What is the main message of The Charge?

The main message of The Charge is to live life fully and make the most of each day.

How long does it take to read The Charge?

The reading time for The Charge varies depending on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Who is the author of The Charge?

The author of The Charge is Brendon Burchard.

Motivation & Inspiration

The Charge Book Summary - The Charge Book explained in key points

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The Charge summary

Name: The Charge
Rating: 4.4 (105 reviews)
Author: Brendon Burchard

Brendon Burchard

Activating the 10 Human Drives That Make You Feel Alive

4.4 (105 ratings)

27 mins

Brief summary

The Charge by Brendon Burchard is a motivational book that teaches readers how to live an extraordinary life. It provides practical tools and strategies to help individuals tap into their potential and create a life of fulfillment and purpose.

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Table of Contents

The Charge
Summary of 11 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 11

What’s in it for me? Live a charged life by activating the ten human drives!

Do you ever feel as though your life is living you? You wake up, and you have no say in what your day will look like – it’s already all mapped out. You just eat, work, eat, work, eat, sleep, repeat. And on the weekend, you’re too burned out to do much more than watch TV and catch up on sleep.

Well, it’s time for a drastic change. Even if you’re relatively content with your life, and only occasionally wonder what it would have been like to pursue your dreams full-throttle, it’s time for a new outlook.

Instead of feeling like you live in a cage that’s merely comfortable, start living a charged life – the only lifestyle that will bring you lasting happiness and long-term fulfillment.

Luckily, it’s by no means impossible to get there. All you have to do is activate the ten human drives, which is exactly what these blinks will teach you how to do.

In these blinks, you’ll also find out

the difference between a goal and a challenge;
how creative you are; and
how to be who you think you are.

There are three types of life you can lead: caged, comfortable or charged.

What constitutes a fulfilled life in your eyes? Is it working a well-paying job, owning a house with a white picket fence and taking the kids to the beach on Sundays? Well, that’s what society would typically have you believe – that happiness is the sum of a materialistic equation. But society’s math is faulty.

Indeed, living a life prescribed by others is like living in a cage. And the bars of the cage are erected early on.

When we’re young, our caregivers reward the development of certain attributes, such as self-discipline and ambitiousness, by accepting us and giving us affection. In adulthood, we continue to seek those same rewards by following similar rules. We do what others expect us to do, and work the kind of job that would make our parents proud.

We may be unhappy. We may feel limited and unfulfilled. But we still won’t break out of the cage, because we fear losing what we’ve worked so hard to gain: acceptance.

Now, some of us don’t feel utterly caged. We’re comfortable, living what society calls the “good life”: a nice house, a nice spouse and a nice paycheck at the end of each nice month.

We’re thankful for all this, but, deep down, questions nag: Is this really what I want? Am I missing out on something better?

Like our caged comrades, we long for self-realization. But instead of pursuing it, we count our blessings and convince ourselves that we’re content.

Then there are those who live the charged life. Let’s simply call them chargers.

They feel unhindered by others’ expectations, and they’re unconcerned about the so-called “good life.” Their world overflows with possibility, and they follow their own path through it, pursuing their own happiness.

If you’ve been living the comfortable or the caged life, it’s time to learn how to be a charger.

Take control of your approach to life and work.

Regardless of whether your life is caged, comfortable or charged, one thing is certain: you’re seeking happiness. And it’s a simple fact that people living charged lives are happier.

That’s because they’ve activated the ten human drives.

Competence is scarce these days, so you should work on yours.

Did you ever have a teacher who seemed capable of explaining anything? What about a coworker who could deal with any work-related problem? Such people are as inspirational as they are rare, and that’s because they embody the second baseline drive: competence.

Competence is a threefold ability. It means you can understand, perform and, eventually, master whatever you decide to undertake. If you know that you can do these three things, even the most daunting of challenges will no longer seem insurmountable.

Attain positive congruence between your self-image and your actions by setting standards for yourself.

You get home after work, eat dinner with your partner, get in bed and, when you’re about to turn off the light, your partner says, “You didn’t even remember.” It’s your anniversary, and you’ve forgotten again. Or you’re explaining to your crying son that you’ll take him to the zoo next week, because – oops – you scheduled an after-work meeting and totally forgot about your family outing.

If you’re striving to be a better partner or a better parent, you’ll need to activate the third baseline drive, congruence, which is what brings your actions in line with your self-image and the person you’re aspiring to be.

Care for yourself and be receptive to the care others give you.

We all long to feel accepted, and we all crave attention and affection. And the only way to have these needs met is to receive the care of another person.

Care is the fourth baseline drive, and it functions as both an emotional compass and anchor, guiding how we act around others as well as connecting us to them.

Forge deep connections with others.

Humans are social animals. We need people with whom we can share our thoughts and feelings, from our sadness about a recent fight with our parents to our excitement about an upcoming first date. But we can’t confide our innermost feelings to just anyone; it has to be someone to whom we feel deeply connected.

If you want to activate the fifth baseline drive and forge connections, then you need to be crystal clear about what you expect a relationship to look like.

Stay positive in the face of change and be clear about your goals.

Now that you’re familiar with the baseline drives, let’s move on to the next five drives – the forward drives, which are about living into the future and fulfilling your dreams.

The first one is change.

Challenge yourself and don’t fear the judgment of others.

Maybe you’ve pushed your physical limits and managed to run a marathon. Or maybe you’ve challenged your intellect and written an A+ midterm essay. All of us have faced difficult tasks, and most of us are familiar with the extremely satisfying feeling of rising to a challenge and overcoming it. Well, that’s what the seventh drive – challenge – is all about.

Before we get down to brass tacks, however, we’ve got to differentiate between challenges and goals.

Assess your creativity and work on improving it.

Every child is creative. Whether it’s painting with watercolors, singing songs or simply making sandcastles on the beach, creative endeavors are something children are innately drawn to. But when did you last build a sandcastle or burst into spontaneous song?

The eighth drive, creative expression, usually peters out when we hit adulthood, which is too bad because it comes with many benefits – both personal and professional.

Contribute to a meaningful cause by following your passion and interests.

If you could choose, would you rather work at a shoe outlet or at an institute dedicated to cancer research? Well, if you’re like most people, you want your work to have meaning. You want to feel that, by working there, you’re giving back to the world. So you’d probably choose curing cancer over peddling kicks.

But activating the ninth drive, contribution, doesn’t necessarily entail seeking employment at a laudable organization; it can simply mean doing something you enjoy.

Improve consciousness by focusing on your thoughts and appreciating life’s wonders.

What does it mean to be conscious? Is it to completely occupy the current moment, to experience our surroundings with our senses and to enjoy complete self-awareness? Well, yes – but that’s thought consciousness, and it’s only one side of the consciousness coin.

There’s also transcendent consciousness, the feeling that we’re surrounded by a greater something, an energy that connects all life and even holds together the universe itself. For arguably all of human history, we’ve sought both kinds of consciousness, the tenth and final drive.

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What is The Charge about?

The Charge (2012) explains how to activate the human drives that lead to happiness. These blinks clearly lay out what you need to do to feel confident, grounded, energized and prepared for any challenge, providing helpful tips on how to do it.

The Charge Review

The Charge (2012) by Brendon Burchard is a book that uncovers the keys to living a charged life and reaching our full potential. Here's why this book is worth reading:

Packed with actionable strategies and practical exercises, it empowers readers to ignite their own personal power and create a life of success and fulfillment.
Backed by extensive research, personal stories, and examples from successful individuals, the book provides a roadmap for unlocking motivation, engagement, and achievement.
With its insightful perspectives on achieving personal excellence and living a purpose-driven life, it captivates readers, ensuring that boredom is never a concern.

Best quote from The Charge

Chargers are optimistic about the future, and that optimism works like a magnet, drawing that desired future to them.

—Brendon Burchard

Who should read The Charge?

Anyone who wants to change their life for the better
Life coaches looking for motivational strategies
Psychology students

About the Author

Brendon Burchard, founder of the High Performance Academy, is an American author and motivational trainer. His other books include The Millionaire Messenger and High Performance Habits.

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