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Turning Simple Disciplines

Into Massive Success

Jeff Oson

Revised Edition

Te

SlIghT


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The Slight Edge makes you aware o the unwritten rules that we all live by andjust werent aware o. Je explains these principles in an easy-to-understandmanner that will have you re-evaluating those insignifcant decisions you makeevery day.

John C. Maxwell, Founder of The John Maxwell Company and best-selling

author ofThe 21 Irreutable Laws o Leadership

Success in lie comes one day at a time and, as Je Olson suggests, one step at atime. The Slight Edge will show you how your daily decisions can be the ultimatekey to your success.

Ken Blanchard, co-author ofThe One Minute Manager and Lead with LUV

This ast-moving book teaches you one o the most powerul, practical andimportant success principles ever discovered. It can change your lie!

Brian Tracy, author ofThe Way to Wealth

Success is achieved through inches o progress, not miles. Je Olson outlines thephilosophies that will give you The Slight Edge in lie.

Darren Hardy, publisher ofSUCCESS magazine and best-selling author ofThe Compound Eect and Living Your Best Year Ever

Our favorite endorsements are from our readers!I have read personal development books or over 20 years, and I can say this isthe one that tied them all together. The book is so easy to read and understand andso powerul in its simplicity.

Mike Bishop, Wilsonville, OR

The Slight Edge is a way of thinking, a way of processing

information that enables you to make the daily choicesthat will lead you to the success you desire.

Jeff Olson has built several multimillion-dollar sales andmarketing organizations, hosted seminars in every majorcity in the United States, and produced more than 900television programs centered on personal development.Over the past twenty years, Jeff has helped hundreds of

thousands of individualsachieve better levelsof nancial freedom

and personalexcellence.

9 781935 944867

ISBN 978-1-935944-86-7

www.SUCCESS.com www.SlightEdge.org


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Contents

Introduction: Te Mssn inredent .................................................................................1

Foreword: Te Road to te St Ede ............................................................................ 9

Three Stories....................................................................................................................... 15

Part One: The Slight Edge

Capter 1 Te St Ede Posopy ................................................................... 25

Capter 2 Te Secret of Easy Tns ...................................................................... 33

Capter 3 is Tme on Your Sde? ............................................................................. 45

Capter 4 You have to Start Wt a Penny ...........................................................57

Capter 5 how to Avod te Myt of Quantum leaps ....................................... 65

Capter 6 Te 7 St Ede Prncpes .................................................................. 75

Capter 7 Two lfe Pats ........................................................................................95

Part Two: Mastering Your LifeCapter 8 Mastern te St Ede ................................................................. 115

Capter 9 Faces of te St Ede .................................................................... 127

Capter 10 invest n Yoursef .................................................................................. 139

Capter 11 Turnn Your Dreams nto Reaty .......................................................157

Capter 12 lvn te St Ede ......................................................................... 169

Capter 13 Were to go from here ..................................................................... 185

Afterword:Te St Ede Next generaton by Amber Olson ..................................189

A Special Invitation.........................................................................................................

199

Life-Transforming Resources .......................................................................................... 201

About the Author............................................................................................................. 203


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Prase from readers of The Slight Edge

As an nstructor of a management course n a masters program at NYU, i made TheSlight Edge requred readng. it serves as the foundaton for a other course contentbecause i beeve the phosophy s key to understandng success.

David G Rosenthal, Advisory Board Member, Member Curriculum Committee;Adjunct Instructor; Chief Executive Ofcer, Shepard Communications Group, Inc.

The Slight Edge s the book that makes every other persona-deveopment bookactuay work. Ths s the REAl secret!

Jesse Macpherson, Los Angeles, CA

The Slight Edge was the single most formative inuence on my career, health andhappness. i have gone back and read t over and over so many tmes that my copys n compete tatters.

Reed Herreid, Minneapolis, MN

The Slight Edge freed me from the pressure i had put on mysef for not mantanngthe progress i made. For nstance, a the years spent tryng to ose weght andmantan. it was aways a roer coaster, up and down, never any stabty. But aongcame The Slight Edge. Ths put everythng n perspectve. i can go after anythng andknow that wthout a doubt i w be successfu, because of The Slight Edge.

Jimmy Williams, Austin, TX

A unque vew on how sma changes or actons done repeatedy can change your

persona, famy and busness fe. An amazng and smpe strategy anyone canappy, f they are wng.

Pierre Rattini, North Myrtle Beach, SC

I had read self-help books before and they did very little for me, so at rst I didntthnk ths book woud be much dfferent. i was very wrong. Ths book has gven me thepower of wantng to have some faure n my fe, and made me see the pont behndthe one penny. Before readng ths book, i thought beng average and unheathy andoverweght was just the fe i was meant to ve. i was very wrong. Ths book moved men ways i never thought i coud be. i wsh i woud have had t when i was 17.

Tyra Snider, Canon City, CO

it has created a sense of cam and peace for us, knowng we are on ths Sght Edgejourney to greatness. The Slight Edge has taught us the prncpe to be patent wthourseves, to ook toward mprovng 1 percent at a tme. it has taught us that postveand negatve resuts dont happen overnght, but are cutvated through smpe daydscpnes.

Haas & Tahera Khaku, Anaheim Hills, CA, co-author, Power of Mentorship forthe 21st Century

The Slight Edge s the best persona-deveopment book i have ever read.Michael Clouse, Seattle, WA

Ths book s a treasure and i use t n every aspect of my febusness, persona, and fun!Shenna Shotwell, Creedmoor, NC

The Slight Edge s a fe phosophy that shoud be taught as soon as chdren take therrst steps. I wish someone had taught me this when I was young.

Jane Lehman, Lexington, MI


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i use ths phlosophy throughout my day. ive become a better person all around. iwas able to correct my negatve outlooks. im a better role model for my chldren,my health s gettng better, im more connected sprtually, my relatonshps aremprovng, and my busness s thrvng. it s a must-have and a must-read.

Pedro Garcia, Middletown, NY

i, lke many people, get frustrated when i do not see quck results. Through theSlght Edge mentalty, i was able to lose 25 pounds n just under three months. i alsoconvnced my father, 69, who lost 20 pounds n less than three months. My fatherand i are both testmony to the fact that The Slight Edge works!

Christopher Mangano, Boynton Beach, FL

I nd the book to be one of the best diet books I have ever read, and I have readqute a few of them through the last few years. So t s not wllpower that s helpngme to lose weght, t s The Slight Edge. What an amazng revelaton ths has been!

Carol Chandler, Denver, CO

Before i read The Slight Edge, i never understood why my efforts seemed to be adegree off. The Slight Edge showed me how to get that last edge i needed!

Lynda Cromar, Aurora, CO

The Slight Edge has had a profound effect on my lfe. After havng t recommendedfour different times from four different people in one month, I nally purchased it. Itwas the rst nonction book that I can remember not wanting to get to the end ofbecause i loved what i was learnng!

Laura Jo Richins, Mesa, AZ

i was born and rased n Albana. i came to Amerca 13 years ago at age 18 bymyself, wth nothng but a dream. i ddnt speak Englsh, and had no money orconnectons. i am a college dropout and a former pzza delvery drver. A frendgave me The Slight Edge book and by mplementng ts smple prncples, i am todaylvng the Amercan Dream.

Andi Duli, Oklahoma City, OK

The Slight Edge s truly a gft to the planet.Mark Skovron, Tampa Bay, FL

i was bankrupt, had my car repossessed, and was on Medcad and applyng forfood stamps. After puttng the prncples of The Slight Edge n place, i have madeover a mllon dollars and t has also helped me n every area of my lfe.

Darin Kidd, Appomattox, VA

Readng The Slight Edge s perhaps one of the most eye-openng thngs one cando. its such a smple concept that you realze youve overlooked every day of yourlfe. Easy to do, easy not to do. Suddenly ts shockng how many thngs you reallyhavent been dong. The examples Jeff Olson provdes are easy to understand andtruly show how The Slight Edge affects the world.

Julie Jonak, Houston, TX

i have read numerous personal-development books through the years, and byfar, ths s one of the best! By applyng the prncples of The Slight Edge, ive lost 35pounds n just three months, and am stll gong strong. im also workng them nto myjob, part-tme pursuts and every area of my lfe. i have qut focusng as much on thegoals, and am focusng more on the lttle thngs i do every day, snce i can controlthose. As a result, my lfe s gong SO much better than t ever has!

Richard Green, Franklin, TN


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Ts s a very smple, easy-to-follow book tat can lead anyone from were tey areto watever level of success tey want to aceve.

Alex Serrano, Las Vegas, NV

Over te course of te last year, by puttng te Slgt Edge concepts n practce, iave stopped usng tobacco, and lost 25 pounds troug det and exercse.

Bob Sutton, Ft. Collins, CO

Followng te prncples outlned n Jeff Olsons The Slight Edge as elped mebecome a millionaireseveral times over. Thanks for rening the processes into anunderstandable and workable format, Jeff.

Rex LeGalley, Albuquerque, NM

The Slight Edge prncples apply to everytng. My wfe and i ave used t to

mprove our ealt and now we ave lost over 100 pounds combned!BJ Baker, West Manchester, OH

I led a life of errors in judgment until I came across this magnicent book. A blueprintfor lfe can be founded on te Slgt Edge plosopy. i found myself dscardng oldbad abts and replacng tem wt new postve abts; te result s a successfullfe. i was very reckless n my daly decsons, as well as my famly postonng. My sonnotced a uge cange n my caracter and lfe percepton. i no longer spendmoney apazardly and my prortes are up to par.

Simon Ponce, Irvine, CA

As a student of personal progress for te past 40 years, i consder ts work to be oneof te foundatonal keys to te applcaton of lterally every oter resource n tsncredbly mportant area of lfe.

Stephen McBroom, Floyd, VA

The Slight Edge gves you tat extra kck to pus you beyond your ws lst and ntoacevng your gest potental. i am able to apply te tools from The Slight Edge tobalance my full-tme work, wle completng my bacelors degree.

Mark Roberts, Redmond, WA

The Slight Edge s a penomenal book. it makes you aware of te unwrtten rulesthat we all live by and just werent aware of! A denite MUST READ for EVERYONE,

from student to executve. Wonderng wy you cant pass a class? The Slight Edge!Tred tose dets but just cant seem to lose te wegt? The Slight Edge! have asavngs plan but your bank account just refuses to grow? The Slight Edge! Wenappled correctly, The Slight Edge wll sow you ow to get tngs back on trackn your lfe. You wll now be aware of wat youre dong and be armed wt teknowledge to correct te mportant tngs n your lfe, from relatonsps to gettngthat executive promotion. The principles have denitely helped my life. Heres toyour success!

Leonard Taylor, Las Vegas, NV

Before readng The Slight Edge, my mndset for my lfe was not were t needed to

be. i was a broke college student conformng to te masses. Ts book as cangedthe direction of my life dramatically by mentoring me on a new path lled withpostve and dscplned plosopy.

Tim Walter, San Diego, CA

After applyng te Slgt Edge, my lfe began to cange for te better and i foundmyself arnessng te powers of completon and momentum every day. it wasamazng to see results n my busness, n my ealt, and n my personal lfe.

Carl Cofn, Goose Creek, SC


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i was searchng for many answers to my lfe, when all of a sudden, i came across thsmagnicent and truthful information. It expanded my vision and took the fog awayfrom my eyes.

Michael Huerta, San Jacinto, CA

As a successful leadershp coach, i recommend two books to all of my clents. TheSlight Edge s one of them!

Dennis Antoine, Coral Springs, FL

The Slight Edge kept me gong on those days when i felt lke i was not makng progressby reassurng me that takng even the smallest postve acton would eventually pay off.

Susan Mix, Santa Clara, CA

What an ncredble masterpece! The Slight Edge challenges me daly n busness and

in life. An absolute must read and must apply in every area.Dr. Vanessa R. Booker, Glendale, AZ

The Slght Edge prncples are so powerfully uplftng and nspratonal that they area catalyst for acton. The Slght Edge gves me the momentum to acheve my dalygoals n lfe.

Antoinette Mims, New York, NY

i have read personal-development books for over 20 years, and i can say ths s theone that ted them all together, because t s so easy to read and understand, andso powerful n ts smplcty.

Mike Bishop, Wilsonville, OR

The Slight Edge has been a phlosophcal staple n my lfe, and n the lves of thosei mentor. i have started a busness, and have gotten n better physcal shape. Themost memorable anecdote I use is, What you do matters. What you do todaymatters. What do you every day matters.

David Mack, Sacramento, CA

I LOVE THIS BOOK! As a former professional athlete, coach for over 25 years andwellness consultant, i strongly recommend The Slight Edge to everyone. if you wantsuccess in your health, nances and relationships, embrace this book and create anew mndset, thereby a new future for yourself. The Slight Edge s empowerng! The

phlosophes and thoughts wll ht home wth everyone who reads t.Lucy Del Sarto, Olathe, KS

The Slight Edge s servng as a tmeless way for me to help share the prncples nwhch one must lve to succeed n lfe. i have lterally shared the concepts n thsbook wth thousands.

Ryan Chamberlin, Belleview, FL

As a full-time police ofce I believe The Slight Edge mentalty should be a part of theeducatonal system across Amerca.

Bobby Garcia, Tucson, AZ

Ths book has gven me the vson to look past my current crcumstances and nto mydesred results!

Steven Joseph, St. Louis, MO


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The Slight Edge took years of persona-deveopment study and roed t a nto one,easy to understand book. Jeff Oson dd an awesome job of communcatn howanyone n any professon can mprove hs/her productvty, persona reatonshpsand famy fe. WOW!

Brian Kennedy, Jacksonville, NC

i woud recommend The Slight Edge to anyone who s ookn to understand whythey have not been abe to acheve ther oas. They w understand that t s nota the fancy words many of the teevson hosts tak about, but the sma thns Mr.Oson wrtes about n hs bookthns that make absoute sense and are easy to do.i enjoy ths book and have pans to make t part of my day routne. i pan to ve myfamy and mysef a sht ede festye. Thanks Mr. Oson.

Glenn Watkins, Cibolo, TX

i use the Sht Ede phosophy every day n my persona fe and especay n my

busness. Don the day actvtes compounded over tme has ed me to the kndof success most peope ony dream about. As a sne mother of three boys, t s theprncpes n ths book that have made me over a mon doars n just a few shortyears, and have aowed me to acheve eves of success n busness and n fe. TheSlight Edge w hep anyone.

Christa Aufdemberg, Orange County, CA

The Slight Edge has ven me and my famy the secrets to a successfu andabundant fe. Practcn the basc phosophes of mastern the mundane hasven my entre word a compete paradm shft. Theres a one-deree dfferencebetween hot and bon, and ths book has ven me the necessary derees to o

from good 2 great. The Slight Edge s a fer n my arsena of persona deveopment.Ken Hills, Syracuse, NY

i found The Slight Edge to be a remarkabe book. it was refreshny dfferent thanother sef-hep books, as t focused on the hundreds of tte day and weekydecsons that bud up to dever the b hary oas that one wants n fe. Myprobem was that i can dream b and expect a ot from mysef. But sayn i wantedsomethn hue next month and fan month after month just ed to reuctanceovera. instead, after readn The Slight Edge, t was easer for me to focus on theday schedue and on makn day proress.

Timothy Sharpe, Redmond, WA

i have used the prncpes of The Slight Edge to improve my physical tness. I haveused t to hep pay off debt, bud my savns and nvestments, and mprove myreatonshps wth my chdren.

Stan Snow, North Yarmouth, ME

i came across The Slight Edge and t nstanty captured my attenton. As an actressvn n New York, t s so easy to et overwhemed by everythn that comes wthths compettve busness. The Slight Edge heped me to understand that the smachoces i make every moment of every day make a hue mpact on my fe.lvn n a socety wth so much emphass on success, i found that The Slight Edgeredened what success is for me. It helps me to take the next step forward in my

everyday fe and do the next rht thn. Ths utmatey eads to a very successfuand fullling life. I attribute much of my success to the simple principles this bookhas outned.

Cara Cooley, Spokane, WA


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introducton:The Mssng ingredent

The Shoeshine Woman

I arrived at the Phoenix airport about 6:30 in the morning. Having time

beore my plane let, I looked around to see i there was a place where I could

get my shoes shined. There was hardly anybody in the airport at that time o the

morning. I strolled around.

Beore long, I ound a shoeshine stand. It was open; a woman in her mid to

late orties sat in one o the customer chairs, absorbed in a paperback book. She

was dressed in black stretch pants, a black apron and a white shirt. She seemed

like a nice, solid person.

I walked over to her stand.

The woman greeted me warmly. She was riendly and happynot always an

easy way to be before the sun comes up, I thought. She got up, set down her book,frst careully olding over the corner o the page shed been reading, then took up

the tools o her trade and pleasantly ushered me into the chair.

Her stand was located right next to a service door through which a constant

stream o maintenance men and janitors came and went. Got to be at work by

seven, I guessed. As they passed by our shoeshine stand, every one o these men

stopped and exchanged greetings with the woman. She knew them all by name

and they knew hers, too. It was clear they were all riends.

She went to work on my shoes, and we started talking.Her daughter, she told me, had just won a cheerleading contest. Boy was she

proud o her! The girl was hoping to go to a cheerleading camp in Dallas. Tell

you the truth, she confded, her voice dropping a bit, I dont know how in the


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2 The Slight Edge

world Im going to fnd the money to buy her the uniorm and plane ticket, let

alone the camp tuition.

In just the ew minutes that I sat with this woman, I learned a good dealabout her lieand about her. She loved her amily, and or that matter, liked

people in general. She made riends easily and was a natural-born communicator.

It was also clear that she enjoyed her work.

And its a good thing she does, I thoughtbecause shed been there, shining

shoes in that same spot, or more than fve years.

I couldnt help but wonder what this womans lie would be like i she had

taken a dierent path fve years earlier. She was well spoken, carried hersel well,

and was riendly and aable.With dierent clothes and a little attention to her hair, she could easily pass or

a successul businessperson.

I noticed the book shed been reading. It was a popular novel, something

to pass the time, to survive the stretches o occupational boredom by living

vicariously in someone elses imagined romance. There was a little heap o them

sitting dog-eared by the wall.

What i, instead o spending ten or fteen minutes here and there, tucked in

between customers, sinking into the pages o those orgettable novels, she had spent

the last fve years reading books that were genuinely lie changing? What i that little

stack o books included Napoleon Hills Think and Grow Rich, Stephen Coveys

The 7 Habits o Highly Eective People, or David Bachs Smart Women Finish

Rich? Where would she be today?

The shoeshine woman was a hard worker. Good with people. She knew

how to read and clearly enjoyed doing so. She was a superb communicator. She

obviously had the talent, personality and basic lie skills to accomplish a lot more

than just living o tips rom shining the shoes o people who could aord to buy

their kids new uniorms and tickets to Dallas.

But she was spending her lie building other peoples dreamsnot her own.

Your income tends to equal the average income o your fve best riends, I mused.

What i she had spent time around people with signifcantly higher incomes than her

own? What i, instead o hanging out only with her colleagues here in the airport,

she had cultivated a dierent group o riends? What i shed been associating with

powerul people, successul people, mentors, movers, shakers, leaders? She could easilyhave done thisshes a terrifc conversationalist. I she had, where would she be today?

Im not making a value judgment on modest incomes or simple occupations.

There are people who work the humblest o jobs yet live lives rich in relationships

and joy, just as there are extremely wealthy people who are also extremely


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introducton 3

unhappy. And Im not criticizing popular novels. But it was clear that this

woman was struggling, and as we sat there talking, Id have bet anything that she

wanted more out o lie.It was clear that she wanted to give her daughter the uniorm and the Dallas

trip, things she couldnt aord in the lie she was living. And it was clear that

it was so much on her mind, shed conded her worries to a complete stranger

within ve minutes o meeting him.

She wanted more, it was plain to see. Why didnt she have it?

Shes industrious, motivated and smart. She reads. She listens. Shes sharp.

Where would she be today if shed set foot on a different path a year ago? Five years

ago? You can bet she wouldnt be shining my shoes. Managing a chain of shoeshinestands is more like it. Would she be having any trouble sending her daughter to

Dallas? I bet shed be sponsoring the entire teamand going with them, too!

While this woman with the wonderul personality continued shining my

shoes, I was watching her in my minds eye, seeing her on a plane to Texas

surrounded by giggling, excited, happy teenagers, seeing her being successul in

so many dierent ways, in so many areas, making such a dierence in her own

lie and the lives o so many others, i only ... what? What was missing?

Feelings welled up in me, a mix o rustration and sadness. I elt or a

moment as i I were going to cry, and I wondered, Why are you so moved by all

of this? Youve seen this before a hundred timeswhy are you so affected by this

one instance?

One reason, I knew, was that it reminded me o another character Id

observed beorenice, like the shoeshine woman, a good person ... just not

succeeding in lie.

The Beach Bum

I was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My dad died when I

was eleven; I remember being handed the fag rom his casket. My mom held

everything together; she was a great, loving mom. But it was still a rough way

to grow up: a atherless, blond-headed kid in a Hispanic neighborhood, who

didnt t in. I really didnt know what to do with it all, so I turned my energy into

mischie and misbehavior: I blamed everything and everyone.

In third grade, my teachers inormed my mom that I had a low IQ. I quickly

gained a reputation or mischie and troublemaking. While my mom worked her

way through the years, I struggled my way through school. By age eighteen, it

was clear to anyone who knew me that I didnt have much o a uture.


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4 The Slight Edge

I begged my way into the University o New Mexico. At college, I built

on my previous academic career and succeeded in taking my C average to a D

average. I did learn one thing, though: I learned that when spring break came,all the students went to Daytona Beach or a week. I thought I could do one

betterI quit school and moved there.

At Daytona Beach, I pursued my frst proession: I became a beach bum. I

lited weights and chased girls. I let my hair grow long and curly. People started

calling me Gorgeous George, ater the amous wrestler at the time.

I got a job at the Orlando Country Club cutting the grass on the gol course.

One day, as I was cutting the greens in the hot Florida sun, I paused to watch the

wealthy club members playing gol on the grass I had cut. As I watched themhum to and ro in their zippy gol carts, in dapper fne gol outfts, with their

classy gol bags flled with expensive gol clubs, I elt a burning question simmer

up inside.

Why is it that theyre over there riding in carts, and Im over here working?

I dont get it. Why are they putting and Im cutting? I dont get it! Im as good as

these people are. How do they get to have it ten times better than me? Are they ten

times better than me? Are they ten times smarter? Or do they work ten times harder?

For whatever reason, as happens in so many peoples lives, I ound

mysel staring squarely at a ork in the road, a point I now reer to as a day o

disgust, that moment o impact we sometimes hit in our lives when we ace our

circumstances and make a decision to change.

In that instant, standing there sweating in the Florida heat, I came to a

moment o decision. I suddenly knew that Id had it up to here with where I was,

what I was and who I was. Something clicked; the tumblers in the lock ell into

place; and I knew that I could never go back to who Id been only a minute earlier.

I knew that or things to change, I had to change. For things to get better, I had

to get better.

I let the gol course.

I loaded my stereo and clothes into my 1964 Dodge Dart slant-six (all my

possessions ft easily into the back seat with room or a passenger) and took o

or Albuquerque. It took me six days just to get to Texas because the car kept

overheating. It was the longest trip o my lie.

The Superachiever

That semester, or the frst time in my lie, I got straight As. I went on to

business school and graduated at the very top o my class. Fresh out o college, I


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introducton 5

became one o the youngest international airport managers in the country. I was

then recruited by Texas Instruments (TI). I wanted to be in management, but they

said, I you want to be in management, you have to start in sales. Sales! I hatedthe idea o sales, knew nothing about it and was terrifed o it, but sales it was.

I worked at TI or fve years and went on to become Intelligent Systems

Manager. But corporate America wasnt or me. There was a lot o politics

(which I hated) and it did not eel like Id yet ound the place where I belonged.

I then decided to start a solar energy company. I knew nothing about solar

energy; I barely knew whether the sun came up in the east or in the west. But with

our hundred solar companies in the state, New Mexico was the capital o the

budding new industry, so ignorance or not, the smart course o action seemed clear.And at frst, it looked like I had indeed made the smart decision. Within two

years, my company was in the top 20, and eventually we became the fth-largest

solar-air energy company in America. I was thrilled. I was on top o the world.

What I did not yet know was that nothing ever stays the same: everything is in

motion. Everything changes.

Times changed. Tax laws changed. Our industry was hit hard. Beore I knew

what was happening, I had lost everything, gone back to zero and belowowing

more money than I thought I could ever even hope to make again.

The Lesson

The night my car was towed away, I sat in despair and thought:

This just isnt air. Ater living as a ailure all my lie, I woke up one day and

came to my senses, went back to college, applied mysel like crazy, entered at the

bottom and graduated at the top, worked or a major corporation or fve years and

went to the very top, built my own company in less than fve years and went to the top... and here I am, ater twelve long years o building toward success, at the bottom

again! Im more broke today than when I was Gorgeous George on the beach!

Twelve years o blood and guts, and I was more o a ailure than ever. I

couldnt wrap my head around it. I couldnt see the logic, the justice, the reasons

or any o it. Was lie just inherently unair? Was that it? Was there simply no

rhyme or reason or anything? Was there no point in even trying?

That was when I began to examine more careully what had happened in

my lie.

I had been a college dropout, a beach bum and a complete fnancial

ailure. And I had also been a straight-A student, a top corporate manager, a

superachieving entrepreneur in a cutting-edge industry and a complete fnancial


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6 The Slight Edge

success. And all o those had been the same person. So what was the dierence?

It made no sense.

Or did it?For the rst time, I began to see that over the years o my roller-coaster

career, I had gone through a rich sequence o experiences that held the secrets

to success as well as to ailure. I had proven to mysel, beyond any shadow o

doubt, the depths o ailure that simple daily errors in judgment could produce. I

had also seen what simple daily disciplines could accomplish. I just hadnt quite

realized what I knew.

It was time to pull away the veil o circumstance and look right at the heart

o the matter. To go behind the results and examine the actions, and behind theactions to nd the attitudes, and behind the attitudes to discover the thinking

that held them there.

That was when I began to discover and explore the Slight Edge.

Since that time, I have built some extraordinary businesses and earned more

money than I ever dreamed o back when I was a corporate manager or solar

energy entrepreneur. Ive also experienced more joy and ulllment within my

amily and other relationships than I knew was possible. Ive also discovered new

vistas in my own investment in my own development, in terms o both health

and learning.

Perhaps most important o all is that Ive built a philosophy that is grounded

in reality, in the way things actually worknot on luck but on the power o the

simple disciplines.

I could lose it all tomorrow. (Its happened beore; Id survive.) But there is

something I cannot lose, and with that one thing I could start rom scratch and

build it all back up again. That one thing is the Slight Edge.

If Only

Youre lookin good, sir, lookin good.

The shoeshine woman was grinning at me. Another customer lost in his

early morning thoughts. And another job well done. I looked down: I could see my

refection in my shoes.

Indeed I am. Lookin good thank you. Thanks very much.

I paid her, gave her as big a tip as I could without (I hoped) having her eel

I was being patronizing, and walked away with clean shoes and a heavy heart.

She was right; or me, things were lookin good, sir, lookin good.

But why the beach bum and not the shoeshine woman?


15/22

introducton 7

While my shoes had been getting a shine, the airport had grown busier. I

now walked through a growing throng o travelers as I worked my way toward

my gate. I noticed all the aces fling past me. Hardly anyone was smiling. Mosto my ellow travelers were trudging with their heads bowed down. I saw bored

expressions. Vacant. Porch lights on, dogs barking, but nobodys home.

Everybody looked so tired. Failing is exhausting.

I heard angry words.

I stopped or a cup o coee and heard a young couple arguing with each

other. A burly man scolded his young son to the point o tears. A heavy woman

complained about the service, then the prices, then her ood, and then started

back in on the service again. The other people in line nodded their heads. A ewjoined her in a chorus o negativity.

Why is everyone so down? Everything these people need to know to change

their lives or the better is already available. All the inormation they could possibly

need to put them on a path o extraordinary success and ulfllment is out there, in

books and CDs, DVDs and workshops. There are people to help themrich, living

resources to guide them, be their mentors, teachers, coaches and allies.

I knew that the dierence between who they were and who they could be

wasnt based on any lack o good inormation. It was all already available.

But why, i the inormation is all there, all the resources are there, and these

people really do want to succeed, arent they doing it?

I looked around the airport as the early morning rush hour swelled its ranks

o busy, hurrying, scowling, unhappy people shambling past with no spark in

their aces, no bounce in their step. I wished I could somehow address them all,

that I could touch all their lives with my silent soliloquy.

The problem, I shouted out in my head, is that you dont have a way to process

the inormation. Theres no ramework in place or you to take in all the extraordinary

insight thats out there and put it to work in your lie.

I only you were aware o the Slight Edge. I only you knew what it was doing

in your lie and how easy it is to have the Slight Edge working or youinstead o

against you.

I only you were making the right choices, doing those simple, little disciplines that

would change your lie or the better orever where would you be fve years rom today?

I only you learned to recognize the Slight Edge ...I only ...

But it was only in my head. Not a soul heard my words nobody, that is,

but me.


16/22

That day, on the plane, I started writing this book.

The Slight Edge is not just more good information. Its not another self-help

success book packed with some revolutionary new best way of doing things. Youdont need that. Nobody needs that. All the new and better information is already

available and has been for years.

This book is a precursor to help you use that information.

This book is what I hope will help you take whatever information you want,

whatever how-tos or strategies or goals or aspirations, and turn them into the life

you want. This book is what I wish I could have put into that sweet and sad shoeshine

womans hands.

I have since been back to that airport. In fact, I have been back through theremany, many times. I have looked for the shoeshine woman, but she is no longer there.

I dont know where she is or what has happened in her life. But I do know this: she is

not alone. There are millions upon millions of people, everywhere I go, everywhere I

look, whose lives are not all that they wish, not all that they yearn for. Not even close.

And yet they could be.

So I dedicate this book to that shoeshine woman, to her daughter, to her daughters

cheerleading team ... and to everyone else in the world who wants more.

I dedicate this book toyou and to those who have already put the Slight Edge

into practice.


17/22

Foreword:The Road to the Slight Edge

Its been some time now since my encounter with the shoeshine lady, and a

lot has happened since then. I have been ortunate to be the CEO and owner o

many successul companies. So how did I get there? Well, Ive had some help.

When you get the opportunity to be around successul CEOs and infuential

authors and speakers, their wisdom has a way o rubbing o on you.

But the main reason or my successand the success o other infuentialpeople around the worldcontinues to be the daily application o the philosophy

I am going to share with you called the Slight Edge.

Ater my time at Texas Instruments and building my own company Sun

Aire o America, which at the time was one o the largest solar energy companies

in the country, I went on to build three separate multimillion-dollar sales orces,

one o which I was appointed CEO.

Based on that experience, I ounded TPN (The Peoples Network), which

was one o the largest personal-development training companies in the nation,

producing over 900 television programs on various topics such as amily

relationships and nance, etc. As the CEO o TPN I was oten regarded as one

o the most infuential people in personal development. I eventually sold TPN to

a New York Stock Exchange company.

I then took the principles I learned at TPN to help consult or a company,

and I have been instrumental in taking them rom $70 million in revenues to

$500 million.I arrived at these destinations, not by being smarter than everyone else,

not by quantum leaps o advancement, but by consistently applying the Slight

Edge philosophy.


18/22

10 The Slight Edge

The Pinnacle of Personal Development

As CEO and ounder o TPN I had the opportunity to meet with many o the

greatest masterminds and thinkers o our time. Infuential authors and speakers

were lining up at my door, due to the large distribution o personal-development

inormation our company produced. I sat with Oprah Winrey or lengthy

in-depth discussions on the path o personal development. I spent a weekend

with Dick Snyder, then CEO o Simon & Schuster (the largest publisher o

personal development), in his mansion in the woods o Connecticut, discussing

everything there is to discuss about personal development. I worked closely with

Jan Miller, the biggest literary agent o personal development. I even went to

Nashville, the capital o country music, to talk with legendary country music

executive Jimmy Bowen about mixing personal development with music.

I met with about every leading author and speaker on every topic you can

imagine, many o whom made appearances in many o our programs. TPN was

making huge waves. I was on the cover oThe Wall Street Journal as well as many

other publications, including Entrepreneurmagazine and SUCCESS magazine,

discussing what TPN was accomplishing in the personal-development world.

Does Chicken Soup for the Soul sound amiliar? It should; this one book has soldover 100 million copies and has spawned several other titles that have been translated

into several languages. I was there in 1993 when author Mark Victor Hansen shared

with me his idea and dream to create the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

I dont bring up these examples just to brag or to drop names; I do it to explain

what all these experiences have aorded me: a rare opportunity to absorb and amass

inormation rom the very best on every topic imaginable, and see it all rom the

catbird seat. We were not just inormation providers but inormation producers.

What I came to realize is that inormation about how to become successul hasalways been readily available, but i the person absorbing that inormation doesnt

have the right philosophy to apply it the right way, success will elude their grasp.

You see, there is no magic bullet, quick x, or quantum leap method to reach

success. Marketing tactics are used to pull us in to lose 30 pounds in 3 weeks or

make money while you sleep. The only problem? Although some might have

success in the beginning, the results are not long lasting, This ends up rustrating

the consumer and makes them give up on otherwise great inormation, that i

applied with the right philosophy would have given them great results.

What the Slight Edge philosophy is meant to do is give you a philosophy

that will become a lter or every decision you make. It will give you a way to

apply great inormation into your lie in a way that will produce lasting results. It


19/22

Foreword 11

is the missing ingredient to making change happen! I you understand the Slight

Edge philosophy then you can eectively apply any sound principle or action

into your lie with success. And that is a 100 percent guarantee. In act, i aterputting the principles to work in your own lie you dont see improvement, we

will reund every penny you paid or this book.

I have been teaching the Slight Edge philosophy or many years now,

and published the rst edition o the book in 2005. Many great things

have been birthed rom The Slight Edge: The SUCCESS Foundation

(www.successoundation.org) was created to provide teens with the undamental

principles o personal development and the resources to help them reach their

ull potential.The organization even wrote the book SUCCESS for Teens: Real Teens Talk

About Living The Slight Edge, and have teamed up with stellar organizations such as Big

Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Clubs, Network or Teaching Entrepreneurship,

Just Say Yes, Americas Promise Alliance and Optimist International to get The

Slight Edge principles into the hands o millions o teenagers.

Two o the people I mentored at TPN, Darren Hardy and Kym Yancey, and

many others have gone on to do some great things. Darren went on to become

the publisher o SUCCESS magazine and authored a book The Compound

Effect based on the Slight Edge philosophy. Kym, along with his wie Sandra,

created E-Women Network, recognized as the No. 1 resource or connecting and

promoting women and their businesses worldwide. Another good riend, Todd

Smith, penned a great book called Little Things Matter, based on the Slight Edge

principles. These are wonderul books and I encourage you to go buy them to

learn more about their interpretation o the Slight Edge philosophy.

Many other readers oThe Slight Edge have gone on to accomplish amazing

things by simply implementing the Slight Edge principles in their livesmany

o the stories we will share with you in this revised edition.

Origin of The Slight Edge

Over the years many people have asked me how The Slight Edge was

conceived. It began when the book was only a concept. To fesh it out I went to the

Mountain Shadow Resort in Phoenix to get away by mysel and spent a weekend

listening to Jim Rohn and other legendary personal-development icons. Soon I

started to see an overall philosophy develop rom all that I read and heard that

weekend. I didnt have a name or it, and I couldnt write down in words what it

meant at the time. The best way to convey it was to simply draw it out.


20/22

12 The Slight Edge

5% SUCCESS

Slight Edge Life Paths

Whatsuncomfortableearlybecomescom

forta

ble

late

r

Whatscomfortableearlybecomesuncom

fortable

late

r

FINANCES

HEALTH

BUSINESSPERSONAL

DEVELOPMENT

RELATIONSHIPS

Progressive realization ofa worthy idea

95% FAILURELasts a lifetime

Responsibility/Discipline

Value Driven

EASY TO DO

Simple disciplines madeconsistently over time

Blame/Neglect

Entitled

EASY NOT TO DOSimple errors in judgement

made over time

PHILOSOPHY ATTITUDE ACTIONS RESULTS LIFESTYLE

Once on paper I came back home and drew it out on my oce whiteboard to

urther fesh out the concept. From this crude drawing I started to teach it out on

the road and it soon became known as the Slight Edge.

Everywhere I went people wanted me to give the Slight Edge speech. My next

task was to get it out o my head and onto paper so people could read it whenever

they wanted. I wrote the rst 120 pages and then lie got busy and the unnished

manuscript sat on my credenza or years. Eventually I carved out the time to nish it.

What Im about to say next is going to surprise you. I was never trying to

create a best seller with The Slight Edge. I was simply trying to get it out o my

brain and onto paper as ast as I could so people would stop hounding me about it.

This way I could point to the book without having to explain the entire philosophy.

First, I sent the book out to a ew riends who wanted it, thinking that would

be it. But I received more calls rom my riends telling me how much they got out o

reading the book, which I laughed at. I discounted much o what they were saying

because these were my close riends and I gured they were just being supportive.

But then I started getting calls rom people who had received the book rom myclose riends, and it mushroomed rom there. All this time others were telling me this,

but I was too busy to notice. Thats when it hit me that we were on to something.

However, my daughter would say the day she knew we were on to something was

when she saw The Slight Edge listed on ABCs website as The Bachelorette contestant


21/22

Foreword 13

Roberto Martinezs avorite book. When he went on to win the show and Alis heart

she called me and said The Slight Edge even helps you win reality TV shows!

In all seriousness, the amazing thing is we hardly promoted the book. In act,it never had wide distribution because it could only be purchased by calling a 1-800

number. By simple word-o-mouth the book has exploded at a grassroots level

completely organic. And now that we have seen how it is aecting so many lives I

wanted to make it betterto take it to the next level.

And i wasnt or my daughter Amber pushing me to bring some o these stories

and testimonials to lie, this revised edition wouldnt exist. She was the driving orce

behind this project and pushed me to make this book even better than it already is.

The Book That Started It All

The message I want to get across is this book is real. Over the years, people

have shared with me how the Slight Edge was working in their lie. I told them

to give me their business card with the topic (either nances, health, sports, etc)

on the back and we would call them to get their story in writing. Lets just say I

didnt do a very good job in calling these wonderul people back. Amber nally

volunteered to call these people when she saw the drawer spilling over withbusiness cards o people anxious to share their stories.

Again, I want to thank my daughter or nding the time to call these

wonderul people and to personally thank them or sharing with me the stories

you are about to read.

I would be remiss i I didnt give credit to the time period when The Slight

Edge debuted. Personal-development sections o bookstores exploded in the 90s

and we were a part o that exciting time. People had nally begun to ask themselves,

What I am doing with my life?I want something more. Today we are experiencing asimilar revival. In time o economic distress, people start to prioritize whats most

important to them and they want to be educated on how to get ahead.

I tell you all this so that beore I start explaining the Slight Edge philosophy

you get to see how I came to understand the Slight Edge and how these principles

have stood the test o time by themselveswith or without my infuenceand have

enabled people to accomplish amazing things. The principles you are about to learn

are time-tested, and its my deepest desire that you will embrace them to the ullest.

As a way to thank all o the readers, this revision is dedicated to all the past,

present and uture readers oThe Slight Edge. All we have done is plant the seed.

You are the ones who have watered and cultivated it to be what it is today.

Thank you,

Je Olson


22/22

14 The Slight Edge

Whats New in This Revised Edition?

In this revised edition we have meticulously gone through each chapter and

expanded it with new stories, as well as updates based upon observation o theSlight Edge principles over the last fve years.

There is a new chapter in this edition called 7 Slight Edge Principles. Its

a collection o specifc, actionable principles and characteristics that will help

you in applying the Slight Edge philosophy, which Part Two o the book is all

about. It is a good oundation on which to start your own personal-development

journey, all the while creating a positive ripple eect, by one action that creates

several positive reactions.

The one thing I am most excited about in this revised edition is the chance to

share with you the stories o many readers oThe Slight Edge. We have received

thousands o amazing stories rom readers explaining how The Slight Edge has

helped them with their personal relationships, fnances, business, health, and lie

pursuits just by injecting the Slight Edge philosophy into their lives. The results

have created a ripple eect having a lasting impact on everyone they meet. Their

stories explain the principles and real-lie applications ar better than I ever

could. I hope you will be moved by their stories as much as I was.

My daughter Amber contributed a section addressing the next generation o

readers oThe Slight Edge. She has grown up with The Slight Edge and knows the

importance o getting this inormation into the hands o young people to help them

understand that the choices they make today will aect the rest o their lives.

Through my father and others, I have seen the impactof a lifetime full of right and wrong decisions and wherethey lead you. I am forever grateful to have had the

Slight Edge philosophy instilled in me at a young age bymy parents, because I was able to end up on the positiveside of the Slight Edge curve by being aware that thechoices I make on a daily basis matter.

Amber Olson

I am excited and honored to announce the brand new Slight Edge online

community, an additional resource that gives readers oThe Slight Edge a voice

to share their experiences with other like-minded individuals, as well as shareresources and Slight Edge tips, encourage and support one another, and experience

additional lie-enriching inormation. Please come experience the slight edge

community at www.SlightEdge.org. I look orward to seeing you there!

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