Reposted from my new site at FreedomPassionPurpose.com
How many times have you heard someone (or yourself) say…
“I’m gonna change my life!”
“I’m going to lose a bunch of weight!”
“I’m going to get rich!”
… Especially right around New Year’s?
And then what happens … they change. Drastically. For about a week. Maybe two.
What happens next? They go back to the same routine – or worse, they give up on change altogether and slump down even lower than before, because they lose hope in themselves and the possibilities of life.
Why does this happen?
There are many answers … here is the best I’ve been able to come up with:
People attempt to make drastic changes and life changing resolutions and are rarely able to do so because they are unable drastically and immediately change the behavioral patterns that drive them to live the way they live.
Life isn’t like the movies…
What I mean is … a movie starts and ends within about two hours, with a entire plot in between, where the characters usually change and grow significantly, go from rags to riches, nobody to superstar, lonely to happily married … all within those two hours. We live in a microwave society, and we expect things to happen NOW.
That’s why so many infomercials make fortunes selling “Lose Weight Now” programs.
That’s why so many Internet marketers make a killing selling “Get Rich Quick” programs.
And ultimately, that’s why athletes turn to steroids, the finance industry turns to greed, and why so many people end up giving up on their dreams and aspirations…
If there is a day that turns your life around, it’s the day that you decide to change your patterns, your philosophy, and start acting on that decision.
The Slight Edge Concept
The Slight Edge Concept is a personal development philosophy that essentially claims that it is the daily disciplines, NOT the quantum leaps or decisions that really change your life.
Want to get smarter? Read 10 pages a day. That equals about two dozen books per year. 20+ pages per day = about a book per week. 1 hour of audio material in the car per day = 1 or 2 audiobooks per week. Over the course of a few years, you can have a PhD like education and knowledge-based without the tuition bill.
Want to get healthier? It’s not about the few weeks at the beginning of the year where you go to the gym for two hours per day. It’s about the 30 minutes of cardio every day. The 50 pushups and sit ups every morning.
Want to lose weight? Again, it’s not about the hours at the gym daily or cutting your calories in half. It’s not about dropping a pound a day and starving yourself. It’s about the slight adjustments in your diet. The daily additional exercise. All of this adds up exponentially to a healthier lifestyle, lost pounds, and more energy and vibrancy in your life.
Want to get wealthier? Try saving an additional $10 per day … that’s $300 per month … that’s $3600 per year … do that for a few years and tack on a reasonable interest rate, and you’re on your way! Start young, and you won’t find yourself broke at 40. David Bach talks about this concept that he calls the LATTE factor in his best-selling book, Automatic Millionaire.
Disclaimer: For those of you that are extreme … that can do extraordinary things under extreme pressure and thrive in extreme circumstances … go for it. If you have an extreme personality, you just might be able to go for broke to get rich. While I personally support both the “extreme” philosophy (especially in entrepreneurship) and the Slight Edge Concept … I believe it takes a particular type of psychology and hardcore DNA to make this work (personal development gurus like Kevin Lehmann and Tony Robbins may happily disagree on this – I do have a ton of respect for those that can accomplish “breakthroughs” or “extreme measures”). But even for the extreme folks out there, the Slight Edge Concept can be life changing if applied to extreme actions – just make sure you don’t burn out!
Create the Life You Want
Never forget your ultimate vision. Your own defined life of Freedom, Passion, and Purpose … just make sure you don’t get so lost in the vision that you forget that TODAY is the day to create that life. Take actions, implement the daily disciplines. Do the same tomorrow. And the next day.
Before you know it, you will have the life you want. Gary Vaynerchuck teaches that patience along with passion will be the fuel to create the life you want.
You may not see results tomorrow. In fact, I can tell you with confidence that you won’t. You probably won’t see any significant results the next day or next week either. The Slight Edge Concept is not a microwave. You have to have faith in the process, so that you won’t give up before you see results. Trust me – if you stick with the daily disciplines, they will eventually become part of your natural behavioral patterns. And those disciplines and patterns will eventually create your life – so choose them wisely.
This article may awaken some people in our microwave society – while others may completely disagree with it. I welcome comments on both sides!
If you are already consciously using the Slight Edge Concept in your life … share your story in the comments below. If you need more clarification, never hesitate to contact me directly.
Also, remember to pick up The Slight Edge: The Secret to a Successful Life by Jeff Olson … where he outlines this philosophy it great detail.
