The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness

If it were up to me, every teenager in America would be required to read this book. Like most great reads it is well organized and flows from one topic to the next. Some may say that the advice given in this book is common sense and it is; though it is presented in a way that I believe spurs you into action. The steps to follow are easy, practical and will actually make a real positive difference in your life. I applied most of the lessons of this book this year and it has lead to less stress, greater health (considerable improvements in blood work with a leaner and healthier body) more enjoyment of life and deeper relationships particularly with my spouse. Whether or not a book is meaningful to you depends often on where you are in your life. Many of us have had a book recommended to us by someone, read it and thought ehhh it wasn't that great. However, I cannot imagine that someone would read this book and not come away with a changed perspective and tools to enhance the quality of your life whether it is your health, your finances, your relationships, etc. If you don't read this book, you are missing out on a wonderful opportunity to learn how to become better than you were the day before.

This is such a an amazing book to read and implement in your life. No matter where you stand at the moment in life, this will give you that spark, it'll make you 'hungry for more', it'll push you to take that first step and plan to start so you can take charge of your life. 'Find your penny and start doubling it!!

Bought it for a friend. One of my favorite books. Listening to it on Audible for the 3rd time now. Motivates anyone to take control and make the best out of life. The book is hard cover, very nice looking.

I learned about this book while reading "Happy at Any Cost: The Revolutionary Vision and Fatal Quest of Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh". Tony recommended this book to many friends and employees. (Yes, I know that his story didn't end well). But, this book was easy to read and one of the more practical self help books I've read in a while. You don't feel overwhelmed by lots of advice. It helps you put things in perspective and realize the value of time and if you can do a little more each day. It's definitely a book I will continue to refer to.

Quality, well made paperback book.

The Slight Edge is the most influential book I’ve ever read. It truly changed my life. This book helped me understand that small, consistent actions can lead to extraordinary results, and it gave me a clear mindset for how to get where I want to be. After reading it, I feel confident that I can achieve anything. It completely shifted how I see challenges, success, and daily habits. Everything feels possible now because I understand the process, not just the goal. This is an incredible book and, in my opinion, one of the best personal growth books available. I believe it’s a must-read for anyone who wants to improve their life. It didn’t just motivate me—it gave me a lasting framework that truly changed my life.

It could be the shift in our thinking these days or maybe it was always like this. Taking responsibility seems to be less and less of an American trait among adults and, therefore, it will be a less likely trait of our children. As ashamed as I am to admit this, it took me over 30 years to begin to accept responsibility for my actions and for the situations I was at in life. When I did, EVERYTHING CHANGED. When the switch got flipped for me, I was reading a book a friend suggested: The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. A week before I began the book, I had just encountered what felt like a devastating blow to my business. My earnings dropped over $3,000 in just two weeks. Things were not going as I had planned. I fell far shy of the goals I had set for myself. All the time and effort I had poured into my business looked as if it had not paid off and I felt like I lost control of where I was going. So I did what most people would do… I blamed everyone except for myself. I starting pointing the finger and saying, “this person didn’t do what they were supposed to do and this person didn’t do that, etc.” To me, there were a bunch of people at fault and none were the person in the mirror. You know when you lie about something long enough, you start to believe it? Well, it works the same way when you’re blaming others long enough. The more you blame others, the easier it becomes and the more you believe it yourself. You will actually start believing it’s their fault. The problem with that is, it takes the focus off of the one person that can change the circumstances… YOU. The only person you can control is you. You can’t control other people’s actions. I prayed for things to get back on track. I expected God to just make it easy for me and reward me for the work I had already done. Well, He answered my prayers in a very clever way. He decided to answer them by forcing me to grow personally. He used the book I mentioned above. I received many great messages from that book, but if I read the book and only got this one thing out of it, it was worth the entire read. The one thing was a quote by John Burroughs that changed my life and it came right when I needed it. It read, “A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.” I posted it at the beginning of this post and now I’ll post it again below. It’s that important. A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. That quote hit my like a ton of bricks in the face. The entire week before reading that quote I had blamed everyone else for what was happening with MY business. In fact, my entire life before reading that quote I had blamed others for my circumstances. I blamed student loan companies for requiring such high payments. I blamed my law school for raising prices after I had already been attending. I did the same with my undergraduate college. I blamed my job for not paying me enough and putting me in a tough situation financially. No one had been given a raise in over 5 years because my employer was near broke and didn’t know how to manage money and because of that, I paid for it… literally. My entire life was a huge blame game until I read that quote. It changed everything for me. It’s so simple that most people won’t even see the power in its truth. Here’s the simple breakdown: I have failed many times… MANY times. You learn through failure. It’s a part of life. You show me someone who has never failed and I will show you someone who has never been successful. You reach success through failing. Although I have failed many times, I am NOT a failure. I will never be one and, therefore, I will never blame somebody else for my circumstances. I look at blaming as a form of whining now. Whenever I see someone post on social media or hear them complain about their jobs, how much debt their in, their horrible co-workers, their family, etc. I only see how much they are whining and that their focus is on everything except what it needs to be on to change things… themselves. HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS "The superior man blames himself. The inferior man blames others." - Don ShulaNo matter where you come from, no matter what situation you are in, no matter how bad of a hand you feel that life has dealt you, it’s your fault. The first time I heard a friend say that, the quote above popped in my head. He’s was right. IT IS YOUR FAULT. The good news? Well, YOU can do something about it. That’s right… YOU can and only you can. It’s a decision. That’s what it boils down to; a simple decision. You either are or you’re not going to take responsibility for your circumstances. Here’s what happened to me when I took full responsibility for my actions. I bounced back. Not only did my business get back to where it was, but it far surpassed it. Soon I was earning in two weeks what I was previously earning in one month. Not only that, I was helping other people do the same. I eliminated over $100,000 of student loan and credit card debt in under two years. My wife and I paid for our wedding in cash. We more than replaced my salary in under a year’s time and we have given ourselves the opportunity for complete time freedom for the rest of our lives. It was as simple as making a decision to turn the finger around and point it at myself. It was as simple as that. There’s a glaring truth in the book and I’ve posted it below. We are on one of two paths in life. Which one are you on? “If you want to measure where you are, if you want to know whether you’re on the success curve or on the failure curve, or if you want to assess anyone else and determine which curve they’re on, here’s how. There is one attitude, one state of mind, which overwhelmingly predominates either side of the curve. The predominant state of mind displayed by those people on the failure curve is blame. The predominant state of mind displayed by those people on the success curve is responsibility.” – The Slight Edge http://sparkinginterests.wordpress.com/2014/10/19/i-have-good-news-for-you-its-your-fault/

The Slight Edge is one the Best Books I have ever read. After reading The Slight Edge, I now understand why I am where I am in my life. The book was an easy read and simple to understand. I now know that with each step and decision I choose to take or make, how it ultimately landed me where I am now in my life. I have been making daily small steps in my life since December 26, 2015 and as Jeff Olson shares it is Easy To Do AND Easy Not To Do. In just two months I feel myself changing in my thoughts and actions. It has not been easy and I have had some challenging situations, but the difference is now that I am aware of the slight edge and how that each and every thought and action has everything to do with our future. I am working on not reacting, but responding in a positive way. I am learning and understanding that it is life and with each step and decision I make - effects my future. I have shared with my friends what I am doing and how I am working on changing my life. This Book is at the top of my positive transformation along with my health. I will purchase this book for my daughter and her friends that are in college or starting as a Freshmen in college. I will highly recommend that my colleagues purchase and share this book with their loved ones and friends!! An amazing book and I am excited to see as I move forward the positive changes to my life and my own ripple effect.