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

by Jeff Olson

A friend of mine says that people make two lists about their spouses and carry these lists around in their heads. The long list is a detailed accounting of what’s wrong with their spouse, and the short list is a summary of what’s right. The long list they consult every day. And the short list? That’s the one they read at the funeral. People on the success curve don’t wait for the eulogy. They rip the long list to shreds, scatter its pieces to the wind, and spend every day reading from the short list. They make themselves experts in “what’s right,” and let go of “what’s wrong.” They never hold a grudge—not because it’s morally wrong (although they may agree with that reason, too), but because it simply gets in the way of the curve their life is taking. It slows them down. They’re too busy moving toward the future to be gazing into the rearview mirror. One of the quickest and most direct routes to getting yourself up and onto the success curve is to get out of the past. Review the past, but only for the purpose of making a better plan. Review it, understand and take responsibility for the errors you’ve made, and use it as a tool to do differently in the future. And don’t spend a great deal of time doing even that—the future is a far better tool than the past. The future is your most powerful tool and your best friend. Devote some serious, focused time and effort into designing a crystal-clear picture of where you’re going. Toward the end of this book we’ll take some time to ...