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

Olson states that learning to walk is a nice metaphor for taking small steps toward achieving a goal, even when repeated failure is experienced. The immediate result of failing to walk (falling down) isn’t the permanent outcome. With enough practice and, quite literally, baby steps, mastery of a goal—like learning to walk—is achievable. Olson clarifies that mastery isn’t some perfect, final destination, but a continual pathway to improvement that requires only persistence, no innate talent or head start. Even infants persist in the face of failure to achieve a goal, never doubting that it’s possible but getting up and trying again. Olson says everyone should share that mentality. He argues that the main reasons many adults stop striving for mastery are a fear of failure, which is nearly inevitable on the path to success, and a lack of faith that things will work out. As a result, many people abandon their goals and neglect to use the slight edge to improve their lives.

First, Olson discusses the lack of faith and the expectation of failure. Failure causes many people to give up, and over time, this version of the slight edge—getting used to things not working out—works against them. Despite this, anyone can return to striving for mastery, which begins with having a want, some kind of ambition. It also includes being careful about who that’s shared with, because some people respond negatively to others’ self-growth journeys due to their own self-suppression.

The desire for change reveals a gap between where someone is, point A, and where they want to be, point B, and this gap naturally creates tension. The way a person responds to that tension determines whether they’ll use their desire to bridge the gap or see the tension as an insurmountable problem and give up. The two curves of the slight edge, positive and negative, may appear to run parallel for a long time before they diverge upward and downward, respectively. Due to the discomfort of pursuing the positive curve, many people fall into the trap of sliding onto the deceptively easy negative trajectory. However, pursuing true desires is what will lead to actual comfort in life, rather than the deceptive comfort that about 95% of people choose.

Olson then talks about the fear of failure and rejection. After reading an article about the average funeral, at which only 10 people on average cry and the number of attendees is primarily determined by the weather, Olson decided to stop caring about what people thought of his failures. People stagnate when fixated on failure and rejection, Olson argues, whereas facing mortality can kickstart people out of their comfort zones. To have thousands of people truly mourn your death, your life must have a profound ripple effect, which is the true sign of mastery.

The personal story in this chapter focuses on a parent who was faced with their own downward curve when their daughter was born and they couldn’t afford milk. Fortunately, they had The People’s Network on and heard Olson talk about the slight edge, which catalyzed them to make small changes that yielded greater results for them over time. This parent has gone on to give lectures around the world about the power of the slight edge. Now, with a new daughter, they have much better outcomes and can afford milk. The essential points from this chapter include the journey to mastery, the discomfort but necessity of yearning, the ways the gap between the current state and the ideal state can be closed, and how this path is often trod alone.

Olson states that one of the greatest steps toward building the life you want is investing in your own self-improvement. One can do this by engaging in continuous learning, like reading personal development books or attending seminars. Deciding to take the plunge isn’t enough; it’s the execution of that decision that matters. However, Olson warns that while learning through education is important, so is learning by doing. Both so-called book smarts and street smarts are required to succeed, and this back-and-forth creates the rhythm of success. One’s internal gyroscope, or vision for the future, can allow a person to course correct, an important part of bridging the gap between goal and reality. Ideally, this course correction will become automatic with practice.

Olson returns to the notion of the power of language, but specifically around thoughts, which he asserts can shape how the slight edge works in your life. This is the true goal of self-improvement: not to master some skill or learn some new thing but to improve the way you think. The thoughts of the conscious brain can positively impact the unconscious brain because most people function on autopilot. By consciously focusing on thoughts and habits, people can use the slight edge to their advantage and make positive thoughts and actions automatic.

There are two personal stories in this chapter. The first is about a woman who built a small, consistent reading habit that allowed her to read 15 books in a year. The second is about a man who decided he wanted to rise above the mediocrity he’d settled into as a young adult. He built a reading habit that enabled him to open doorways and form relationships that led him to a successful business venture as a 22-year-old. The key points from this chapter include the importance of investing in yourself through continuous learning, the need to balance book and street smarts, the normalcy of course correction, and the ways to leverage autopilot to enhance your life.

Olson expands on his idea of continuous learning to include a third domain beyond book and street smarts: learning from a mentor who is further along toward mastery. For Olson, it was respected Albuquerque airport manager Clyde Share. Clyde took an interest in him and became his mentor through daily chats over coffee, eventually recommending him for a job as airport manager down the road. That opened the gateway for Olson’s next management opportunity with Texas Instruments. He acknowledges he wouldn’t have gotten there if it wasn’t for Clyde Share’s belief in him and guidance.

Deciding on heroes is an important aspect of selecting a mentor. This mentor isn’t likely to be beneficial if it’s some unattainable celebrity. He uses Alcoholics Anonymous as an example of the importance and impact of this kind of learning. AA sponsors aren’t celebrities, but they act as models to people striving to overcome alcoholism. As a result, they are heroes to the people who look up to them. Olson also discusses the importance of the company you keep, particularly the five people you spend the most time with. Those people, he says, influence your attitude, mindset, and actions. That doesn’t mean cutting out every negative person, or anyone who is more of a taker than a giver, but it does mean there’s no need to spend quality time with them. Having good company allows you to form a “mastermind,” a group (or just a partnership) that enables people to combine knowledge and experience for self-improvement. The book contains a link to find a mastermind partner through a Facebook group, which is another piece of the “slight edge” puzzle: becoming a mentor to others on their journeys.

The personal story in this chapter is from a man who dropped out of college when he had a newborn baby. The man learned to trade in his video games for books, which helped him build his self-esteem and improve his relationship with his wife. He also acts as a mentor to others. The key points from this chapter include finding someone who has mastered the skills you want, reflecting on your heroes, building a thoughtful alliance of friends, letting go of people who don’t uplift you, and forming a mastermind.

Olson highlights a few core components to maximizing the slight edge, including momentum, completion, reflection, and celebration. First, he argues that steady momentum is key to ensuring success. Speed isn’t always the optimal condition, but continuous movement is. He uses “The Tortoise and the Hare” to illustrate this idea and expounds on it by suggesting routine action is better than a single overwhelming action. For example, it’s better to exercise for 20 minutes a day than to exercise over 100 minutes in one day. Momentum flows into habit.

The next component, completion, addresses the importance of finishing tasks to build confidence about the future. Unfinished obligations can make a person feel stuck in the past, whether that’s a message they meant to send, a debt they have to pay, or something else. Checking these off as soon as possible is best because the longer an obligation sits, the greater the slight edge can work against its completion. However, not everything has to—or should be—checked off at once. Taking it one step at a time to make progress toward completion is highly valuable.

Reflection through a journal, buddy, or coach can help evaluate whether the busy nature of one’s life is actually productive. Getting honest about what’s working and what’s not every day can improve accountability and aid in growth. Lastly, celebrating the positive strides, no matter how small, is an important part of the process.

The personal story in this chapter is from a man whose finances were upside down until he started using the slight edge. Now, he makes 10 times as much money as before and successfully runs a nonprofit foundation. The key points from the chapter include the importance of momentum, completion, reflection, and celebration.