The Slight Edge

The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness
by Jeff Olsen is one of the best books I’ve read recently. The premise is that instead of success, wealth, great health, (insert any desire or goal) being some big sudden thing that happens as a result of some huge event or happening; the actual path to success (as you define it) is simply a series of small steps that you do every single day. According to The Slight Edge, the difference long term is that one extra bite that you either could take or not take; the extra block you might run when you just don’t feel like it; the extra 10 minutes you get from the snooze button when you could sleep more instead. Olsen states that the difference between success and “failure” (or lack of success) is a culmination of small, seemingly inconsequential, daily decisions – that at the time seem like they wouldn’t make any difference at all.

I try to apply The Slight Edge. In fact, just yesterday in our recent heat and humidity, I cut my run short, and I knew for the rest of the day that I’d taken just that little bit away from my fitness goals.

Here’s my latest and greatest Slight Edge application. We have started a piggy bank for Valentina. Today I started a bank account for her. Every time we accumulate loose change, we put it in the piggy. Every time I get a single $1 note, I put it in a special tin for her. Sometimes I put some $5’s and $10’s in there too.

Today, I counted her singles and we have $100, and another $80 in $5 and $10 notes. I went to the bank to start her own savings account. I also set my “keep the change” (a savings feature offered by Bank of America where they round up all my purchases on my checking account, and deposit the difference in my savings account) – to dump into her account and not mine.

By the time she’s 16 I’m confident there will be enough accrued to buy her her first car! My dad, in his typical fashion, has named the pig “The Mercedes Pig”! In reality, it might be “The Toyota Pig”. But none-the-less, it feels good to be putting little bits away now for our daughters future, that are so small they don’t hurt on a day-to-day basis, but over 16 years with compounded interest, will no doubt make a difference.

To get more out of every day without any huge commitment, read The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness!!