Success means different things to different people. For some, being successful equates to earning a six-figure income or driving an expensive car, while others measure success by their impact on society or being happy and passionate about their life’s work. Regardless of your definition or your goals, the best thing you can do for yourself is close your eyes and think about your greatest professional or personal aspiration. Think about where you are now and all the necessary steps you’ll have to take to reach your end goal, successfully. For Skip Bailey, a driver at Villa Creek in Dallas, his end goal was crystal clear: he knew he had to lose 200 pounds. What Skip didn’t realise was that The Slight Edge was going to help him do it.
Small Increments of Change
After a lifelong struggle to lose weight, Skip committed to a personal plan of action. With a goal of losing 200 pounds, he slimmed down from 375 to 177 pounds in just six years. Don’t misunderstand: Skip’s body transformation wasn’t quick or easy. He didn’t discover a new diet trend, try innovative surgery or seek a quick fix to help him achieve his goal; instead, Skip accidentally stumbled upon The Slight Edge. The idea behind The Slight Edge is so remarkably simple, “I lost ten pounds, twenty times,” Skip explains. Make a few small changes to your life every day, over a long period of time, and you can just about reach any goal you set your mind too – that’s The Slight Edge! Skip offers encouragement to others, stating, “If I can do it, anyone can.”
Your Slight Edge
Discovering the power of The Slight Edge helped Skip recognise a power within himself. You see, your slight edge is all about making daily decisions and small changes to your life. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, that’s the point, according to Slight Edge author Jeff Olson. Everyone, regardless of education or opportunity, has an ability to choose their actions. Making small, daily changes to your life is easy to do but also easy not to do. “The thing is, all of us already know how to do everything it takes to make us an outrageous success,” says Olson. “Just keep doing the things that have gotten you this far. The same activities that take us from failure to survival would also take us from survival to success – if we would just keep doing them.” That’s exactly what Skip did.
Master the Mundane
One of Olson’s favorite quotes is by American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson: “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” Emerson’s quote represents one of the fundamental ideas behind The Slight Edge, according to Olson. The concept of The Slight Edge is straightforward – integrate small steps and changes consistently over a period and you’ll soon discover that these simple repetitive actions performed daily lead to greater things. Grasping The Slight Edge’s simple, mind-changing philosophy became Skip’s “Aha!” moment. The Slight Edge represents an entirely new way of thinking; a way of processing information that enables you to make the simple daily choices that will lead you to the success and happiness you desire.
Easy to Do, Easy Not to Do
Skip joined 24-Hour Fitness. For the first month, he didn’t have the courage to go inside the gym. “I was embarrassed at how big I was. I didn’t want people to make fun of me.” But once he made the decision to step out of his comfort zone and walk inside, Skip knew he had an edge! At the beginning of his journey, the road was physically and emotionally long and hard. Now, Skip walks about five miles every day with no signs of slowing down. The changes Skip has made to his lifestyle are easy to do, e.g., instead of picking up Krispy Kremes for breakfast, he now enjoys scrambled eggs with peppers, onions, and salsa on toast. In addition to healthy eating, Skip also started walking, everywhere. He even gets up at 4:15 a.m. to walk. “Once you have a clear goal and you believe in yourself, there’s nothing holding you back,” says Olson. “It’s amazing what Skip has done in six years.Knowing that The Slight Edge has had a part in helping Skip accomplish his personal goal of losing 200 pounds is amazing. I’m so grateful that he shared his story with us,” says Olson.
Thank you, Skip!