Laws of Lifetime Growth: Always Make Your Future Bigger Than Your Past

by Dan Sullivan, Catherine Nomura

Written by Dan Sullivan, the acclaimed speaker, author, consultant, strategic planner, and coach to entrepreneurial individuals and groups, Laws of Lifetime Growth provides refreshingly simple laws that will instantly shift your perspective to help you make your future bigger than your past, and fully realize your personal and professional potential.

Genres: Business, Personal Development, Nonfiction, Self Help, Leadership, Buisness, Philosophy

Hardcover

First published January 19, 2006

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Dan has over 35 years’ experience as a highly regarded speaker, consultant, strategic planner, and coach to entrepreneurial individuals and groups.

He is author of over 40 publications, including The Wall Street Journal Bestseller: Who Not How, The Great Crossover, The 21st Century Agent, Creative Destruction, and How The Best Get Better®. He is co-author of The Laws of Lifetime Growth and The Advisor Century.

Dan is married to Babs Smith, his partner in business and in life. They jointly own and operate The Strategic Coach Inc., with offices in Toronto, Chicago, and the U.K. New workshops are also being held in Los Angeles and Vancouver. Dan and Babs reside in Toronto.

Reviews

[Darren Bueckert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of good information on how to grow, and to become more successful, and that having questions is usually better then having all the questions

[Markos · Rating 4 out of 5]

10 'laws' that have some good examples in the book, but have a few too many references to 'Dan Sullivan, Strategic Coach'.

Some very well made points but perhaps could have been summarised down to about 5 instead
* be a lifetime learner / keep asking questions
* Keep to your purpose
* Look to contribute and perform rather than the reward or accolades
* Team and people are the key to your personal success

[Daniela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing revolutionary but good life reminders to have a growth mindset and be optimistic. The table of contents and weekly exercise at the end of the book pretty much sum it up.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise and helpful way of thinking about the principles behind servant leadership. Covey's framework in Seven Habits is more memorable and (I am so sorry) MECE, so I'd probably recommend that one over The Laws of Lifetime Growth.

[Mark Manderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything looks like failure in the middle. The most successful entrepreneurs know this so they don't stop until the end.

Always make your contributions bigger than your Rewards.

Always make your gratitude larger than your success.

Be proactive with your gratitude. That is given before it is deserved.

Use Sprint to break down large tasks into manageable goals with deadlines and then turn it into a game with Rewards.

Always make your purpose greater than your money.

Ask questions to genuinely know the answer. The example was the manager at Starbucks noticing a father and his daughter who had autism and asked how he and his associates could be more sensitive to her needs and make her experience more pleasurable. This led to him hiring an autistic person who became their best employee.

Therefore the goal is to Value great questions even more than answers.

Growth always comes on the heels of asking great questions when faced an adverse situations.

[Todd Mckeever · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Title: The Laws of Lifetime Growth
Authors: Dan Sullivan & Catherine Nomura
Published: 2006

Introduction to the Book:
The Laws of Lifetime Growth presents ten laws aimed at helping individuals and organizations achieve lasting personal and professional development. Each law is rooted in the principles of mindset, relationships, and purposeful action, offering practical advice on expanding one’s potential over time.

Chapter-by-Chapter Review:
1. Always Make Your Future Bigger Than Your Past
• Main Takeaway: Focus on future possibilities rather than past achievements.
• Coaching Action: Set long-term goals that excite and challenge you.
• Apps: Trello for goal tracking, Evernote for brainstorming future ideas.
• Books: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle for mindfulness and presence.
• Quote: “Your past is just preparation for a bigger future.”
2. Always Make Your Learning Greater Than Your Experience
• Main Takeaway: Never stop learning; experiences should fuel curiosity.
• Coaching Action: Schedule time for learning through books, courses, or coaching.
• Apps: Shortform for book summaries, LinkedIn Learning for courses.
• Books: Atomic Habits by James Clear for building learning habits.
• Quote: “Growth comes when learning keeps pace with experience.”
3. Always Make Your Contribution Bigger Than Your Reward
• Main Takeaway: Focus on adding value rather than chasing recognition.
• Coaching Action: Identify three ways to serve your team or clients better this week.
• Apps: Todoist for managing service-oriented tasks.
• Books: Give and Take by Adam Grant for understanding reciprocal generosity.
• Quote: “Contributing to others opens the door to greater rewards.”
4. Always Make Your Performance Greater Than Your Applause
• Main Takeaway: Stay committed to excellence, even without external praise.
• Coaching Action: Create a personal accountability system for continuous improvement.
• Apps: Notion for tracking personal achievements.
• Books: The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek for long-term motivation.
• Quote: “Focus on results, not recognition.”
5. Always Make Your Gratitude Greater Than Your Success
• Main Takeaway: Gratitude cultivates long-term success and resilience.
• Coaching Action: Keep a daily gratitude journal.
• Apps: Day One for journaling, Calm for mindfulness reminders.
• Books: The Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan for practicing gratitude.
• Quote: “Gratitude multiplies success through perspective.”
6. Always Make Your Enjoyment Greater Than Your Effort
• Main Takeaway: Enjoy the process, not just the outcomes.
• Coaching Action: Identify one activity you love and integrate it into your workweek.
• Apps: Headspace for work-life balance reminders.
• Books: The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor for positivity and productivity.
• Quote: “Effort feels lighter when enjoyment comes first.”
7. Always Make Your Cooperation Greater Than Your Status
• Main Takeaway: Work collaboratively, valuing team progress over personal rank.
• Coaching Action: Start weekly team check-ins focused on shared goals.
• Apps: Slack for team communication, Asana for team projects.
• Books: Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek for building trust in teams.
• Quote: “Cooperation beats competition when aiming for growth.”
8. Always Make Your Confidence Greater Than Your Comfort
• Main Takeaway: Stretch beyond your comfort zone to build real confidence.
• Coaching Action: Commit to doing one uncomfortable but growth-oriented task weekly.
• Apps: Habitica for tracking courage-building habits.
• Books: The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman for mastering confidence.
• Quote: “Confidence grows in the soil of discomfort.”
9. Always Make Your Purpose Greater Than Your Money
• Main Takeaway: Focus on meaning and fulfillment, not just financial gain.
• Coaching Action: Write a personal mission statement aligned with your core values.
• Apps: Notion for purpose-mapping exercises.
• Books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek for uncovering personal purpose.
• Quote: “Money follows purpose, not the other way around.”
10. Always Make Your Questions Bigger Than Your Answers
• Main Takeaway: Curiosity fuels lifelong growth and prevents stagnation.
• Coaching Action: Ask a “What if?” question daily to spark creativity.
• Apps: MindMeister for mapping out big questions and ideas.
• Books: A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger for cultivating curiosity.
• Quote: “The best answers come from asking better questions.”

Summary of the Book:
The Laws of Lifetime Growth encourages readers to adopt a mindset of continuous improvement by focusing on principles like gratitude, learning, contribution, and purposeful action. By shifting priorities from rewards and recognition to long-term impact and collaboration, readers can unlock greater potential in every area of life.

Application Exercises:
1. Growth Audit:
• Reflect on which law resonates most with your current life stage. Write three actions to align with that law this month.
2. Lifetime Vision Statement:
• Craft a vision statement reflecting your long-term purpose and personal growth goals.
3. Weekly Reflection:
• Set aside 15 minutes every Sunday to evaluate how well you lived out one of the laws during the week. Adjust your goals accordingly.

This review integrates practical coaching actions, suggested apps, and additional book recommendations to deepen the learning experience from The Laws of Lifetime Growth.

[Char Krepel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of examples, overall good learning especially around continuous learning and asking good questions. A bit too many examples of Dan and his company.

[Sharon Woodhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of the work of Dan Sullivan (esp The Gap and the Gain), and he does specialize in finding and expounding on just the right simple rules of life BUT in the case of this book, I think reading the "Ten Laws" in the Table of Contents and forming your own understanding, meaning, and takeaways would do you just as well as reading the whole book:

~Always make your future bigger than your past.
~Always make your learning greater than your experience.
~Always make your contribution bigger than your reward.
~Always make your performance greater than your applause.
~Always make your gratitude greater than your success.
~Always make your enjoyment greater than your effort.
~Always make your cooperation greater than your status.
~Always make your confidence greater than your comfort.
~Always make your purpose greater than your money.
~Always make your questions bigger than your answers.

In short, don't get too comfortable, too entitled, too full of yourself. Focus on the things that matter. Keep pushing yourself to do more, be more, contribute more.

[Jerry Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t generally quote movies. Actually, this isn’t true. There is a line in the movie Shawshank Redemption that says, “Get busy living or get busy dying.” This is a choice we all make, and if you decide not to focus on a lifetime of growth, you may find you have inadvertently chosen “... get busy dying.” I believe we should always focus on growing so we are always getting better and becoming more valuable. This book gives you 10 Laws that, if you apply any or all ten, you will see your perspective and success change right before your eyes. It is not a long book but a powerful one. Take a read and see what changes you choose to make and keep on growing and “Get busy living….”.

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was an interesting read. I wasn't sure what to expect so I read it & it was pretty decent stuff. I guess it's a matter of following along w/ some of their suggestions. When you think about the title & what that means, it's pretty thought-provoking. It can mean different things to different people since people's perception varies. Since it's a short book, pretty quick to read. I guess the important thing is what you get out of it & how you will make changes for your life. That's the key.

[Charmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

HIGHLIGHTS:

1. USE YOUR PAST:
- Use your past to continually create a bigger future, and you will separate yourself from situations, relationships, and activities that can trap you there.
- Every past is rich with raw material.

2. SMALL STEPS:
- A bigger future doesn’t have to be grand or flashy. (*)
- It doesn’t have to involve great leaps forward.
- Most growth happens as a result of many small steps.
- The key is to keep taking them.
- If you regularly transform your experiences into new lessons, you will make each day of your life a source of growth.

3. ENERGY:
- If building on what you’ve accomplished recently doesn’t excite you, think about what you love to do most that gives you energy.

4. BREAKTHROUGH:
- The smartest people are those who can transform even the smallest events or situations into breakthroughs in thinking and action.
- Identify the things about the experience that worked and the things that didn’t work. By “worked“ we mean that those parts of the experience moved you forward, adding to your sense of capability and confidence. By “didn’t work” we mean the opposite: those aspects of the experience blocked or undermined your sense of capability and confidence.
- The one way to guarantee that rewards will continually increase is to not think too much about them.

5. CREATE VALUE BY GETTING BETTER:
- Always focus on creating new kinds of value for larger numbers of people, and you will ensure that your contribution is always greater than your reward.
- By focusing on contributing and letting the rewards take care of themselves, you anchor yourself in the real world.
- Focusing on the rewards is a trap because it diverts your creative energy from what generates the rewards in the first place: the value that your audience gets from what you do.
- A No-Entitlement Attitude - free of these other agendas and focused on your contribution.
- The notion behind this is “when you succeed, we succeed” and the focus stays on the contribution on both sides, not the reward.
- Continually work to surpass everything you’ve done so far, and your performance will always be greater than your applause.
- The goal here is always to be getting better; to appreciate how far you’ve come, but also to keep striving to go further, always making your future bigger than your past.
- What happens in a great performance is that the performer and the audience together celebrate the greatness of the music.
- Each performance is created in the moment out of the elements that are there, including the performer’s state of mind, the characteristics and responsiveness of the audience, the venue, and any other factors present at the time of the performance.
- Pay attention to the stories you repeat, especially if you’re simply relaying your experience.

6. TEST SKILLS WITH NEW CHALLENGES:
- Each performance offers a unique learning experience to the performer and a chance to test his or her skills in this new situation.
- By creating your own standards for your performance and tracking them yourself, you can celebrate your wins and measure your progress on your own terms, which helps you resist putting too much focus on external standards or recognition.
- keep your performance fresh and exciting by shifting your mindset.
- When part of you is focused on expecting applause, that same part of you is not available to contribute to your performance.
- In order to perform at your best, you need to have all your focus in the moment. If you do this, applause will take care of itself.

7. GRATITUDE GROWTH:
- Increased gratitude is essential for lifetime growth.
- Many people whose success stops at some point are in that position because they have cut themselves off from everyone who has helped them.
- Continually acknowledge others’ contributions, and you will automatically create room in your mind and in the world for much greater success.
-Focus on appreciating and thanking others, and the conditions will always grow to support your increasing success.
- Living a successful life becomes a matter of constantly growing. Gratitude makes constant growth a given.
- People want to work with people who appreciate them.
- The world responds to gratitude by making more of everything we appreciate available to us
- The more successful you become, the more important it is to practice proactive gratitude. (*)
- Finding ways to get more and more enjoyment from your activities is one way to ensure continued growth.

8. RESULTS:
- If you let status be a by-product of the results you create through increasing cooperation, you’ll keep the path open for your continued growth.
- The greater the collaboration between the people with the problem and the people who are trying to create the solution, the more effective the solution will be.
- If you take on a new challenge and don’t succeed at achieving your goal, you can still grow just as much by transforming the experience into lessons for the next time.
- The most valuable results are actually unexpected by-products of pursuing other goals.

9. IMPACT:
- as we grow in order to make our own lives richer and more meaningful, we also make a significant positive impact on the world.
- there are many gifts given to people who graciously receive them and use them to grow for their own benefit and the benefit of those around them.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avoid the cliché of “personal growth” books with this concise, directed guide to measuring and improving growth. By providing 10 clear perspectives on what growth can mean, it provides a structure to assess and expand one’s abilities and contributions, and move past plateaus by providing new ways of thinking about lifetime growth. Recommended.

[Anthony Lees · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid thoughts on purposeful leadership and living, along the lines of ‘Leaders Eat Last’. The ‘laws’ are all well trodden paths but nicely revised and explained. Some useful and interesting examples but ultimately feels far too much like an advert for the main pair’s business not to be distracted by the many mentions of it.

[Jesse Stoddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan Sullivan is a genius in the area of entrepreneurial coaching and training. This is another short and sweet book from the world of Strategic Coach, which shares great principles and mindsets to help you live healthy, wealthy, and wise.

[Kristijonas Vasiliauskas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the growth mindset improving books. This is one of them. It has some commercials inside promoting authors other business but still, it is a good book. Recommend to those who are constantly looking for books on how to never stop improving your mindset.

[Diane Zhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

10 Laws of Lifetime Growth: make your
1. Future > Past
2. Learning > Experience
3. Contribution > Reward
4. Performance > Applause
5. Gratitude > Success
6. Enjoyment > Effort
7. Cooperation > Status
8. Confidence > Comfort
9. Purpose > Money
10. Questions > Answers

[Fanni Melles · Rating 5 out of 5]

These laws help me to concentrate on growing in personal and professional life alike - easy to understand, although challenging to follow - not as challenging than living a not-growing life, so quite balanced for me! Thank for this summary!

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really aligns with my ethics and mode of living. It isn't about money or prestige or climbing any kind of ladder but defining growth better for ourselves and not compromising our own morality or what we owe to others in order to achieve that growth.

[Nopadol Rompho · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about how we can make our future bigger than our past. It is how we grow. Good book and easy to read.

[Eliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timeless principles.

[Joel Stockstill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great concept

I really enjoyed this book. The concept is great but the actual breakdown of material is a little less than desired.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. I read it a few times and will probably read it again!

[Asteria · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

Worth every penny! Timeless laws for lifeitme growth. This book needs more 5 star reviews! Looking forward to read more materials from Dan Sullivan

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about getting things in order, planning where you want to get to and what you need to do to get there.

Of course the bigger outcome is who you need to become to get there.

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting

[Brad Bevers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skippable if you have read just a couple business self-help books.

[Micha Goebig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty basic. Didn’t hold my attention so I just skimmed through it.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would highly recommend this to readers who aren’t already living growth-filled lives. Otherwise, not much new information but it’s a short book so it makes a good reminder.

[Torridzheng · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some good advice, but the examples are too repetitive.