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The Slight Edge
The Slight Edge is a way of thinking, a way of processing information that enables you to make the daily choices that will lead you to the success and happiness you desire. Learn why some people make dream after dream come true, while others just continue dreaming and spend their lives building dreams for someone else. It's not just another self-help motivation tool of methods you must learn in order to travel the path to success. It shows you how to create powerful results from the simple daily activities of your life, by using tools that are already within you.In this 8th anniversary edition you'll read not only the life-changing concepts of the original book, but also learn what author Jeff Olson discovered as he continued along the slight edge path: the Secret to Happiness and the Ripple Effect.This edition of The Slight Edge isn't just the story, but also how the story continues to create life-altering dynamics—how a way of thinking, a way of processing information, can impact daily choices that will lead you to the success and happiness you desire. The Slight Edge is "the key" that will make all the other how-to books and self-help information that you read, watch and hear actually work.
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,785 reviews
January 25, 2014
I recently finished reading The Slight Edge - Secret to a Successful Life by Jeff Olson.
Below are key excerpts from the book that I found particularly insightful:
1- "The Slight Edge is not just more good information. It's not another self-help success book packed with some revolutionary "new best way" of doing things. You don't need that. Nobody needs that. All the "new and better" information is already available and has been for years. This book is designed to help you use that information. This book is what I wish will help you take whatever information you want, whatever how-to's or strategies or goals or aspiration you want."
2- "A positive philosophy turns into a positive attitude, which turns into positive actions, which turns into positive results, which turns into a positive lifestyle. A negative philosophy turns into a negative attitude, which turns into negative actions, which turns into negative results, which turns into a negative lifestyle."
3- "By and large, people are looking in the wrong places. They are looking for a breakthrough, looking for that amazing "quantum leap"—the philosophy of the craps table and roulette wheel. I don't believe they'll ever find it. I've had colossal failures, and I've had remarkable successes, and my experience is, neither one happens in quantum leaps. They happen through the Slight Edge...That the things you do every single day, the things that don't look dramatic, that don't even look like they matter, do matter. That they not only make a difference—they make all the difference."
4- "It's easy to have everything you ever wanted in your life. Every action you need to take to make any and all of your dreams come true is easy. So why is it, then, that the masses are unhappy, unhealthy and financially bound? Every action that any of these goals requires is easy to do. Here's the problem: every action that is easy to do, is also easy not to do. Why are these simple yet crucial things easy not to do? Because if you don't do them, they won't kill you ... at least, not today. You won't suffer, or fail or blow it—today. Something is easy not to do when it won't bankrupt you, destroy your career. ruin your relationships or wreck your health—today. What's more, not doing it is usually more comfortable than doing it would be. But that simple, seemingly insignificant error in judgment, compounded over time, will kill you. It will destroy you and ruin your chances for success. You can count on it. It's the Slight Edge. That's the choice you face every day, every hour: A simple, positive action, repeated over time. A simple error in judgment, repeated over time. You can always count on the Slight Edge. And unless you make it work for you, the Slight Edge will work against you."
5- "Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal. "Progressive" means success is a process, not a destination. It's something you experience gradually, over time. And here's how real success is built: by the time you get the feedback, the real work's already done. When you get to the point where everyone else can see your results, tell you what good choices you've made, notice your good fortune, slap you on the back and tell you how lucky you are, the critical Slight Edge you actually made those choices, nobody noticed but you. And even you wouldn't have noticed—unless you understood the Slight Edge. Invisible results."
6- "The right choices and wrong choices you make at the moment will have little or no noticeable impact on how your day goes for you. Nor tomorrow, nor the next day. No applause, no cheers, no screams, no life-or-death results played out in Technicolor. But it is precisely those very same, undramatic. seemingly insignificant actions that, when compounded over time. will dramatically affect how your life turns out. So, where's the drama? It comes at the end of the story, when the credits start to roll—which comes not in two hours but in two years. Or, depending on what Slight Edge and what particular story we're talking about, perhaps twelve years, or twenty-two."
7- "No success is immediate. Nor is any failure instantaneous. They are both products of the Slight Edge. The truth of quantum leaps is that they are not larger than life: they're submicroscopic. The actual term "quantum leap" comes from particle physics, where it does not refer to a huge, epic jump. It refers to the fact that energy, after a period of time. epic jump. It refers to the fact that energy, after a period off time. will suddenly appear at another level, without our having been able to observe how it got there. It is an exact description of how the water hyacinth moves from day twenty-nine to day thirty. An exact description of how the frog's certain death by drowning was suddenly transformed into salvation by butter."
8- "No matter in what arena in life or work or play—the difference between winning and losing, the gap that separates success and failure, is so slight, so subtle, most never see it. Superman may leap tall buildings at a single bound. Here on earth, we win through the Slight Edge."
9- "One of the quickest and most direct routes to getting yourself up and onto the success curve is to get out of the past. Review the past, but only for the purpose of making a better plan. Review it. understand and take responsibility for the errors you've made, and use it as a tool to do differently in the future. And don't spend a great deal time doing even that!—the future is a far better tool than the past. m the past. Devote some serious, focused time and effort into designing a crystal-clear picture of where you're going. In the second part of this book, we'll take a look at specific ways to help you do exactly that. For now, I'll just say this: when you do have a clear picture of the future and consciously put time every day into letting yourself be drawn forward by that future, it will pull you through whatever friction and static you encounter in the present—and whatever tugging and clutching you may feel from the past...You can't change the past. You can change the future. Would you rather be influenced by something you can't change, or something you can?"
10- "In my line of work, I talk a lot about success in financial terms. But genuine success is a far greater issue than purely financial health. A genuinely successful life means your health, your family relationships, your career, your spirituality, your sense of fulfillment, your legacy and the impact you have on the world. It's all these things and more. And the best thing about genuine success is that it spreads! Success in any one of these areas begins to affect all the others, too. Improve your health and you improve your all the others, too. Improve your health and you improve your relationships; work on your personal development and you have an impact on your career. Everything affects everything."
11- "Book smarts, street smarts. Learning by study, learning by doing. Read about it, apply it, see it in action, take that practical doing. Read about it, apply it, see it in action, take that practical experience back to my reading, deepen my understanding, take that deeper understanding back to my activity ... it's a never-ending cycle, each aspect of learning feeding the other. Like climbing a ladder: right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot. Can you imagine trying to climb a ladder with only your right foot? The two work together. What's more they not only work better together, each amplifying the other, but the truth is, they really cannot work separately. At least not for long. You can't go to the top based purely on knowledge learned in study; you can't go to the top purely through knowledge gleaned through action. The two have to work together. You study, and then you do activity. The activity changes your frame of reference. and now you are in a place where you can learn more. Then you learn more, and it gives you more insight into what you experienced in your activity, so now you re-approach activity with more insight. And back and forth, it goes. This back-and-forth rhythm is worth noting. It is the rhythm of success."
12- "Having compassion and having direction are not mutually exclusive: they just take careful thought and discernment. You're not judging those people; you're simply asking yourself to be honest about whether or not those relationships are empowering you and helping to support your purpose and realize your dreams."
13- "For a goal to come true: You must write it down, make it specific and give it a deadline; You must look at it every day; You must understand and pay the price; You must have a plan to start with."
14- "You Start with a plan, then go through the process of continuous learning through both study and doing, adjusting all the time through the kaizen of plan, do, review and then adjust—like a rocket to the moon, off track ninety-seven percent of the time. your gyroscope feeding information to your dream computer to bring you back on track ... You need a first plan so you can get to our second plan, so you can get to your third plan, so you can get to your fourth plan...Your starting plan is not the plan that will ultimately get you there ... but you need it so you have a place to start."
15- "Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do; they put the Slight Edge to work for them, rather than against hem, every day. They refuse to let themselves be swayed by their feelings, moods or attitudes; they rule their lives by their philosophies, and do what it takes to get the job done, whether they feel like it or not."
16- "Successful people never blame circumstances or other people; instead, they take full responsibility for their lives. They use the past as a lesson but do not dwell in it, and instead, let themselves be pulled up and forward by the compelling force of the future. They know that the path that leads to the success curve and the one that leads to the failure curve are only a hair's breadth apart. separated only by the distinction of simple, "insignificant" actions that are just as easy not to do as they are to do—and that this difference will ultimately make all the difference."
Below are key excerpts from the book that I found particularly insightful:
1- "The Slight Edge is not just more good information. It's not another self-help success book packed with some revolutionary "new best way" of doing things. You don't need that. Nobody needs that. All the "new and better" information is already available and has been for years. This book is designed to help you use that information. This book is what I wish will help you take whatever information you want, whatever how-to's or strategies or goals or aspiration you want."
2- "A positive philosophy turns into a positive attitude, which turns into positive actions, which turns into positive results, which turns into a positive lifestyle. A negative philosophy turns into a negative attitude, which turns into negative actions, which turns into negative results, which turns into a negative lifestyle."
3- "By and large, people are looking in the wrong places. They are looking for a breakthrough, looking for that amazing "quantum leap"—the philosophy of the craps table and roulette wheel. I don't believe they'll ever find it. I've had colossal failures, and I've had remarkable successes, and my experience is, neither one happens in quantum leaps. They happen through the Slight Edge...That the things you do every single day, the things that don't look dramatic, that don't even look like they matter, do matter. That they not only make a difference—they make all the difference."
4- "It's easy to have everything you ever wanted in your life. Every action you need to take to make any and all of your dreams come true is easy. So why is it, then, that the masses are unhappy, unhealthy and financially bound? Every action that any of these goals requires is easy to do. Here's the problem: every action that is easy to do, is also easy not to do. Why are these simple yet crucial things easy not to do? Because if you don't do them, they won't kill you ... at least, not today. You won't suffer, or fail or blow it—today. Something is easy not to do when it won't bankrupt you, destroy your career. ruin your relationships or wreck your health—today. What's more, not doing it is usually more comfortable than doing it would be. But that simple, seemingly insignificant error in judgment, compounded over time, will kill you. It will destroy you and ruin your chances for success. You can count on it. It's the Slight Edge. That's the choice you face every day, every hour: A simple, positive action, repeated over time. A simple error in judgment, repeated over time. You can always count on the Slight Edge. And unless you make it work for you, the Slight Edge will work against you."
5- "Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal. "Progressive" means success is a process, not a destination. It's something you experience gradually, over time. And here's how real success is built: by the time you get the feedback, the real work's already done. When you get to the point where everyone else can see your results, tell you what good choices you've made, notice your good fortune, slap you on the back and tell you how lucky you are, the critical Slight Edge you actually made those choices, nobody noticed but you. And even you wouldn't have noticed—unless you understood the Slight Edge. Invisible results."
6- "The right choices and wrong choices you make at the moment will have little or no noticeable impact on how your day goes for you. Nor tomorrow, nor the next day. No applause, no cheers, no screams, no life-or-death results played out in Technicolor. But it is precisely those very same, undramatic. seemingly insignificant actions that, when compounded over time. will dramatically affect how your life turns out. So, where's the drama? It comes at the end of the story, when the credits start to roll—which comes not in two hours but in two years. Or, depending on what Slight Edge and what particular story we're talking about, perhaps twelve years, or twenty-two."
7- "No success is immediate. Nor is any failure instantaneous. They are both products of the Slight Edge. The truth of quantum leaps is that they are not larger than life: they're submicroscopic. The actual term "quantum leap" comes from particle physics, where it does not refer to a huge, epic jump. It refers to the fact that energy, after a period of time. epic jump. It refers to the fact that energy, after a period off time. will suddenly appear at another level, without our having been able to observe how it got there. It is an exact description of how the water hyacinth moves from day twenty-nine to day thirty. An exact description of how the frog's certain death by drowning was suddenly transformed into salvation by butter."
8- "No matter in what arena in life or work or play—the difference between winning and losing, the gap that separates success and failure, is so slight, so subtle, most never see it. Superman may leap tall buildings at a single bound. Here on earth, we win through the Slight Edge."
9- "One of the quickest and most direct routes to getting yourself up and onto the success curve is to get out of the past. Review the past, but only for the purpose of making a better plan. Review it. understand and take responsibility for the errors you've made, and use it as a tool to do differently in the future. And don't spend a great deal time doing even that!—the future is a far better tool than the past. m the past. Devote some serious, focused time and effort into designing a crystal-clear picture of where you're going. In the second part of this book, we'll take a look at specific ways to help you do exactly that. For now, I'll just say this: when you do have a clear picture of the future and consciously put time every day into letting yourself be drawn forward by that future, it will pull you through whatever friction and static you encounter in the present—and whatever tugging and clutching you may feel from the past...You can't change the past. You can change the future. Would you rather be influenced by something you can't change, or something you can?"
10- "In my line of work, I talk a lot about success in financial terms. But genuine success is a far greater issue than purely financial health. A genuinely successful life means your health, your family relationships, your career, your spirituality, your sense of fulfillment, your legacy and the impact you have on the world. It's all these things and more. And the best thing about genuine success is that it spreads! Success in any one of these areas begins to affect all the others, too. Improve your health and you improve your all the others, too. Improve your health and you improve your relationships; work on your personal development and you have an impact on your career. Everything affects everything."
11- "Book smarts, street smarts. Learning by study, learning by doing. Read about it, apply it, see it in action, take that practical doing. Read about it, apply it, see it in action, take that practical experience back to my reading, deepen my understanding, take that deeper understanding back to my activity ... it's a never-ending cycle, each aspect of learning feeding the other. Like climbing a ladder: right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot. Can you imagine trying to climb a ladder with only your right foot? The two work together. What's more they not only work better together, each amplifying the other, but the truth is, they really cannot work separately. At least not for long. You can't go to the top based purely on knowledge learned in study; you can't go to the top purely through knowledge gleaned through action. The two have to work together. You study, and then you do activity. The activity changes your frame of reference. and now you are in a place where you can learn more. Then you learn more, and it gives you more insight into what you experienced in your activity, so now you re-approach activity with more insight. And back and forth, it goes. This back-and-forth rhythm is worth noting. It is the rhythm of success."
12- "Having compassion and having direction are not mutually exclusive: they just take careful thought and discernment. You're not judging those people; you're simply asking yourself to be honest about whether or not those relationships are empowering you and helping to support your purpose and realize your dreams."
13- "For a goal to come true: You must write it down, make it specific and give it a deadline; You must look at it every day; You must understand and pay the price; You must have a plan to start with."
14- "You Start with a plan, then go through the process of continuous learning through both study and doing, adjusting all the time through the kaizen of plan, do, review and then adjust—like a rocket to the moon, off track ninety-seven percent of the time. your gyroscope feeding information to your dream computer to bring you back on track ... You need a first plan so you can get to our second plan, so you can get to your third plan, so you can get to your fourth plan...Your starting plan is not the plan that will ultimately get you there ... but you need it so you have a place to start."
15- "Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do; they put the Slight Edge to work for them, rather than against hem, every day. They refuse to let themselves be swayed by their feelings, moods or attitudes; they rule their lives by their philosophies, and do what it takes to get the job done, whether they feel like it or not."
16- "Successful people never blame circumstances or other people; instead, they take full responsibility for their lives. They use the past as a lesson but do not dwell in it, and instead, let themselves be pulled up and forward by the compelling force of the future. They know that the path that leads to the success curve and the one that leads to the failure curve are only a hair's breadth apart. separated only by the distinction of simple, "insignificant" actions that are just as easy not to do as they are to do—and that this difference will ultimately make all the difference."
January 29, 2013
He has a good message which can be summed up as "little, progressive steps daily" or "you can't eat an elephant in one bite."
There, you just read the book.
His examples are heavy handed, boring, shoe-horned and altered to fit his needs, and repetitive.
At one time he uses quantum physics to make his point, then later, he uses gravity in a negative context, over and over and over. Yet, if you've read any quantum physics, you'll know gravity doesn't exist as a force. Thus his writing contradicts itself in his examples; poorly thought out and executed.
Hated his writing, but liked his message.
Best quotes of the book are him quoting other self-help books.
There, you just read the book.
His examples are heavy handed, boring, shoe-horned and altered to fit his needs, and repetitive.
At one time he uses quantum physics to make his point, then later, he uses gravity in a negative context, over and over and over. Yet, if you've read any quantum physics, you'll know gravity doesn't exist as a force. Thus his writing contradicts itself in his examples; poorly thought out and executed.
Hated his writing, but liked his message.
Best quotes of the book are him quoting other self-help books.
October 24, 2012
The book has one decent premise behind it: make small but continuous changes in a positive direction and over time you're bound to meet success. Is this true? Of course. Do I need to hear nearly every sentence repeat the same idea in almost the exact same way? Compounded by mediocre, and at times nauseating, analogies that don't add anything? N.O.
July 30, 2017
The idea is simple: consistently doing small, seemingly insignificant habits will lead to huge, positive outcomes / conversely, not doing them get lead to huge, negative outcomes.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all about the idea, but the book is awful. Even beyond half-way the author keeps hyping up this idea of "the slight edge" (which is painfully obvious he's trying so desperately to make it a catch-phrase), saying things like - and I'm paraphrasing - "you know that thing you've always wanted? The key to all your hopes and dreams? Yeah, you can have it... with the slight edge." Imagine that at the end of every other paragraph, for 300 pages.
He loves his own book so much he includes testimonials after every chapter just to show you how great the book is. The problem is that there is too much selling and not enough substance. The "big idea" is helpful, but extremely under-developed for a book of this length... which is a pity because you would think a self-help book based on such a powerful idea could have carried so much more value. Oh well. 1 star.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all about the idea, but the book is awful. Even beyond half-way the author keeps hyping up this idea of "the slight edge" (which is painfully obvious he's trying so desperately to make it a catch-phrase), saying things like - and I'm paraphrasing - "you know that thing you've always wanted? The key to all your hopes and dreams? Yeah, you can have it... with the slight edge." Imagine that at the end of every other paragraph, for 300 pages.
He loves his own book so much he includes testimonials after every chapter just to show you how great the book is. The problem is that there is too much selling and not enough substance. The "big idea" is helpful, but extremely under-developed for a book of this length... which is a pity because you would think a self-help book based on such a powerful idea could have carried so much more value. Oh well. 1 star.
August 31, 2017
یکی از تنها ترین کتاب هایی در این حوزه است که تونستم با علاقه تا انتها اونو مطالعه کنم، به نظر من بسیار فوق العاده است و نکاتی را با مثال اشاره در اون اشاره می کند خیلی ساده هستند ولی بسیار تاثیر گذار در زندگی همه ما هست. از هیچ چیز کوچکی در زندگی نباید بگذریم و تمام نکات و اعمال و رفتار و .. حتی بسیار کم اهمیت در زندگی ما تاثیر دارد
January 21, 2015
This book and philosophy changed the way I do a lot of things. The simple concept that our actions compound for good or bad is nothing new but Jeff's book does a fantastic job at keeping it simple and makes it something you should think about often. The slight edge in life and business is very real and I think this is a must read for everyone.
March 16, 2015
> Every day, every moment you're either working towards failure (simple errors in judgement) or success (simple daily disciplines)
> Only 1 in 20 people achieve the success that they want, so most of time what you do will go against what everyone else is doing
> "Failure => Survival" activities can also take you from "Survival => Success"
> Philosophy => Attitudes => Actions => Results => Life
> Simple daily disciplines (little productive actions, repeated consistently over time) add up to the difference between failure and success
> The Slight Edge
- Simple daily discipline
- Easy to do, easy not to do
- Mundane
> Time is the force that magnifies those simple daily disciplines into massive success
> Progression of success: plant, cultivate, harvest
> Difficult takes a little time; impossible takes just a little longer
> Success does not lead to happiness - happiness creates success
> Happy Habits:
- Every morning write down three new things you're grateful for
- Journal for two minutes a day about a positive experience from the past 24 hours
- Meditate daily for a few minutes
- At the start of every day, write an email to someone praising or thanking them
- Get fifteen minutes of simple cardio exercise a day
> If you add just 1% of anything (skill, knowledge, effort) per day, in a year it will have increased 365%
> People on the success curve live in responsibility. People on the failure curve line in blame
> Two ways to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be: 1) let go of where you are and be drawn to your goal; 2) let go of your goal and stay where you are
> Learning by studying (book smarts) and learning by doing (street smarts) are both essential to learning
> On the path to a goal you'll be off-course most of the time. The only way to reach a goal is through continuous course correction
> Choose who you associate with (your life reflects those five people closest to you)
> Path of mastery: power of momentum (going steady), power of completion (clear out undones and incompletes), power of reflection (face the man in the mirror), power of celebration (catch yourself doing something right)
> The way to erase a bad habit is to replace it with a positive habit
> Example Slight Edge Habits:
- Show up
- Show up consistently
- Cultivate a positive outlook
- Be committed for the long haul
- Cultivate a burning desire backed by faith (not just hoping or wishing, but knowing)
- Be willing to pay the price: sometimes you have to quit the softball team
- Practice slight edge integrity: do the things you've committed to doing, even when no one else is watching
> Only 1 in 20 people achieve the success that they want, so most of time what you do will go against what everyone else is doing
> "Failure => Survival" activities can also take you from "Survival => Success"
> Philosophy => Attitudes => Actions => Results => Life
> Simple daily disciplines (little productive actions, repeated consistently over time) add up to the difference between failure and success
> The Slight Edge
- Simple daily discipline
- Easy to do, easy not to do
- Mundane
> Time is the force that magnifies those simple daily disciplines into massive success
> Progression of success: plant, cultivate, harvest
> Difficult takes a little time; impossible takes just a little longer
> Success does not lead to happiness - happiness creates success
> Happy Habits:
- Every morning write down three new things you're grateful for
- Journal for two minutes a day about a positive experience from the past 24 hours
- Meditate daily for a few minutes
- At the start of every day, write an email to someone praising or thanking them
- Get fifteen minutes of simple cardio exercise a day
> If you add just 1% of anything (skill, knowledge, effort) per day, in a year it will have increased 365%
> People on the success curve live in responsibility. People on the failure curve line in blame
> Two ways to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be: 1) let go of where you are and be drawn to your goal; 2) let go of your goal and stay where you are
> Learning by studying (book smarts) and learning by doing (street smarts) are both essential to learning
> On the path to a goal you'll be off-course most of the time. The only way to reach a goal is through continuous course correction
> Choose who you associate with (your life reflects those five people closest to you)
> Path of mastery: power of momentum (going steady), power of completion (clear out undones and incompletes), power of reflection (face the man in the mirror), power of celebration (catch yourself doing something right)
> The way to erase a bad habit is to replace it with a positive habit
> Example Slight Edge Habits:
- Show up
- Show up consistently
- Cultivate a positive outlook
- Be committed for the long haul
- Cultivate a burning desire backed by faith (not just hoping or wishing, but knowing)
- Be willing to pay the price: sometimes you have to quit the softball team
- Practice slight edge integrity: do the things you've committed to doing, even when no one else is watching
November 29, 2015
I would say that the principles taught in this book definitely deserve a 5! I love the principle of small, consistent choices changing your life. And even though the idea seems obvious, Olson does help his audience understand why so many of us don't do follow through with our goals (action items are simple to do and simple not to do). The writing style was pretty obnoxious a lot of the time and definitely self-aggrandizing. This screamed "self-help" to me and also sounded like a pyramid scheme, just because of the gimmicky style. Despite that, I would recommend reading it just for the principles taught in it.
January 8, 2017
برتری خفیف کتاب خوبی بود اگر در صد صفحه نوشته میشد و دست از تکرار نکات تکراری بر می داشت ..به قدری مطالب تکراری شد که ترجیح دادم قسمت های انتهایی کتاب را نخوانم
کتاب اشاره به این دارد که هیچ موفقیتی در یک شب و زمان کوتاهی رخ نمی دهد و اگر می خواهید موفق باشید اهداف خود را در درازمدت دنبال کنید
کتاب اشاره به این دارد که هیچ موفقیتی در یک شب و زمان کوتاهی رخ نمی دهد و اگر می خواهید موفق باشید اهداف خود را در درازمدت دنبال کنید
May 3, 2011
Wow - once I started this book I didn't want to put it down! This book is a MUST read for anyone wanting to achieve ANYTHING in their life! If there is an area of your life that you want to improve...health, financial, relationships, career, etc...then you must read this book. The crazy thing is, we all know the basics of the information shared here. It's not earth shattering new stuff. And yet, I bet, you, like me, aren't applying what we know to be true. This book was like a swift kick in the pants for me...and I needed it! This is one of those books you should own and read, and re-read, and then read it again!
Read my full review here: http://wp.me/pR5Eb-jD
Jeff Olson
Read my full review here: http://wp.me/pR5Eb-jD
Jeff Olson
April 29, 2012
I've read reviews of this book that complain that it isn't 'well written'. Having read the book for content and context, I put aside these complaints and found a brand new world full of old wisdom. The Slight Edge is common sense brought to life. Mr. Olson speaks specifically about the little things we overlook or put off doing that cumulatively make a HUGE difference - in the end results. The thing is, because they are 'little things' its easy to do them - or NOT to do them - and this is what makes the difference - in business and in life. I think its an excellent book to keep in the personal development library.
December 29, 2012
The premise of this book is simple, each day we're faced with many seemingly insignificant choices that turn out to be significant after a while. Should I exercise for 20 minutes or sit on the couch watching TV? Should I grab a cup of coffee at Starbuck's every day or should I have coffee at home? Should I start investing money now or wait until later? None of these choices are going to make or break you - today. It's the effects of many, many choices compounded over time that determine where you end up. If nothing else, it gave me a whole new appreciation for taking my decisions into consideration.
March 6, 2016
This can be a really useful book if read as the starting point of one's journey for success and can be drastically boring for those who have been on the road before.
I can say with great confidence that this book is merely a compilation of other's works specially Jim Rohn and I found almost nothing genuine from the author himself.
The whole point of the book could be summarized in this sentence: "Success is daily positive and seemingly insignificant actions repeated over time which are easy to do and also easy not to do". And the whole book contains different forms uttering and supporting that sentence.
I had read Compound Effect by Derren Hardy before this book and highly recommend you to read that instead of this one for the former is highly better organized and structured and no unnecessary repetitions.
To summarize, read this book only if you have just started reading self-help books.
I can say with great confidence that this book is merely a compilation of other's works specially Jim Rohn and I found almost nothing genuine from the author himself.
The whole point of the book could be summarized in this sentence: "Success is daily positive and seemingly insignificant actions repeated over time which are easy to do and also easy not to do". And the whole book contains different forms uttering and supporting that sentence.
I had read Compound Effect by Derren Hardy before this book and highly recommend you to read that instead of this one for the former is highly better organized and structured and no unnecessary repetitions.
To summarize, read this book only if you have just started reading self-help books.
January 2, 2014
BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ! Anyone who struggles with getting anywhere in life, this book's principles will take you where you want to go. (But you gotta know where you want to go. Haha.)
June 5, 2020
I agree with everything Jeff says. That is partially why I found this book so useless.
He does a good job organizing the book—I like the method of presenting his information, some stories backing it up, and then some summarizing concepts at the end. This is good for drilling in the point. However, the messages are all so obvious and uninteresting as to not be of little use. The Slight Edge, although not really well defined and with apparently shifting definitions throughout the book, seems to be this ephemeral concept of doing the thing that makes the difference. Yes, we want to do the things that make life get better. He talks a lot about small things compounding every day, yes we also want to compound good effects, sure. Yes, we need to adopt an attitude that makes us successful, clearly. Yes, it requires thought to think. Yes, the sky is blue.
The book was so full of self-evident platitudes that I'm flabbergasted it is as well-rated as it is. Take some of these nuggets of wisdom for example.
• "A single thoughtful, committed person can change the world."
• "Great success often starts from a tiny beginning—but there has to be a beginning. You have to start somewhere. You have to do something."
• "Mastery begins the moment you step onto the path. Failure begins the moment you step off the path."
• "Wanting is uncomfortable, yet wanting is essential to winning."
These are all some of those summarizing points at the ends of various chapters. He spends dozens of pages explaining each of these and others like them. This whole book should be a 3-page essay, but instead, he stretches simple concepts so far that I wanted to stop reading halfway through. I wish I did.
By the end of this review, I could rightly be accused of one of the people he describes as "dimming the room"—or being a negative nelly. But my indignation is mostly because there are so many other good books that are interesting, engaging, challenging and useful that it seems a pity that people should pick this one up instead. There are books out there, be they self-help books, business books, or ethics books that provide real insightful information to the reader, things you can learn from and act on. Read "How to Win Friends and Influence People," "Good to Great," "Zero to One" or "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." Read "The Road to Character," "The Moral Landscape," or "Man's Search for Meaning." Some books can even give simple advice but do so concisely, like "Discipline Equals Freedom."
For the person who's actually motivated by cheerleaders yelling "Go you, you can do it!" then this book might actually be for you. For everyone else, skip it.
View my best reviews and a collection of mental models at jasperburns.blog.
He does a good job organizing the book—I like the method of presenting his information, some stories backing it up, and then some summarizing concepts at the end. This is good for drilling in the point. However, the messages are all so obvious and uninteresting as to not be of little use. The Slight Edge, although not really well defined and with apparently shifting definitions throughout the book, seems to be this ephemeral concept of doing the thing that makes the difference. Yes, we want to do the things that make life get better. He talks a lot about small things compounding every day, yes we also want to compound good effects, sure. Yes, we need to adopt an attitude that makes us successful, clearly. Yes, it requires thought to think. Yes, the sky is blue.
The book was so full of self-evident platitudes that I'm flabbergasted it is as well-rated as it is. Take some of these nuggets of wisdom for example.
• "A single thoughtful, committed person can change the world."
• "Great success often starts from a tiny beginning—but there has to be a beginning. You have to start somewhere. You have to do something."
• "Mastery begins the moment you step onto the path. Failure begins the moment you step off the path."
• "Wanting is uncomfortable, yet wanting is essential to winning."
These are all some of those summarizing points at the ends of various chapters. He spends dozens of pages explaining each of these and others like them. This whole book should be a 3-page essay, but instead, he stretches simple concepts so far that I wanted to stop reading halfway through. I wish I did.
By the end of this review, I could rightly be accused of one of the people he describes as "dimming the room"—or being a negative nelly. But my indignation is mostly because there are so many other good books that are interesting, engaging, challenging and useful that it seems a pity that people should pick this one up instead. There are books out there, be they self-help books, business books, or ethics books that provide real insightful information to the reader, things you can learn from and act on. Read "How to Win Friends and Influence People," "Good to Great," "Zero to One" or "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." Read "The Road to Character," "The Moral Landscape," or "Man's Search for Meaning." Some books can even give simple advice but do so concisely, like "Discipline Equals Freedom."
For the person who's actually motivated by cheerleaders yelling "Go you, you can do it!" then this book might actually be for you. For everyone else, skip it.
View my best reviews and a collection of mental models at jasperburns.blog.
June 19, 2014
This book was a colossal waste of time, as the author merely repeats what everyone already knows, and then spends the rest of the book patting himself on the back for his ingenuity. There are many, many, many better self-help books out there.
March 28, 2013
The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson is an amazing book! It is literally loaded with some of the best core advice to succeed I've read in a long time.
The book was easy to read, kept me wanting to continue!
There is so much positive candy in this book that one cannot feel like they aren't empowered to achieve anything after reading it. What I love is that the basic principle of this book is not just applicable to business but to anything in your life. If you want a better body, better marriage, better business, better friendships then you can apply the Slight Edge principle to all of that.
I think my favorite part about this read is that it covers all areas of mindset. If you like stats, it's got some great ones like by the age of 5 we've heard the work "NO" 40,000 times. Or, 1 in 20 people will achieve their goals in life.
If you like more hard core motivation it's got that too. "You want a miracle, be the miracle", "Greatness is always in the moment of the decision".
And if you want to understand the philosophy of success it covers that as well "People hate people who succeed because it reinforces that they are not where they want to be".
I don't want to give away too much of this book, just trust it's a must read. It's a really phenomenally written book with so many great things about it. I'll also truly endorse that if you follow the slight edge in whatever area of your life you may need it, it will work. It's not a complex principle or something unique you've never heard, it's simply a book that is written to really put it into your mind where you need to start and how easy it really is if you keep doing it!
Awesome!
Mary-Anne
The book was easy to read, kept me wanting to continue!
There is so much positive candy in this book that one cannot feel like they aren't empowered to achieve anything after reading it. What I love is that the basic principle of this book is not just applicable to business but to anything in your life. If you want a better body, better marriage, better business, better friendships then you can apply the Slight Edge principle to all of that.
I think my favorite part about this read is that it covers all areas of mindset. If you like stats, it's got some great ones like by the age of 5 we've heard the work "NO" 40,000 times. Or, 1 in 20 people will achieve their goals in life.
If you like more hard core motivation it's got that too. "You want a miracle, be the miracle", "Greatness is always in the moment of the decision".
And if you want to understand the philosophy of success it covers that as well "People hate people who succeed because it reinforces that they are not where they want to be".
I don't want to give away too much of this book, just trust it's a must read. It's a really phenomenally written book with so many great things about it. I'll also truly endorse that if you follow the slight edge in whatever area of your life you may need it, it will work. It's not a complex principle or something unique you've never heard, it's simply a book that is written to really put it into your mind where you need to start and how easy it really is if you keep doing it!
Awesome!
Mary-Anne
October 23, 2015
I could sum up this book in a few sentences: success is built by making tiny daily decisions that lead you in the direction you want to be. Every action you take either moves you toward or away from success. The actions are all "easy to do, but also easy NOT to do." Just like how a penny, doubled each day, increases slowly at first and then builds to be a fortune over time, so can your small, easy actions (like saying no to that donut) lead you to success over time (being healthy).
I only read the abridged version, but, while I like the theme and the idea, I thought the book was lacking. So much of it seemed like cheesy filler ("sometimes your goals can seem as big as the Empire state building!" <--not the exact quote but close enough). Finally at the end he gets to some real actions to take today, but not until the last 30 minutes or so of the audio book.
I only read the abridged version, but, while I like the theme and the idea, I thought the book was lacking. So much of it seemed like cheesy filler ("sometimes your goals can seem as big as the Empire state building!" <--not the exact quote but close enough). Finally at the end he gets to some real actions to take today, but not until the last 30 minutes or so of the audio book.
March 7, 2013
Listened to an audiobook.
To be honest, "The Slight Edge" dould be summed up in a leaflet of four pages. The premise of the book is
-take action
-don't sacrifice long term goals over short term satisfaction
-"easy to do, but also easy not to do
-take action
-have a plan, do it and review it
-take action
The last part of the books is a rehash of well known platitude, served as a holy wisdom and not supported by any scientific research.
I don't really get how it has such high average rating here on Goodreads...
To be honest, "The Slight Edge" dould be summed up in a leaflet of four pages. The premise of the book is
-take action
-don't sacrifice long term goals over short term satisfaction
-"easy to do, but also easy not to do
-take action
-have a plan, do it and review it
-take action
The last part of the books is a rehash of well known platitude, served as a holy wisdom and not supported by any scientific research.
I don't really get how it has such high average rating here on Goodreads...
June 13, 2015
This is so much better than the majority of personal development books. Practical, focused, clear--Olson's book is the kind of work that subtly shifts an open reader's thinking and enables him or her to make small but effective changes that reap big rewards in the long run. I will remember this book for a long time.
April 24, 2018
"Easy to do, just as easy not to do" will be forever ingrained in my mind ...
That phrase has already aided me in making numerous healthy changes in my daily patterns. I love it because it's a realistic reminder of the small but compounding impact of every single small decision.
It may feel a bit verbose at times, but all those extra anecdotes serve their purpose ... Great book!
That phrase has already aided me in making numerous healthy changes in my daily patterns. I love it because it's a realistic reminder of the small but compounding impact of every single small decision.
It may feel a bit verbose at times, but all those extra anecdotes serve their purpose ... Great book!
March 19, 2019
مایلم یک نقل قول رو به عنوان ریویو برای این کتاب ثبت کنم
دکتر فرهنگ هلاکویی موضوعی که اینجا تحت عنوان برتری خفیف بیان شده رو در دو جمله اینطور بیان می کنه:
اگه میخواید ۵ سال دیگه تو بهترین دانشگاه جهان پذیرفته بشید از امروز روزی ۴ ساعت مطالعه ی تخصصی داشته باشید . نکته ی مهم اینجاست که زنجیره ی مطالعات روزانه ی شما به هیچ وجه نیاید انفصال پیدا کنه (یعنی هر روز حتی در تعطیلات و جمعه ها)ا
دکتر فرهنگ هلاکویی موضوعی که اینجا تحت عنوان برتری خفیف بیان شده رو در دو جمله اینطور بیان می کنه:
اگه میخواید ۵ سال دیگه تو بهترین دانشگاه جهان پذیرفته بشید از امروز روزی ۴ ساعت مطالعه ی تخصصی داشته باشید . نکته ی مهم اینجاست که زنجیره ی مطالعات روزانه ی شما به هیچ وجه نیاید انفصال پیدا کنه (یعنی هر روز حتی در تعطیلات و جمعه ها)ا
Shelved as 'dnf'
February 11, 2018dnf at 28%
May 20, 2012
The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson is a book that is a must read for not only people looking to improve their lives, but for people who need motivation and support. The Slight Edge is by far one of the best self-improvement books that I have ever read. The concepts about success and improvement are so simple, yet I needed to read them in a book to understand them. This book has given me a foundation for a success philosophy that will bring all my dreams of success into reality.
For instance, Olson states in the foreword:
"What the Slight Edge philosophy is meant to do is give you a philosophy that will become a filter for every decision you make. It will give you a way to apply great information in your life in a way that will produce lasting results. It is the missing ingredient to making change happen!"
Since reading this book, I have developed my own personal success philosophy, and it works. Granted, I haven't seen the monetary riches from applying the principles yet, but, as the book teaches, patience and application of the concepts will develop a foundation for success. In fact, by applying the principles, I have already noticed a change in my thinking from one of worry and negativity to one of hope and faith. Consequently, there is no doubt in my mind that the goals that I have for myself and my family will become a reality because of The Slight Edge philosophy that I have developed.
Shaun F. Messick
For instance, Olson states in the foreword:
"What the Slight Edge philosophy is meant to do is give you a philosophy that will become a filter for every decision you make. It will give you a way to apply great information in your life in a way that will produce lasting results. It is the missing ingredient to making change happen!"
Since reading this book, I have developed my own personal success philosophy, and it works. Granted, I haven't seen the monetary riches from applying the principles yet, but, as the book teaches, patience and application of the concepts will develop a foundation for success. In fact, by applying the principles, I have already noticed a change in my thinking from one of worry and negativity to one of hope and faith. Consequently, there is no doubt in my mind that the goals that I have for myself and my family will become a reality because of The Slight Edge philosophy that I have developed.
Shaun F. Messick
January 2, 2013
This book made me realize many things about myself that I desperately needed to change. The greatest or I should say worst thing was snoozing! I have been a snooze alarm addict from the earliest memories of ever having to get out of bed in the mornings. I heard this is deception. I thought that was crazy! I read this book & never hit the snooze again! It's been probably 3-4 yrs now. I love how the phrase, "It's easy to do, & easy not to do" is repeated throughout the entire book. Habits aren't easily broken. We all have great intentions to start or stop something. Not until I read this book have I gained the knowledge & willpower to do both.
Jeff Olson is an amazing author & this one book is tremendous. You can practically apply his wisdom in every area of life, business, & both.
Read this & I promise it will cause you to take action.
Jeff Olson is an amazing author & this one book is tremendous. You can practically apply his wisdom in every area of life, business, & both.
Read this & I promise it will cause you to take action.
February 12, 2022
اولین کتاب توسعه فردی که خوندم این بود
دقیقا دو سال پیش همین بهمن ماه بود
تو این دو سال کلی کتاب توسعه فردی خوندم و الان برگشتم و برای بار دوم خوندمش
این کتاب ارزش خوندن رو داره و برای خود من به شخصه کاربردی بوده و در طول زمان امتحانش رو هم پس داده
ولی چرا بهش 3 ستاره دادم؟
چون به نظرم فقط تا فصل 4کتاب مطالب جدید بودن و بقیه فصل ها دیگه همش مثال و تکرار که خب نیازی ندیدم برای بار دوم بخونم
بهتون پیشنهاد میکنم بخونیدش و درکش کنید چون واقعا دید خیلی بهتری نسبت به مسئله پیشرفت کردن پیدا میکنید
البته اینو هم بگم که جف اولسون حرفاش یسری ایراد ها هم داشت ولی این دیگه بستگی به طرز فکر هر آدم داره و ممکنه اون چیزی که از نظر من ایراد داشته باشه از نظر یکی دیگه کاملا اوکی باشه
دقیقا دو سال پیش همین بهمن ماه بود
تو این دو سال کلی کتاب توسعه فردی خوندم و الان برگشتم و برای بار دوم خوندمش
این کتاب ارزش خوندن رو داره و برای خود من به شخصه کاربردی بوده و در طول زمان امتحانش رو هم پس داده
ولی چرا بهش 3 ستاره دادم؟
چون به نظرم فقط تا فصل 4کتاب مطالب جدید بودن و بقیه فصل ها دیگه همش مثال و تکرار که خب نیازی ندیدم برای بار دوم بخونم
بهتون پیشنهاد میکنم بخونیدش و درکش کنید چون واقعا دید خیلی بهتری نسبت به مسئله پیشرفت کردن پیدا میکنید
البته اینو هم بگم که جف اولسون حرفاش یسری ایراد ها هم داشت ولی این دیگه بستگی به طرز فکر هر آدم داره و ممکنه اون چیزی که از نظر من ایراد داشته باشه از نظر یکی دیگه کاملا اوکی باشه
May 8, 2017
This book has almost no content. It starts with some *extremely* drawn out and padded story about compound interest (which in the context of this book makes no sense, and is even more idiotic when you realize the interest rate in the story is 100% per day), and keeps dragging things out as much as possible. You could edit this book down into a 2 page essay and lose nothing whatsoever, but it would still be a waste of time.
December 3, 2020
A simple but practical strategy to nurture our abilities to achieve our goals is introduced.
We heard in order to be happy you have to be successful. This assertion is true, but vice versa!
In my opinion, too many quotations are brought in the book which sometimes you see it as a flyer for other books!
We heard in order to be happy you have to be successful. This assertion is true, but vice versa!
In my opinion, too many quotations are brought in the book which sometimes you see it as a flyer for other books!
July 20, 2020
جف ألسن بعد دراسة مستفيضة لسلوك الناجحين يضع يده على الجرح المشكلة ليست نقص في المعرفة بل نقص في (العمل) بالمعرفة وهذا هو الفارق البسيط بين الناجحين وغيرهم. وما يجعل الناس لا يستمرون حتى يصلون إلى النجاح هو تلك العقلية التي تريد التغيير السريع الدرامتيكي ذلك التغيير الذي لا يحدث إلا في الأفلام فقط. المؤسف أن هذة العقلية هي ما تسيطر علينا، فنحن نريد النجاح الكبير في وقتٍ وجيز وهذا غير منطقي وغير واقعي. كما أننا على الدوام نقوم بالتسويف والتأجيل بغاية أن تتواتى الظروف المناسبة للقيام بما يلزم حتى نحقق أهدافنا. أن الأفتراض بأن الدنيا ستكون جميلة يوماً ما وستصفو لنا وتمنحنا الفرصة للقيام بما تريد هو افتراض ساذج. فالفارق البسيط بين الناجحون وغيرهم هو ادراكهم أن رحلة النجاح طويلة فهي أشبه بسباق مارثوني وأن سر النجاح هو في الفورية والاستمرارية. أن الفورية في العمل تجنب الوقوع في مصيدة التسويف والتأجيل وتدفع لأتخاذ خطوة نحو الهدف مما يزيد الحماس والدافعية. على الجانب الأخر، الاستمرارية تتمثل في انجاز تلك الأمور البسيطة المتعلقة بالهدف بشكلٍ يومي على شكل عادات. أن هذة النجاحات الصغيرة المتراكمة على المدى الطويل هي ما تقود الناجحين إلى النجاحات الكبيرة. الناجحون هم من لديهم قناعة أن قليل دائم خير من كثير منقطع وأن خير وقت للبدء هو الأن.
February 16, 2024
Honestly, if you read a lot of self-help books, none of the concepts were new or groundbreaking BUT it’s a good reminder that time is on our side, not against us, especially in today's world where we want everything instantly. The book talks a lot about how small decisions we make every day, like taking steps towards our goals, add up over time.
It's like compound interest, but not just for money – it works for skills, relationships, health, and more. The catch is, we might not see the results of these decisions for a while, so we need to be patient. That's why it's also recommended for recovering perfectionists (based on what I heard) – it emphasizes taking consistent small actions rather than trying to do everything perfectly all at once.
The suggestion to read 10 pages a day has reignited my daily reading habit and for that, I'm very grateful.
It's like compound interest, but not just for money – it works for skills, relationships, health, and more. The catch is, we might not see the results of these decisions for a while, so we need to be patient. That's why it's also recommended for recovering perfectionists (based on what I heard) – it emphasizes taking consistent small actions rather than trying to do everything perfectly all at once.
The suggestion to read 10 pages a day has reignited my daily reading habit and for that, I'm very grateful.
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