Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines Into Massive Success and Happiness Hardcover – 1 Jan. 2013

I have been a student of Personal Development for a while and I have read many books that talk about how 'this ancient secret will transform your life in an instant' or 'meditate on the things you want and supernaturally they appear'. These books do not give practical, tangible solutions and leave many readers frustrated with only the author 'growing rich and happy' at the readers literal expense.This book however is a rarity and potentially one of the best books I have ever read.Jeff Olson writes this book in a succinct, clear and down to Earth way. He's obviously a millionaire but what I particular like about this book is that he does not shove it down your throat ever 2 lines.So what is The Slight Edge? The premise of the book is simple: There is an invisible force that is evoked with every single decision and action that we take, good or bad, big or small. This force is never in neutral so if we constantly make loads of good decisions daily, this will lead us to wealth, happiness and success in our lives or if we make loads of minor errors in our daily routines, given enough time, this will compound into financial meltdown, potentially poor health and general misery.Common sense so far right? But not common practice! What Jeff Olson argues is that societies around the world have been bamboozled into thinking that success is this instantaneous, miraculous, mystical event that only happens to a select few lucky people but when you really take a closer a look at people whom are successful and stay successful, it's the many, many tiny disciplines that they have fostered in their daily routine that have compounded over time to get them to top and vice-versa for tragic failures.Olson believes that the reason why many diets are abandoned, businesses fail, relationships gradually erode is that it's not that the actions are wrong i.e exercise and eat more vegetables but it's this insidious 'hollywood' belief of instant results/massive action that stops 'The Slight Edge' from kicking in. Olson believes in a more measured, manageable approach by developing the right belief systems and disciplines will over time get you the life you want.This book is as much about giving you that philosophy as it is about giving you the action steps. What makes this book so great is it's simplicity - there are several 'aha' moments in the book and I found that it really challenged my belief system to why certain results keep appearing in my life. There are not many books I will read more than twice but this book, is definitely in my 'keep referring to' list. I have already seen some changes in my life following these deceivingly simple principles.If you have the patience, the openness and the willingness to follow very simple and small positive disciplines then I believe this book may potentially change your life. It has mine.Enjoy!

The central theme of the book is that simple daily disciplines repeated consistently add up to success or failure.I came away from reading this book understanding that seemingly inconsequential tasks actually have a lot more meaning than I thought and it’s important to stay disciplined at all times to succeed in life. Or to put it another way: To create extraordinary results you must be extraordinarily disciplined.Most people make the mistake of thinking the small and seemingly insignificant actions like going to the gym, saving money or eating the right foods do not make a difference but the reality is that the impact of these actions accumulates over time to determine your successfulness (or lack thereof).I did find this book quite repetitive but I enjoyed spending the time reinforcing the very important core idea and so I didn’t mind so much. There’s also some good stories and real world examples that I found valuable.Here are some of the key ideas that I took away from the book:• Anyone can make a success of themselves if they realise the correct actions to take• At the root of all success is your attitude. You must have a positive proactive mindset and not expect favours from the world• Your daily habits accumulate to make the difference between success and failure• You must be taking the right actions every day to achieve success• Although these small actions might seem insignificant at the time they accumulate to create success or failure• Time is your friend. Take the right mundane steps every day and your success will accumulate• “The big break” is a futile concept. Success results from taking the right actions every day and time will take care of the rest• Happiness is directly linked to doing the right actions every day which creates success and happiness. Not the other way around• Be careful of the words you use, these are part of your daily habits that impact your success• Here are some habits that will create success and happiness: be grateful, journal, meditate, exercise and be kindLiving the slight edge• Only 1 in 20 people are successful (95% unsuccessful !)• Every day you are in motion towards success or failure• You must learn from reading AND DOING.• If you want to succeed then choose someone who has mastered the skill you’re learning• You will become the average of your 5 closest associates• Build the habit of completing tasks. It will build momentum and help you move forward• Make sure you’re building the right habits

This book does not contain information that is new or outrageous. It’s not fancy or com0licated, in fact I would go so far as to say it’s the opposite. It’s simple. It’s easy to read. It feels... normal.Yet it’s littered with stories, quotes and wisdom, which is enlightening, transformative (if acknowledged as such and used accordingly) and it’s a book I can say I would never regret reading.As I was going through the pages, it truly reminded me of the different habits that have caused me to succeed or fail over the years and it helped me reflect more on what is to come.It’s a great reminder that simple often is the best way forward and that consistency really is the key.I thoroughly recommend this book. Not as a sure and fast way to success, but as a reminder that every action has a consequence and so being positive, consistent and thoughtful about our actions really does reap benefits in the long run.Thank you for the reminder Jeff and all the more success to you in the future!