Bookworm June 2025
The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson
How Small, Consistent Choices Shape the Life You Truly Want
Every once in a while, a book comes along that doesn’t just give you information — it changes the way you see your everyday life. For me, The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson did exactly that.
At its core, The Slight Edge isn’t about flashy success strategies or overnight transformations. It’s about something far more profound — and much more accessible. Olson’s entire philosophy is rooted in one simple but powerful idea: the little things you do every single day matter more than you think.
And not just in theory. In practice.
The Power of the Everyday
Olson argues that success isn’t the result of luck, talent, or dramatic actions — it’s the result of consistent, small decisions repeated over time. These decisions, though seemingly insignificant in the moment (choosing a healthy meal, reading 10 pages of a book, skipping a workout “just this once”), add up to major results — or setbacks — depending on the direction you choose.
This concept is what Olson calls the slight edge — that invisible force that’s always working in your life, whether you realize it or not. It’s either working for you or against you, based entirely on the habits you’re building, the actions you’re repeating, and the thoughts you’re reinforcing.
Why It Resonated With Me (and Why I Recommend It to My Clients)
As a health coach, I see people struggle all the time with the belief that change has to be big to be effective. That unless you’re going all in — completely overhauling your diet, hitting the gym six days a week, waking up at 5 a.m. - it’s not enough to make a difference. But The Slight Edge reminds us: it’s the “not enough” actions that compound into everything you want.
Drinking more water, walking after dinner, saying something kind to yourself in the mirror — these aren’t small. These are everything. I often tell my clients that transformation isn’t about intensity, it’s about consistency. That message is echoed again and again in this book. And Olson doesn’t just preach it — he lays out a practical, repeatable mindset that helps you shift your identity, one day at a time. There were several key takeaways for me:
Simple things are easy to do — and just as easy not to do. Your success depends on which side of that line you choose to live on.
Time is your ally. Results come from the compound effect of repeated actions, not quick fixes.
Personal development is the key. Who you’re becoming matters more than what you’re achieving.
Every decision is a vote for the person you want to be. (This idea echoes James Clear’s Atomic Habits, which really aligns with Olson’s philosophy.)
The Slight Edge isn’t a quick read you fly through and forget. It’s a book you highlight, revisit, and build a lifestyle around. It doesn’t promise a magical shortcut — it gives you the tools to create a sustainable, purpose-driven path to your goals.
Whether you’re working toward health goals, building a business, or just trying to live with more intention, The Slight Edge offers a grounded, empowering message: your daily choices are creating your future.
There are so many great quotes from this book that I jotted down in my journal as I was reading it, quotes that really resonated with me….
“It’s the little things that seem insignificant in the doing, yet when compounded over time yield very big results.”
“Simple disciplines repeated over time will create success. Simple mistakes in judgment repeated over time will create failure.”
“You can’t change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction.”
So if you’re ready to stop starting over and start creating real momentum — this book is a great read and I urge you to take your time with it.
