Rarely does a book give you a mind-blowing, clear perspective of your life and even less often a definite plan of action. The Slight Edge does this purposefully and directly. It is impossible not to get excited by this book, as we may not realize it, but for many of us, even the smallest decisions could be impacting us in a negative way. The Slight Edge explains how to steer your life in the right, positive direction.

The author starts on firm ground asking a simple question: “What is the difference between successful people and unsuccessful people?” By answering this question, he manages to sketch a clear and definite plan that anyone can follow immediately, in order to become successful and reach lifetime goals.

Within just a short few pages, you begin to realize exactly what makes people successful. And the answer, while simple, is far from obvious and even quite surprising. The Slight Edge is a key that opens the door to a whole new universe of choices and possibility. We all have the ability to choose what we do every minute, but may not completely understand how each and every decision affects our lives.

Throughout the book, Jeff Olson thoroughly defines the concept of “Slight Edge” (simple actions and disciplines compounded over time) and gives a clear idea of how it affects your life, and how you can use it to your own advantage. The psychology of success is masterfully explained and makes you realize just how the small things that you do every day can either generate an upward or downward curve in the diagram of life. Simple, repeated errors can lead to unhappiness and failure, while good decisions can lead to success and happiness.

“Daily” and “repeatedly” are the two key words of the book. As you read, you will quickly begin to realize which actions you have taken to lead you to your current life and whether you consider your life so far, to be a success. You will learn what it is exactly that you should change daily to get where you want to go from this point in your life. The Slight Edge helps you understand and recognize hidden processes by taking a real, sincere look at your life and how to apply these simple principles.

The book simply gets you to DO things and take action.  I was able to apply the useful concepts and established rules of success I had gathered from years of reading self-improvement books and finally make a palpable change in my life. The rules of success (and also failure) are not a mystery. They are established, simple and available, but require hard work and motivation. The Slight Edge uncovers them.

Written in a positive, lively tone the book is easy to read and understand. Using interesting and motivational anecdotes and examples, The Slight Edge tackles the issue of procrastination, which seems to be one of the main problems in our everyday lives. There is also an audio version of the book which is very convenient and can be easily listened to in the car on the way to work.

This is the kind of book that you will feel compelled to recommend to others and even to reread yourself. The book focuses on your goals. It pushes you to set definite goals for five areas of your life, set a time frame for each of them and describes the effort that you will need to make in order to reach them.

The author insists on simple concepts, such as the idea of compound interest versus immediate gratification and the effective use of your time. The idea of being an overnight success will not get you anywhere. The Slight Edge erases that false concept from your mind and gives you what you’ve always been looking for: a simple plan that you can consistently put into practice in order to achieve your goals.

If you only read one self-improvement book this year, make it The Slight Edge. It can get you there. No fluff or hype. Just good old cause and effect.