People are constantly looking to improve themselves – which is why the “self-help” industry is a $9.6 billion industry. Everyone wants an answer for how to improve themselves and their businesses. Is there a secret formula?
What if I told you there was? What if I told you that there’s a way for you to succeed in life and in your business? This secret is called the slight edge and comes from a book called (surprise) “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson.
The Slight Edge
Just a quick disclaimer: Although I’m going to share some key points from this book that can help you on your progressive journey, it really won’t do justice to the book itself. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend reading this book. It can change your life.
What is the Slight Edge?
The slight edge is what sets you apart from others. It’s consistent effort compounded over and over, eventually resulting in success. There’s a good story that Jeff Olson shares that really drives this point home. I’m going to summarize it.
There was a wealthy man who had two sons. He was nearing the end of his life and wanted to give them a gift. So he brought his sons in and offered them two different purses – the choice was theirs.
One purse had 1,000 $1,000 bills – one million dollars cash. The other held a penny. His instructions to them were this, ” I offer the same choice to you both. This million dollars; or this single penny. Whichever you choose, you must leave it in your purse under my butler’s care for one full month to give you time to think about how you will use it. Whatever you do not take will be returned to my estate, which I’ll leave to charity… If you choose the million, you may, if you wish, draw against it as credit with my bank in town. If you choose the penny, you can also draw against it, but every day you choose to leave the penny’s line of credit untouched, my butler has instructions to double the contents of your purse, for as long as it is under his care.”
The next day one son chose the cash and the other chose the penny.
The brother who chose the million dollars hired several different advisers, analysts and experts to help him grow his money and started to invest it. The other brother didn’t touch his penny at all.
After the month the brother who chose the million dollars received news that his investments had grown to $1.5 million, but the expenses of investing and hiring his team of people exceeded the total amount. Instead of being rich, he owed $250,000.
In turn, the other brother received his purse that he had not touched. The contents had been doubled everyday for the entire month. His purse now held over $10 million.
Just as compound interest can result in a fortune (with TIME), compound effort can result in success. This is what the slight edge is all about.
Most people want a quick, easy fix. They want their problem to be solved right now with minimal effort. Sorry to break it to you, but that’s not how real life works.
There is no easy fix. That’s called fiction. It takes consistent effort on your part.
Although there are differing beliefs on what the true meaning of success is, Jeff Olson describes it as the “progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” Success is something that you’re constantly working toward. You don’t all-of-a-sudden arrive at success, you’ll experience it here and there, over time.
As you’re working toward this, you’re not likely to see results right away – it may be further down the road. But that doesn’t mean what you’re doing isn’t helping you progress.
Keys to the Slight Edge – How to Apply it
Start now! The perfect time to do something never comes. You have to do it now. As Jeff Olson says, “It’s never too late to start. It’s always too late to wait.” So start doing those few push-ups and sit ups every day. Start eating vegetables every day. Start writing down five things you’re grateful for every day. Start saving money every month.
The small, everyday actions that lead to success are easy to do, but they’re also easy to not do. Eating vegetables everyday is easy to do, but it’s also easy to not do. Telling your family you love them everyday is easy to do, but it’s also easy to not do. Saving a little bit of your paycheck every month is easy to do, but it’s also easy to not do.
TIME is key! It’s either working for you or against you. Here’s Jeff Olson’s formula for success:
consistently repeated daily actions + time = inconquerable results
“You supply the actions,” he says “the universe will supply the time. The trick is to choose the actions that, when multiplied by this universal amplifier, will yield the result you want. To position your everyday actions so time works for you, and not against you.”
So, what does this mean for you? It’s really how you take it. Are there actions you know you could be doing to improve your business, to improve your relationships (business and personal), or to improve yourself?
Like I said, this little summary of the slight edge is very minimal, but maybe it can give you a little motivation to do something different. Start working your way to success.
Again, I highly suggest that you get this book and read it yourself. It will be one of your best investments and will help you on the road to success. I’ll even make it easy for you: CLICK HERE to get it on Amazon.
