How To Buy A House With A Paperclip
| January 5, 2014 | Posted by Barnaby under Self-Improvement |
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Not long ago, a Canadian named Kyle McDonald wondered about the power of bartering.
More specifically, he wondered just how far you could go by “trading up” a little bit at a time, starting with something that had practically no value at all.
So he started his experiment with a simple red paperclip. He traded that red paperclip for a fish-shaped pen. Then, he traded the fish-shaped pen for a hand-sculpted doorknob. Then he traded the doorknob for a Coleman camp stove. And so on…
About a year later, Kyle he made his last trade … for a two-story farmhouse in Kipling, Saskatchewan. Total investment? One red paperclip.
You can read about all his trades by Googling Kyle McDonald or the Red Paperclip Project. But here’s the point…
It’s not so much about what he was able to get for his red paperclip. But how he did it. A little bit at a time. The process of gradualization.
Gradualization has been called the most powerful force in the universe. And when you think about it, you can see why.
Gradualization is the amazing, almost-unstoppable power of little steps over time. It’s how the Colorado River carved the mighty Grand Canyon over millions of years. It’s how you eat a proverbial elephant: one bite at a time. It’s how you accomplish monumental tasks that seem impossible at first.
Gradualization can also work against you. Think of how empires have collapsed. Rome wasn’t built in a day … nor did it collapse in a day. It happened gradually.
Think about the American empire. Many people believe that America is crumbling … not because of some cataclysmic event … but because of a series of small events that are gradually eroding the fabric of American society and the lifestyle that Americans have come to expect.
Think about your own life. Think of how a single bad habit, like eating too many carbs or baked goods, can gradually build up 5-10 lbs. of extra weight around your belly. One day, it suddenly “appears.” Or how clutter can gradually build up in every nook and cranny of your house until one day, you’re faced with the overwhelming job of getting rid of it all.
The power of gradualization can work wonders – for or against you. No one points that out better than author Jeff Olson in his book,The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness
Olson points out that just one simple step, repeated daily and consistently, over time … can help you accomplish almost anything you want. In your career, your relationships, your health, your finances and much more.
The trouble is, it’s just as easy not to do these simple daily steps. Because the results are never immediate or visible. They’re hidden, because they’re so gradual.
If you want the secret to creating simple daily steps that will help you accomplish amazing things in 2014 and beyond, take a look at The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness
In fact, one of Olson’s best suggestions is to simply read 10 pages of a life-changing, life-affirming book every day. How easy is that? Yet how often do we do it?
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