Implementing the Slight Edge

The Slight Edge philosophy probably has many names. My father-in-law calls it the Law of the Harvest and says it is a principle as old as time. I agree.

I use the term, The Slight Edge, because of the name of the book where I learned it: The Slight Edge: Secret to a Successful Life.

To quickly define it, it is the philosophy that wealth (or health, relationships, art, nations, families) will grow based on small, non-dramatic actions and events over a long period of time rather than short and dramatic events or actions. One of my mentors has said that wealth comes most often by long-term discipline, not by the lottery or inheritance.

I speak now as a student of creating financial freedom, because I am on that road--not wealthy myself. As you might read in my profile, I am a student and mentor. In terms of achieving financial stability and eventually wealth I am a student. However, I have found some mentors I have chosen, and I share them here.

Now that I have an understanding of The Slight Edge, here are my plans. If you are learning along with me, you will see how this goes, what I learn. Join me on this journey.

One of the fundamental principles that I have followed for many years is to focus on one particular thing and let everything else take a second or later priority in my life. For example, my yard is in shambles. I actually have said to myself many many times over the years that once I reached a certain financial goal, I would keep up my yard. I reasoned that I would have more time then, and it wouldn't be long before I reached that goal anyway. Well, it's been years and I haven't reached that goal at all. In fact, I would say that only now do I understand how to reach it and am committed to what is needed.

We all have several roles in our lives. I am Father, a child of God, an employee, a member of a Boy Scout committee. I have responsibility to eat right, to take care of my yard, to build sound and nurturing relationships with my children.

The Slight Edge teaches that I should be doing things relative to each of my roles on a non-hurried, non-dramatic, but consistent basis.

As I look at my yard, I now see taking care of it as part of a holistic set of activities that will bring me the things I want in life. For example, as I learn how to take care of a large tree, I'll learn how to take care of other things, such as a business. As I discipline myself to do the small, regular things that are needed in my yard, my discipline in getting things done in my business will also increase.

I have made a fundamental change in my thinking and planning. I will no more hurry to put out the fires I perceive. Most of them are not really emergencies anyway. To quote one of my mentors, Michael Puskas,

"Keep your mind focused on what you DESIRE and off of the APPEARANCES of lack in your environment. For that is all they are, appearances."

I have been blessed to have an employer for my day job who was willing to allow me to work 4-ten hour days and have one weekday off. I spend part of this day volunteering in Boy Scouts of America, and part of the day working on my own business.

So this week my plans are different. Instead of ignoring the lawn, and the tree; instead of not exercising, and instead of a few other things, I plan to mow the lawn, maybe I'll set an amount of time to work in the yard. Unlike other attempts, I won't try to clean the whole yard in one day so I can leave it for another year. Like most important things in life, a yard requires cultivation, a little work here, a little there, maybe a bit more on Saturday. But I will do a small thing or two. I won't exercise all day long and try to convince myself it will do me for a month. Instead I will go for a walk. I will do one (slightly larger in terms of time) thing for my business, and one thing for Scouting. Tuesdays are my days to cook dinner for the family, and this time we will sit down and eat together.

This is how I figure I can implement The Slight Edge into my life. I challenge you to do the same.