Retirement these days is less about relaxing in a rocking chair and more about tackling a bucket list filled with bold adventures. But what if you didn't have to wait until your sunset years to start chasing audacious dreams? In his wake-up call of a book Be Obsessed or Be Average, Grant Cardone makes the case that ordinary is overrated. Life is meant to be extraordinary. According to Cardone, playing it safe by putting your ambitions on the back burner is no way to live if you want to achieve greatness, whether personally or professionally. The only thing standing in the way for most people is fear - fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of the unknown. But once you tap into an obsessed mindset and passionately pursue your goals, you can transform fear into fuel for success. 

Brimming with unorthodox ideas  and an infectious obsession for excellence, Cardone's guide promises to shake you out of complacency. If you're tired of settling for mediocrity and are truly ready to unlock your limitless potential, Be Obsessed or Be Average will inspire you to dream bigger, want more, do greater, and never stop reaching.

Cardone argues that chasing greatness demands ignoring typical advice and getting obsessive.

Can you imagine spending every day after retirement just golfing or watching TV? As depressing as that sounds, it's highly likely that you'll end up just like that. Wanna know how? Many people set a goal early on, achieve it, and then lose their drive and purpose, ending up right in front of that TV. Instead, don’t you want to jump out of bed, fueled by grand goals that your obsessions give you? We're not talking about small dreams, but monumental purposes that feel part of your destiny. An exceptional life like that requires limitless obsession. So, what do you do when reaching that first objective takes less time than expected? You're past the starting line. The question now is: how do you keep up the momentum? How can you resist the temptation to just lounge in a hammock? The key is keeping your obsession fresh to set bolder, bigger targets. Wrote a book? Now pen a series! Mastered an instrument? Compose a symphony! Go wild!

Cardone serves as an inspiration here. He once set his obsession on owning 100 apartments. Soon after achieving that, did he relax? No way! His obsession compelled him to set a new aim for 500 units. And as of today, he owns 4,500! Crazy, right? But that’s what happens when you follow your obsession with ambition. 

Here’s a thought to spark renewed obsession: If you had unlimited time and money, imagine what grand purposes could you work towards! How you could positively transform communities by supporting new schools, hospitals and homeless shelters. Or ensure financial security for generations to come. Obsessive goals centered on helping others often bring the deepest reward.

So never settle. Stay hungry and curious. Let your obsession fuel ever-higher purpose. Can you imagine the exceptional life possible if obsession never runs dry?

We can hear you asking - wait, you're telling us to set all these huge goals without a solid plan? Doesn't that seem kinda unrealistic? Fair critique, but Cardone has an answer!

When's the best time to start that business you've been dreaming about? Or going on that vacation? Or finally learn to play the guitar? The answer: NOW! Stop waiting for the perfect moment, because it doesn't exist! 

Successful people don't sit around overanalyzing if they're ready. Nope! They just think big and dive in headfirst. Figuring it out as they go. Take Apple for example. Do you think Steve Jobs waited until the iPhone was totally bug-free before launching it? Hell no! He knew being first to market with innovative tech was more important than perfection. And it paid off big time!  Notice how Jobs didn't just aim to make a pretty good smartphone - he wanted to completely revolutionize mobile tech. And he delivered it. When it comes to chasing big goals, you gotta aim impossibly high. Shoot for the moon, reach for the stars type of high! This forces you to stretch, hustle and level up to have any chance of making them happen. An example? When Robert Kraft bought the New England Patriots in 1995, they were straight up struggling. Now, did he set tiny, cautious goals? Nope! He came in hot, promising to win the Super Bowl. You think that didn't light a fire under the players? They brought 110% effort to make that championship vision happen. And they've won 5 Super Bowls with Kraft running the show! From zero to billions!

Moral is: aim HIGH, take big swings and bet on yourself to figure it out. Even billionaires can't predict how they'll win big. But they set audacious goals and then hustle to achieve them. And so should you!

Now, this path can seem scary. But it also means you're right where you need to be!

When your business starts taking off, you gotta brace for some haters. No matter what you do, you'll always have someone talking trash. Annoying, but that's just the way it is. But here's the thing: When you're obsessed with an idea, the haters almost act like fuel, intensifying your desire to prove them wrong. 

Sure, reading “I hope your stupid business fails!!” never feels great. But over time, seeing that stuff bounce off you is empowering. You’re not so easily shaken. Consider it emotional weight training! Who doesn’t have that one bully from middle school imprinted in their memory? As awful as they seemed, they hardened us for obstacles to come. Our adult hater situation is the same. So, dealing with heated criticism and full-on trolling from someone behind the safety of their screens can actually make you more resilient. And here's another advantage. By recognizing both the potential value and limitations of your critiques, you can harness all that extra motivation and energy without losing sight of your own vision. The haters just might fuel the next big breakthrough - even if it's despite their best efforts!

And see the bigger picture here. Haters mean you got attention. The more you ruffle feathers and disrupt the status quo, the more backlash you’ll see. If nobody cared, nobody would hate, right? So next time some random person leaves a snarky comment, smile. Their irritation is proof you matter. Then imagine all the curious onlookers being drawn in. That's right, folks! All that criticism doubles as free marketing! No such thing as bad publicity, right? 

Besides, when you anticipate the inevitable critics and competitors, you deny them the upper hand. So stay prepared! On that note, also stay prepared for civil wars because obsession's biggest threat can come from within.