Podcast Summary: The Greg McKeown Podcast

Episode 133: Why 10X Is Easier Than 2X with Dr. Benjamin Hardy (Part 2)
Date: September 22, 2022
Host: Greg McKeown
Guest: Dr. Benjamin Hardy

Episode Overview

This episode explores the counterintuitive claim that pursuing goals that are ten times bigger (10x) is easier—and ultimately more transformative—than striving for incremental or doubled (2x) progress. Greg McKeown and Dr. Benjamin Hardy delve into the concept of "10x thinking," drawing on historical examples (notably Michelangelo), theories of transformation, actionable insights, and their own experiences. The episode is rich in stories, practical frameworks, and actionable advice for listeners seeking to radically upgrade their personal or professional trajectories without burning out.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Michelangelo Analogy: 10x Jumps as Transformational Leaps

[03:28–10:11]

• Dr. Hardy opens with an in-depth retelling of Michelangelo's life as a case study in repeated 10x leaps—from his apprenticeship at the Medici palace to sculpting masterpieces like the Pietà and David, and ultimately painting the Sistine Chapel.

• Insight: Each leap required Michelangelo to discard much of his previous approach, learn at a new depth, and transform his identity as an artist.

• Quote:

  "I just take away everything that's not David...every time you want to go for 10x, you do it by taking away everything that's not the 10x."
  — Dr. Benjamin Hardy [03:36]

• Michelangelo repeatedly faced ambitions so great that his current capabilities were insufficient. The pursuit led to obsessive learning (e.g., anatomical dissections) and repeated personal reinvention.

2. The Nature of 10x vs. 2x: Transformation vs. Incrementalism

[10:11–16:44]

• Contrast defined:
  • 2x Thinking: "A continuance of who you are"—doing more of the same, only harder and a little better.
  • 10x Thinking: Requires total transformation of both methods and identity—most of what works for 2x becomes irrelevant.
• Greg’s Car-Washing Analogy:
  • "2x is wash more cars… 10x might be own the car shop." [16:49]
  • 10x demands letting go of most current activities, enabling radical focus.

3. Why 10x Is (Counterintuitively) Easier Than 2x

[18:03–22:00]

• 2x growth allows you to continue most of your current activities, leading to busyness and split attention; 10x growth forces clarity, simplification, and essentialism.
• Constraint Theory Insight:
  • Dr. Hardy relays a story from Dr. Alan Bernard, highlighting that aiming for small improvements offers infinite options (and thus, confusion), while pursuing 10x eliminates almost all old strategies, making essential actions stand out.
• Quote:

  "To go 10 times, almost nothing you're doing right now would get you there anytime soon. And so it forces a lot more honesty."
  — Dr. Benjamin Hardy [19:48]

4. Actionable Frameworks: 80/20 Principle and Essential Focus

[22:00–23:58]

• Applying the 80/20 Rule:
  • 2x Goals: Retain 80% of current activities.
  • 10x Goals: Identify and focus on the most impactful 20%—eliminate the rest.
• Actionable Question:

  "What is the 20% that would scale to 10x? What’s the 80% that's holding me back?"
  — Dr. Benjamin Hardy [22:48]

5. Visualization and Making 10x Tangible

[23:58–26:37]

• Greg suggests drawing (literally) what a 10x life would look like in work, relationships, or any area.
• Over time, this “impossible” picture becomes plausible, then likely, and finally realized—paralleling how major transformation is actualized.
• Quote:

  "The whole point is that it’s unrealistic...look at it every day until that idea goes from being absurd, impossible, unimaginable, terrifying to...probable and then done."
  — Greg McKeown [25:26]

6. 10x as Qualitative, Not Just Quantitative

[26:37–30:30]

• 10x transformation is not just numerical growth; it is a qualitative leap—changing routines, environments, or mindsets that fundamentally alter lived experience.
• Example: Hardy’s personal story of moving offices, which significantly improved his quality of life and work.
• Listeners are encouraged to look back and identify their own 10x moments—periods of growth when life became fundamentally better.

7. The Maintenance Trap and Continual Transformation

[30:30–31:34]

• When growth slows or stops, individuals risk “maintenance mode.”
• The antidote: Recapture the learning spirit of past breakthroughs; focus on the future, which holds even greater potential.

8. 2x Is Bad for Your Brain; Simplify Before You Multiply

[31:34–33:54]

• Dan Sullivan (Hardy’s co-author) says that 2x is “bad for your brain” because:
  • It keeps you doing too many mediocre activities (the 80%) and stunts excitement and learning.
  • True progress requires stripping away the old—“simplify before you multiply.”
• Quote:

  "You can’t multiply 20 things. You have to go down to like the one or two that matter. And those are the things you scale to 10x…"
  — Dr. Benjamin Hardy [32:35]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Artistic Mastery:
  "I just take away everything that's not David."
  — Michelangelo, cited by Dr. Benjamin Hardy [03:36]

• On Quality of Transformation:
  "The goal was so big that he just realized his current capability wouldn’t get there…that led him down the path of mastery."
  — Dr. Benjamin Hardy [06:33]

• On Essentialism and Constraints:
  "Is it essential?"
  — Greg McKeown [21:18]

• On 10x Mindset:
  "What is the 20% that would scale to 10x? What's the 80% that's holding me back?"
  — Dr. Benjamin Hardy [22:48]

• On the Draw/Visualize Exercise:
  "Draw out what that 10x life would be like…don't worry about whether it's realistic or not."
  — Greg McKeown [25:22]

• On Past 10x Jumps:
  "At some point, a person goes from these fundamental transformations where they can do things they couldn't do before to just kind of coasting and that's where they've shifted to 2x."
  — Dr. Benjamin Hardy [28:40]

• On Simplifying for Real Growth:
  "You have to simplify before you multiply."
  — Dr. Benjamin Hardy [32:35]

• On Maintenance vs. Growth:
  "If you’re not going for it, then you’ve probably lost that purpose and you’re in a maintenance mode."
  — Dr. Benjamin Hardy [33:36]

Suggested Timestamps for Important Segments

• Michelangelo’s Story as 10x Example: [03:28–10:11]
• Defining 10x vs 2x: [10:11–16:44]
• Why 10x Is Easier (Constraint Theory): [18:03–22:00]
• 80/20 Rule & Essentialism in 10x: [22:00–23:58]
• Visualization Exercise for 10x: [23:58–26:37]
• Personal Qualitative Jumps: [26:37–30:30]
• Recapturing Transformation & Avoiding Plateau: [30:30–31:34]
• 2x Is Bad for Your Brain, Simplify to Multiply: [31:34–33:54]

Conclusion and Takeaways

Greg and Ben make a compelling case that 10x thinking, while daunting, creates clarity and transformation by forcing you to strip away what is nonessential, focus on the vital few, and actively reinvent yourself. The call to listeners:

• Identify your own 10x aspiration
• Distinguish the essential 20% of your actions
• Visualize your next major leap
• Continually simplify to multiply your impact

Final Note:
"2x is bad for your brain. 10x is simpler, more transformative, and way more exciting. If you’re not going for it, you’re just maintaining."

For more on 10x thinking, look for Dr. Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan’s upcoming book, and revisit Greg McKeown’s "Essentialism" and "Effortless."