Success by 1000 Cuts by Hamish Armstrong
If there’s one thing I’ve learned through coaching, writing, and life itself, it’s that meaningful change is never sudden it’s shaped through consistency, discomfort, and intention. That’s exactly what Success by 1000 Cuts is about. This isn’t just a book it’s a wake-up call dressed in real talk, with a side of humour, sweat, and honest soul-searching.
The Core Concept: Micro-Cuts That Compound
Hamish Armstrong flips the painful metaphor of "death by a thousand cuts" on its head. Instead of slow destruction, he gives us life by a thousand micro-wins. The idea is simple but powerful:Success doesn’t happen through one big leap but it is possible only through a thousand small decisions, disciplines, and mindset shifts.The book is divided into 6 main parts:
- Life Navigation – Finding your purpose and setting SENTs (Scary, Exciting, Nightmarish Targets)
- Mindset – Understanding and reprogramming how we think
- People – Building meaningful relationships, including with yourself
- Success System – Practical tools: time, health, money, productivity, fitness, and more
- Conclusion and Tools – Reflections and summaries
- Free Resources – Linked through his website for ongoing reference
What I Loved?
Practical and Actionable
This book is a toolbox. At the end of each chapter, there are “Cuts to Success” tiny, doable tasks that push you out of complacency and into action. You’ll be asked to reflect on your billion-dollar life, confront your excuses, and write out backup plans (Plan B and C) for life’s curveballs.
Authenticity Over Perfection
Hamish isn’t trying to be your guru. He tells you straight: he’s not special. But what he is, is intentional. And he’s done the work building a successful career, failing forward with a startup, finishing an Ironman, staying fit, and helping others do the same. He openly shares his mistakes, insights, and practical lessons with humility and humour.
New Frameworks That Stick
The idea of SENTs (Scary, Exciting, Nightmarish Targets) was gold for me. Unlike fluffy goals, SENTs are gritty, ambitious, and uncomfortable; exactly what growth requires. They make you sweat before you begin, and that’s the point.
Holistic Success
Health, sleep, communication, time, investing, friendships, self-talk, fitness—it’s all here. If you’re tired of surface-level self-help, you’ll find depth here without academic jargon.
My Personal Takeaway
This book is not about becoming perfect, it’s about becoming aligned. It helped me pause and re-evaluate whether I was living a cheaper version of my dream life or just surviving day to day. It reminded me that:
Change doesn’t require miracles. It requires commitment to the right cuts, every day.
As a lifestyle coach, I see so many people searching for “one big fix.” But what Hamish offers is a lens, a system, and a challenge: to build a life worth living; one cut at a time.
Rating: 4.3 / 5
Best for: Independent thinkers, personal development junkies, high-performers ready to slow down and recalibrate.
Not ideal for: Readers sensitive to profanity, or those looking for a quick-fix approach. The book, while refreshingly honest, may not suit all readers due to its raw language and frequent profanity. Some chapters feel overly dense or repetitive, particularly around themes like the difficulty of change. Additionally, the examples largely reflect a Western, entrepreneurial male perspective.
Closing Thought
You don’t need a magic formula. You need movement. This book helps you start exactly where you are, with honesty, humour, and a clear call to action.
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