“I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference”-Robert Frost
What does this quote mean to you? In the best selling book “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson, he explains that 95 percent of us will choose the easiest route. For example, hitting the snooze button every morning, skipping workouts, not saving money, etc.
The other 5 percent knows that success stems from making the best everyday choices. They know those private unseen moments ultimately determine what path your life will take. They risk being uncomfortable enough to reach new heights and make those everyday choices that will lead to a more fulfilled and successful life.
One of the biggest points Olson emphasizes in this powerful book, is that we are never staying in the same place. We are either making choices that lead us on the upward curve towards abundant success and progress OR we are riding that downward curve with poor choices inhibiting our growth.
Motivational Speaker, Mel Robbins, discusses why it’s so critical to make powerful decisions in this short clip, and how to start doing them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG4Kfj0xkD4
Start Somewhere!
So what area in your life do you want to see more success in? Is it in your spiritual life? Do you want more growth in your career or financial life? `Whatever it is, Olson offers a simple solution.
First, decide where it is you want to see improvement. Pick just one thing for now that you would love to see change in your life. The key is to start somewhere! That first move will give you the momentum to keep making more and more changes over time. In The Slight Edge, Olson says,”Wherever you can take action and begin creating little successes DO IT.” Because guess what? These little successes will always pour into other areas of your life. That 5 percent group I was talking about KNOWS that you can’t accomplish it all at once. Time is their friend and they don’t get discouraged when things don’t change right away.
If you’ve been wanting to improve your health, start by taking a walk around the neighborhood once a day, join a gym, or stop drinking soda. You want to be a more organized person? Start with that junk drawer that drives you crazy! Do you want to improve the relationships in your life? Maybe start by showing little acts of service each day or saying I love you more!
Whatever area it is, just stay patient and consistent and watch the progress inevitably happen.
Ignore the Doubters
“Men will never fly, because flying is reserved for angels.”
Do you know who said that? The famous Wright Brothers father, Milton Wright. Clearly the Wright Brothers didn’t let words get them down. They invented and flew the world’s first successful airplane, took to the sky, and proved all the people who doubted them wrong.
Do you know what keeps many of us from “flying”? Before we turn 5 years old, we’ve already heard 40,000 no’s and only hear yes about 5,000 times. As we get older, hearing no becomes more and more frequent. At some point in our lives, we share our dreams and ambitions and get shot down or told to choose something more realistic.
In The Slight Edge, Olson says,” If you are one of those rare and special 5 percenters who decides to ignore gravity, take to the sky and break free of the downward pull of life – I’ve got good and bad news for you. The good news is you’re already exceptionally well oriented toward success. The bad news, is all those 95 percenters are going to be yanking on you, sitting on you, naysaying, and doing their best to pull you back down.”
WHY? Because if you succeed, it reinforces the fact that they are not where they want to be.
Rise up and drown out the negative voices from others.
Blame vs. Taking Responsibility
If you want to get a good idea of how successful you or anyone else will be, this is a pretty good determinant. The predominant state of mind displayed by people on the upward curve of success is taking responsibility. Can you guess what the downward failure curve individuals display? Blame.
Taking responsibility liberates you. Hard times come upon all of us , and most will be completely out of our control. How we view and react to these setbacks makes the difference between success and failure. “A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.”
Don’t be a victim, this is the perfect mind set for failure. Set high standards, take responsibility for who and where you are in life.
Taking the road less traveled by takes you to exciting places, helps you form great relationships, and become the best version of yourself. Most people don’t want to put in the work that’s required to get there.
Here are some other fantastic quotes from The Slight Edge to give you some motivation for the week! Hope you liked this article. Tackle your goals this week and we’ll see you on the upward curve!
“The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is in the simple choices they make everyday. Successful people take simple and positive actions that are repeated over time. Unsuccessful people do the exact opposite: they make simple errors in judgment that are repeated over time.”
“It’s tough to get rid of the habit you don’t want by facing it head on. The way to accomplish it is to replace the unwanted habit with another habit that you do want. And creating new and better habits, ones that empower and serve you, is something you know how to do. You do it the same way you built any habit you have: one step at a time.”
“Your relationships, financial health, attitudes, level of success in your career, and everything else about your life will tend to be very close to the average level of each of these conditions in your five closest friends and associates.”
“Successful people fail their way to the top.”
