most steady, measurable change in people comes from reflection, and reflection is best done on paper
The Drive For Congruence
3 activators
1. set new standards for yourself - set those "to be" goals and take actions consistent with that identity/character
2. set your mood meter - pay attention to, preferably by writing it out/journaling, your moods each day, and determine why you felt/feel that way
3. keep your word and follow through on your responsibilities - #1 is self explanatory, and #2 means to ruthlessly prioritize your to do/actions list so that you fulfill your most important obligations
The Drive For Caring
3 activators
1. care for yourself - better self care is the foundation for all personal development
2. be more vulnerable and allow for others to take care of you - this means: be open about the challenges you are facing in life and ask other people for help/insight/perspective
3. be more present, interested in, and attentive to others - for the most important people in your life, make a point to know what they're interested in and what's important to them
6 basic self care recommendations
1. schedule at least 7 hours of sleep a night
2. eat smaller portions
3. eat at least a portion or 2 of green vegetables per day
4. exercise at least 3 times a week
5. meditate 2x a day, 20 mins each time, or find some other way to relax your body and focus your mind or relax your mind (in a healthy way!)
6. drink enough water - stay hydrated
in regards to self care, if you become observant of your feelings and why you feel them on a regular basis, you will soon become master of your emotions and experience by far more positive emotions than negative ones, and when the negatives ones do come, they are fleeting
The Drive For Connection
3 activators
1. define and design your ideal relationships - for each category of people, friends, family, lover, coworkers, determine "what defines a happy and deeply connection relationship with xyz-people-category?" or something like that, and then determine what actions you can take to bring that relationship status to fruition, and then take those actions
2. practice positive projection - consciously determine "what's the best thing about this person? what good qualities do they have?" and go looking for them
3. find and cultivate "growth friends" - the "challenge" issued is to have at least 10 growth friends in your life
2 book recommendations in this regard are: 1) how to win friends and influence people, 2) the 7 habits of highly effective people
The Drive For Change
3 activators
1. make change about the gains, not the losses - when making a change, never think about what you're going to lose, think about and focus on what you'll gain, material wise or emotional wise and stay focused on that and change will be much easier
2. get clarity, think big, and be bold - when trying to make a change, it's about to be 2019, so do some research, find out who has succeeded big in the change you want to make and learn from them, find out the best possible outcome for the change you want and start reverse engineering it
3. make real changes (determine your rules) - list of rules below
5 rules for making change stick - once you've decided on something you want to change, apply these 5 rules
1. determine what you want and also what you *don't* want in that same regard
2. do more of xyz, do less of or stop doing abc - determine what you need to start doing, do more of, stop doing, or do less of to make the change successful
3. when xyz happens, do abc - think about some things that could be problematic, or think about some big successes, and determine what you're going to do in advance so that lack of willpower doesn't stop you, you've already decided
4. always choose xyz over abc - this is a little bit like #1, determine your values, materially and emotionally, and make sure you choose your values and priorities over other people's
5. do xyz now and abc later - determine and act in accordance with your true priorities
(there are resources that go along with this book that you can google "charged book resources" and find, there is a worksheet that goes much more into detail into these goal setting rules)
3 kinds of pain that cause us to fear change
1. expectation of loss - turn this around by focusing on what you'll gain if you change
2. expectation of process pain, of change just being a hard slog through the mud - look for the good in the process, find ways to make it more enjoyable, find role models who have gone through it before
3. expectation of outcome pain, that the ultimate result of changing wont be worth all the effort, or something may happen and you'll end up worse off than you started - determine and focus on "the best possible outcome"
you could journal - 1) top 3 things I'm scared of changing that I know I need to change to live a full life, and 2) determine which of the 3 fears listed above is holding you back most and start eliminating that fear from your life by turning it around
The Drive For Challenge
3 activators
1. choose fulfilling "challenges" - make sure the projects you're working on or the goals you've set for yourself... 1) are exciting enough to hold your attention/focus, 2) stretch your efforts and capabilities, 3) have clearly defined measurables that you're consciously manipulating, 4) have (a) clear completion(s) line that you can celebrate, and 5) have other people involved that can share in your achievement and rewards
2. focus on the journey and don't fear rejection - realize you can only be where you are right now, so focus on the actions you can take now to reach your desired future , and realize also that you've (statistically at least) have probably only been truly, hurtfully rejected less than 7 times in your whole life. ( I can only personally remember 2 or 3), the rest of the fear of rejection is just that: the fear of it, not the actual manifestation of it
3. set monthly 30 day "challenges" - work on a project/goal or two each month that has the qualities of fulfilling challenges
5 qualities of fulfilling challenges
1. they demand singularity of focus
2. they stretch our efforts and capabilities
3. they have the ability to score performance - the measurables are defined and consciously manipulated
4. they allow for a sense of completion during and after the challenge
5. they allow a sharing of experience and achievement with other people - other people are involved in it
The Drive For Creative Expression
3 activators
1. amplify creative expression in all areas of your life - take inventory of all of the areas of your life and ask, "how much of myself do I see in this area? how much creativity am I expressing in this area?", then determine what actions you need to take to express yourself to your heart's content in each area of your life
2. study people and study design - see how others express themselves creatively or not, and see what kinds of design people appreciate, whether it's art, technology, or whatever it may be , use these things as inspiration
3. create more and share more - determine what outputs you have to produce to succeed in your personal and professional life and then produce more of them and share them with those you love!
The Drive For Contribution
3 activators
1. give *of* yourself - remember those "to be" goals? keep setting them and taking congruent actions that your best/ideal self and this will take care of itself. when you are at your best and living your best life, you'll automatically contribute more to others, especially inspiration and positive change
2. give *to* causes you care about - not just any cause will fulfill your personally, find one that makes you feel alive and excited
3. mentor, mentor, mentor - lift others up to where you are
3 factors that make contribution fulfilling
1. the ability to leverage your unique personal strengths
2. the ability to mentor others and help others grow
3. being able to see the direct social impact of your efforts
The Drive For Consciousness
3 activators
1. focus your consciousness - determine, as much as possible in advance, what you're going to focus on
2. transcend consciousness - realize you can only focus on one little bit of the universe at a time, there is something much bigger and vaster than our own individual consciousnesses/attentions
3. live in wonder - our reality, the lives that people live, are truly remarkable. just the fact that we're conscious at this moment and that we can interact with this world, and that we have all of these amazing capabilities is truly a wonder to anyone who pays attention and thinks!
4 things to focus your consciousness on
1. your thoughts
2. your emotions
3. your behavior
4. other people's thoughts, emotions, and behavior
3 things to be conscious of
1. this present moment - that you're alive right now and that you can see and interact with this world
2. coincidence and intuition - that when you seek/look for things, you tend to find them, and that you sometimes have insight into how to find the things you're looking for without having any physical connection to it (which is remarkable!)
3. love - the ultimate feeling is already available to you - you can conceive of it and feel it at will, and you can take actions as if you already felt that way, further conditioning that feeling into yourself
September 26, 2020
I took Brendon’s course called The 10 Human Drives earlier this year, which is based on this book. The course runs for 90 minutes and is an excellent overview of the 10 human drives. The book takes each one and delves deeper into the research and background with additional case studies from Brendon’s own clients about how he identified these charges lacking within them and helped them turn it around and lead a more transformed and fulfilling life.
According to Brendon, we live our lives in one of three states:
Caged: We are trapped in the past or in the expectations of others. Those who live caged lives feel tethered to where they are and are imprisoned in their fear of extrinsic things.
Comfortable: People in this state are stuck in a rut though they may be affluent. They often see the world as stale and feel limited by their own success, and are often content but uninspired.
Charged: In this state, life is magical and meaningful. They are engaged in the present, open and observant, future-oriented, challenge seeking, authentic in connecting with others, self-reliant, creative, and meaning makers.
The book seeks to bring more of the third state to our lives. He discusses a number of simple tools you can apply to your life (with links to some on the book’s resources website) which include the This That Rule Tool, a Success Indicator Assessment, his personal Meditation Guide, and a 1-Page Productivity Planner.
Each of the ten Charges is outlined by Brendon’s Activators. These summarise the key activators or drives for this charge. For example, one Activator for the Control drive is the “Control for New.” This includes activities such as getting away from work and your usual surroundings every 90 days, even for a short break; trying new restaurants with friends; exploring what is happening in your area this weekend and doing something different; setting travel adventures; expanding your peer circle; and developing new skills. He eloquently explains how each of these Controls enlivens (charges) us and why each is essential for our wellbeing. At the end of each Charge section, he then lists Charge Points which are a series of statements which are open-ended and require you to fill in the blank. These are deeply introspective moments for you to pause the audio and reflect on how your life would be if you did a certain thing or applied a certain principle that has just been discussed. They are guideposts for how to apply aspects of each charge in your life and feel more alive. Here are examples from the Control drive:
If I were to live at a higher level of character and maintain a more positive outlook, I would have to begin …
Two things I could schedule in my calendar right now to control for “new” and introduce novelty and challenge into my life are …
A project that I could get involved in or create immediately that would allow me to be more fully invested in my work and shepherd a project from beginning to end would be …
If you are serious about enhancing your quality of life, I recommend this book and recommend spending time doing the exercises (Charge Points). Take time to journal your thoughts and responses and really embed the learning into your own life.
According to Brendon, we live our lives in one of three states:
Caged: We are trapped in the past or in the expectations of others. Those who live caged lives feel tethered to where they are and are imprisoned in their fear of extrinsic things.
Comfortable: People in this state are stuck in a rut though they may be affluent. They often see the world as stale and feel limited by their own success, and are often content but uninspired.
Charged: In this state, life is magical and meaningful. They are engaged in the present, open and observant, future-oriented, challenge seeking, authentic in connecting with others, self-reliant, creative, and meaning makers.
The book seeks to bring more of the third state to our lives. He discusses a number of simple tools you can apply to your life (with links to some on the book’s resources website) which include the This That Rule Tool, a Success Indicator Assessment, his personal Meditation Guide, and a 1-Page Productivity Planner.
Each of the ten Charges is outlined by Brendon’s Activators. These summarise the key activators or drives for this charge. For example, one Activator for the Control drive is the “Control for New.” This includes activities such as getting away from work and your usual surroundings every 90 days, even for a short break; trying new restaurants with friends; exploring what is happening in your area this weekend and doing something different; setting travel adventures; expanding your peer circle; and developing new skills. He eloquently explains how each of these Controls enlivens (charges) us and why each is essential for our wellbeing. At the end of each Charge section, he then lists Charge Points which are a series of statements which are open-ended and require you to fill in the blank. These are deeply introspective moments for you to pause the audio and reflect on how your life would be if you did a certain thing or applied a certain principle that has just been discussed. They are guideposts for how to apply aspects of each charge in your life and feel more alive. Here are examples from the Control drive:
If I were to live at a higher level of character and maintain a more positive outlook, I would have to begin …
Two things I could schedule in my calendar right now to control for “new” and introduce novelty and challenge into my life are …
A project that I could get involved in or create immediately that would allow me to be more fully invested in my work and shepherd a project from beginning to end would be …
If you are serious about enhancing your quality of life, I recommend this book and recommend spending time doing the exercises (Charge Points). Take time to journal your thoughts and responses and really embed the learning into your own life.
August 17, 2012
While i do not consider myself to be an experienced book reviewer of sorts, especially so as this is my first book review, i am glad to say that this book is definitely worth a read.
Firstly, Brendon Burchard introduces the personality of someone with a 'charged life', which already includes pointers that everyone can use for their own lives (Can't recall them word for word, and i have lent the book to someone else). Subsequently, Brendon goes into depth for each charge, starting with a short case study, explaining the importance and relevance of it, before ending with strategies meant to improve that particular charge.
These strategies can range from things that one can do everyday, to strategies that have to be nurtured and executed over a period of time. He states it out right that mastering every charge does seem impossible, but it certainly doesn't mean that one should not stop trying, as one of life's greatest gifts is for us to face and complete challenges.
This is a book that i would recommend to many of my friends and loved ones, as i believe that no matter at what stage of life someone may be, there is always something that he/she will want to improve on. This book can help people do that. Besides the typical write ups on the importance of living life positively and utilising the concept of reframing which is all so common in many self help books, The Charge is packed with specific strategies to help us achieve our goals. This includes using the free online tools that would aid readers even more.
Definitely a 5 star for me. However, one should definitely read it with an open mind and not be overwhelmed by the sheer number of strategies that are stated in the book. Take small steps if you have to: your life will certainly be improved.
Firstly, Brendon Burchard introduces the personality of someone with a 'charged life', which already includes pointers that everyone can use for their own lives (Can't recall them word for word, and i have lent the book to someone else). Subsequently, Brendon goes into depth for each charge, starting with a short case study, explaining the importance and relevance of it, before ending with strategies meant to improve that particular charge.
These strategies can range from things that one can do everyday, to strategies that have to be nurtured and executed over a period of time. He states it out right that mastering every charge does seem impossible, but it certainly doesn't mean that one should not stop trying, as one of life's greatest gifts is for us to face and complete challenges.
This is a book that i would recommend to many of my friends and loved ones, as i believe that no matter at what stage of life someone may be, there is always something that he/she will want to improve on. This book can help people do that. Besides the typical write ups on the importance of living life positively and utilising the concept of reframing which is all so common in many self help books, The Charge is packed with specific strategies to help us achieve our goals. This includes using the free online tools that would aid readers even more.
Definitely a 5 star for me. However, one should definitely read it with an open mind and not be overwhelmed by the sheer number of strategies that are stated in the book. Take small steps if you have to: your life will certainly be improved.
November 28, 2015
I actually got my hands on this book at a medical convention where Brendon Burchard was one of the speakers. I mention this because the ideas he conveys through this book were the same ones he demonstrated at the convention, and I will admit that I feel he is much more convincing as a coach in person than through text. That's not to say that he wasn't effective at all with this book, but I couldn't help but be biased about this throughout reading this. This might just be a personal thing.
But none of that prevented me from enjoying and appreciating the messages the author intended to be the most memorable. The opening anecdotes of every chapter of real people Brendon Burchard shared were my favorite parts of the books.
Another thing I would like to admit is that I realized rather quickly that this book was definitely not targeted towards my demographic. Older adults, maybe late 20s and beyond, may relate to this much more than a teenager. Burchard addressed the importance of connecting to friends, but he expressed so by saying our "growth" friends (the best kind of friends) are those we meet with least once a month, which would be jarring to a student who sees their closest friends nearly every day. There were also several activities Burchard urges the reader to do, but since I didn't feel it was truly directed to me (someone who doesn't need to necessarily rekindle that "charge" in their life yet), I wasn't compelled to do them. Because of this, I might have made a mistake and been deprived of an important audience aspect in this book, but what can I do?
But none of that prevented me from enjoying and appreciating the messages the author intended to be the most memorable. The opening anecdotes of every chapter of real people Brendon Burchard shared were my favorite parts of the books.
Another thing I would like to admit is that I realized rather quickly that this book was definitely not targeted towards my demographic. Older adults, maybe late 20s and beyond, may relate to this much more than a teenager. Burchard addressed the importance of connecting to friends, but he expressed so by saying our "growth" friends (the best kind of friends) are those we meet with least once a month, which would be jarring to a student who sees their closest friends nearly every day. There were also several activities Burchard urges the reader to do, but since I didn't feel it was truly directed to me (someone who doesn't need to necessarily rekindle that "charge" in their life yet), I wasn't compelled to do them. Because of this, I might have made a mistake and been deprived of an important audience aspect in this book, but what can I do?
Read
May 23, 2022A book of as much value as one is willing to put in the work to obtain.
To me, Burchard's guidance and advice reached DEEPLY into just about every important aspect of life, challenging me to be more intentional and disciplined. -He encourages towards living each and every day -and moment- with vision and purpose. He does not have just one strategy to copy and paste, but gives enough little examples of what increased intentionality in every area could look like, so that every chapter left me sparked with excitement by seeing at least one thing I can do NOW to shift course towards what I most value. Burchard pushes people to live more alive by asking hard questions, forcing honest reflection, and challenging one to start living in the present with clear purpose.
Some books, I just need to have a physical copy of to reference regularly. This book is one of those, without question. To implement the life of discipline and intentionality encouraged by Burchard will take a lifetime of practice and reflection, no doubt. But the picture he paints of a life well-lived --that is something worth working towards!
To me, Burchard's guidance and advice reached DEEPLY into just about every important aspect of life, challenging me to be more intentional and disciplined. -He encourages towards living each and every day -and moment- with vision and purpose. He does not have just one strategy to copy and paste, but gives enough little examples of what increased intentionality in every area could look like, so that every chapter left me sparked with excitement by seeing at least one thing I can do NOW to shift course towards what I most value. Burchard pushes people to live more alive by asking hard questions, forcing honest reflection, and challenging one to start living in the present with clear purpose.
Some books, I just need to have a physical copy of to reference regularly. This book is one of those, without question. To implement the life of discipline and intentionality encouraged by Burchard will take a lifetime of practice and reflection, no doubt. But the picture he paints of a life well-lived --that is something worth working towards!
July 2, 2020
I couldn’t finish the book. It had some good examples about caring and connection but a lot of them are common sense. I couldn’t take anything away.
The other thing that got me is how crass and almost callous he spoke to some of his clients when they opened up to him about their issues. And it’s hard to believe that it didn’t offend any of them?
In one of the chapters author speaks of having 10 close friends. Whilst it’s good to have friends , having 10 close friends doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone.
I stopped on chapter 11 where he wrote about being “the victim of a cougar attack” when he also said previously that she only had few years on him?? Why would you even mention it in a sentence?
Overall the way he described some of his clients was just offputting - as if these were bunch of hopeless people that were so successful but yet completely clueless about how to manage relationships or themselves.
Throughout the whole book it felt like the author was gloating and aggrandizing his influence on people.
I Do not recommend the book.
The other thing that got me is how crass and almost callous he spoke to some of his clients when they opened up to him about their issues. And it’s hard to believe that it didn’t offend any of them?
In one of the chapters author speaks of having 10 close friends. Whilst it’s good to have friends , having 10 close friends doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone.
I stopped on chapter 11 where he wrote about being “the victim of a cougar attack” when he also said previously that she only had few years on him?? Why would you even mention it in a sentence?
Overall the way he described some of his clients was just offputting - as if these were bunch of hopeless people that were so successful but yet completely clueless about how to manage relationships or themselves.
Throughout the whole book it felt like the author was gloating and aggrandizing his influence on people.
I Do not recommend the book.
May 26, 2018
I ordered this book years ago as it was advertised in a Forbes magazine. Now I see Brendon advertised on YouTube, and that's when it reminded me of this book I hadn't yet read. I don't know why I put it off for so long other than partially feeling that self-help books tend to recycle the same uplifting messages for way too many pages and I can only take so much positivity.
To my surprise, there was a major difference solely based on Brendon's personality. You can tell he genuinely likes to correct people. He claims that he sets a daily intention to be "bold." I found myself wondering if he's demonstrating what it is to be bold or what it is to be condescending.
The advice itself is motivating and effective as you'd expect from someone as successful as he is and the mental exercises inspired me to dismantle certain habits of mine that don't make me feel "alive."
The writing style is simple, so the book easily keeps you engaged.
To my surprise, there was a major difference solely based on Brendon's personality. You can tell he genuinely likes to correct people. He claims that he sets a daily intention to be "bold." I found myself wondering if he's demonstrating what it is to be bold or what it is to be condescending.
The advice itself is motivating and effective as you'd expect from someone as successful as he is and the mental exercises inspired me to dismantle certain habits of mine that don't make me feel "alive."
The writing style is simple, so the book easily keeps you engaged.
July 5, 2013
An interesting quirky book with plenty of practical suggestions to recharge the batteries when experiencing the blahs. Not a panacea but thought-provoking. What alarmed me though was how the author admits readily that he charges a quarter of a million dollars per year at a minimum to individual clients. It kind of spoils the sense one gets that the author is not self-serving in his advice.
September 14, 2016
I see the world differently when I listen to Brendon Burchard. When I meet a CHARGED person, living a CHARGED life, I take notice. I get inspired. I move closer and closer to the highest and best version of myself. I am more loving and compassionate. I'm happier! Always inspiring, insightful and entertaining, Brendon Burchard has written a masterpiece of an action plan for understanding our human drives and living a full and rewarding life.
December 21, 2012
Hands down the best book I've read to date on personal transformation and mastering professional achievement. Every chapter is full of insight and practical advice on turning common sense into common practice. Brendon is very inspiring and the book is definitely a game changer.
Read
January 6, 2013If you're living a caged or comfortable life, you have GOT to read this book--Brendon shares these 10 human drives in great detail--it will force you to get off your behind if you're not happy with the life you're living!!
October 7, 2012
Brilliant. Among all the inspirational books that ive read, this is the most realistic and detail, so far. How real life scenarios are embedded in this book, i think majority can relate personally to the content.Nice that Coelho made a special appearance at the beginning, it caught my attention.
January 7, 2013
Good self-awareness exercises for those who feel "stuck" or are wanting more out of life. Clustering the basic human drives into actionable groups is a good organizational device. The book's tone is enthusiastic and personable. As with anything, the student needs to be ready.
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