Nothing By Chance Coaching's "Bloom Where You Are Planted" Book Club

FEBRUARY 2010:  "The Slight Edge: Secret to a Successful Life" by Jeff Olson

Here’s a Monday morning question for you:  If self help books worked on their own, wouldn’t everybody be as healthy as they could possibly be?  Think about that for a second!  If all it took was reading a self-help book on, say, parenting to turn you into the world’s best parent, wouldn’t we live in a much nicer world? 

It’s not a lack of motivation or desire, is it?  Surely you’ve witnessed a motivational speaker and left feeling as if you were on top of the world, but within two or three days you were back to where you were before.  What stops us from translating what we read or hear into what we practice…and how can we change it?

Last year I implemented a strategy that allowed me to use the concepts from the book ‘The Slight Edge’ on a daily basis, and it’s made a real difference for me.  And it’s so easy that it’s difficult to believe it actually works!

My 3 Big Points from this book:

#1:  There is one statement in the book that changed how I used self help books, and it was: “Could you read 5 pages of a book every day?  If you can commit to only 5 pages a day, you could finish the Bible in less than a year.” 

Amazing, isn’t it?  The smallest steps can propel us on to the greatest leaps.  ‘The Slight Edge’ is all about making little changes that will make BIG differences in your life.  With that understanding I started identifying small changes that I could easily manage on a daily basis. 

#2:  What I have found that allows me to follow through with the small changes more than anything else is having some sort of tracking system that reminds me daily of the little steps I need to take.  Seeing my goal—and what I’m doing to reach it—is so much more motivating for me than just thinking about it!

#3:  We, as human beings, are subconsciously making slight edge decisions without even realizing it.  When we aren’t in control (aware) of the small decisions we are making they drive us AWAY from our goals and potential.  An example of this is: think of some small decisions that you make daily such as eating before you go to bed at night, drinking a couple glasses of wine every night or grabbing a cup of coffee at the corner store every morning on the way to work instead of filling a cup at home.  Looking at just that last example alone--at $3.00 for a cup of coffee every morning, translates into $1,068 by the end of the year!!  That one small little action can make such a BIG difference in the long term!

I want to hear your thoughts!!  Even if you haven’t read the book (though I highly recommend it!) share what small step you’re willing to take to see BIG results!  Join us on our Facebook page and share what you're thinking!

About the Nothing By Chance Coaching Book Club:

What have you actually done with all those self-help books crowding your shelves?  Have you implemented anything after reading that really made a difference?  Or, are you like most of us....you highlighted passages that spoke to you but then once you closed the book you forgot those words of wisdom?

Because we too often err on the side of non-implementation, in February 2010 we will launch the Nothing By Chance Coaching "Bloom Where You Are Planted" Book Club.  No need to worry about meeting anywhere, bringing a yummy dish to share or even whether you've read the entire book.  Just visit Jeff's blog on February 1st to read his review of our first book and see concrete, progressive action steps to help you get from Point A to Point B.

We will discuss a new book each month and will encourage your discussion on our Facebook page.  Look for guest bloggers who will share their insights from books that have made a difference in their business and personal lives.  We'd love to hear from you if you have a suggestion for a book you'd like to see make our review list.  Email Lisa for more information.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR WEBSITE OR IN YOUR EZINE?  No problem, as long as you include this complete statement with it: Jeff Miner, LPC, ME.D, is owner of Nothing By Chance Coaching.  After years of working with Olympic athletes, business tycoons and dynamic individuals Jeff has honed his skills as the nation's first Personal Excellence Coach.  If you're ready to double--or even triple--your income, reach new heights in your career and align your true purpose with your everday actions, visit Jeff at www.nothingbychancecoaching.com