The Slight Edge

I wanted to share a philosophy that I think is worthwhile to teach children as well as adults.  One of the things I have found that makes all the difference between being successful and being average is consistently doing the little things that make all the difference.  Small decisions we are faced with everyday, like what to eat, what to read, what to spend our energy and focus on.  Added up over time, these small, seemingly insignificant decisions add up to our success or lack thereof.   

I will give you some examples.  Let’s say I choose to eat pizza’s, double bacon cheeseburgers, chili-dogs, fries and drink soda-pop for every meal.  You choose to eat healthy, lite meals consisting of vegetables, some fruit and a good protein source along with lots of water.  Are we going to notice a difference between you and I after the first day?  No.  After the first week?  Probably not.  But how about after 1 year of continuing this pattern?  Yes.  You will eventually notice a big difference in our body type, our energy level, our overall vitality. 

Another example.  Let’s say I choose to read trashy books like the autobiography of Dennis Rodman, “Bad as I wanna Be.”  You read informative books on finances, healthy lifestyles, critical thinking, economics, history and current trends.  Again I ask if there will be any noticeable difference between us after the first day?  No.  After a month you might notice a different outlook or personality forming.  After 5 years, there will be a BIG difference in our perspective of the world and how things work.  That simple decision of what to read, if kept up over time, becomes our direction.  That’s the slight edge.  Small decisions we make every day do matter.  A lot.  In these two examples, you have it over me.

Why don’t people make the right decisions on a consistent basis?  It’s really easy to make good choices, so why aren’t we better at it?  As Jim Rohn taught me, because it’s easy not to.  It’s like the apple a day concept.  “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a saying that generations are familiar with.  If that was REALLY true, you would say that’s pretty easy to do.  Eat an apple every day.  No problem.  Then why don’t we do it?  It’s easy NOT to do.  It’s easy to mess up and let time go by without eating an apple.  Same concept.  You won’t get sick the first day you don’t eat an apple.  Not even the first month.  But let neglect settle-in, and over time it catches up with you. 

If the results for our actions were all instant, we would certainly change our ways.  That’s why you must pretend the results will be instant, to help yourself make good choices.  Otherwise we let ourselves get off track just a slight bit, and don’t even notice.  Until we look in the mirror 5-10 years later and wonder how we ended up here.  (overweight, financially mediocre or worse, physically ill, etc.)

One good way I have found to keep myself inline is use the observer bias concept.  Here is how it works.  We all will do different things and use our time better if we believe we are being observed.  For example:  If I followed you around all day with a notepad and pen, just watching you and writing down everything you did, would you do anything differently than a normal day without me there?  (If you perceived me as a person of authority that had some power over your employment.)  Most people would be different.  They would be more efficient and more productive.  That’s the observer bias.  What you need to do is pretend someone is watching you all the time.  Because in fact someone is, you.  You know deep down what you are doing and that shapes your self-image.  Just like my previous post on the subject, self-confidence is one of life’s essential keys.

In order to have the slight edge, make the small decisions everyday that will make all the difference.  Over time, you will see the results pay off!  Have a great day!