Little things that seem insignificant in the doing, yet when compounded over time yield very big results. You could call these “little virtues” or “success habits.” I call them simple daily disciplines. Simple productive actions, repeated consistently over time. That, in a nutshell, is the slight edge.”
By Jeff Olson in his book The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness
Let's talk planks. Not the wooden kind you build a house with, but the core-crushing exercise that can turn your stomach muscles into steel cables.
You start with a feeble attempt, holding that plank position for what feels like a nanosecond before collapsing in a heap on the floor.
But here's the kicker—instead of cursing your body, you decide to tack on an extra 10 seconds tomorrow.
Seems trivial, right? I mean, we're talking about mere seconds here, barely enough time to take a decent selfie, let alone make any significant gains in strength.
Each day, you add a few seconds to your plank routine, like pennies in a piggy bank.
10 seconds becomes 20, 20 becomes 30, and before you know it, you're holding that plank position for as long as you’d like.
Sure, in the grand scheme of things, a few extra seconds of planking might not seem like much.
But—those seconds compound faster than interest on a high-yield savings account. Before you can say "six-pack abs," you're rocking a core that could double as a washboard.
And it's not just about the physical gains.
The discipline required to stick to your daily plank routine seeps into other areas of your life.
So, the next time you're tempted to hit snooze or skip your workout, remember the power of the slight edge.
Embrace the simple daily disciplines, whether it's planking for an extra 10 seconds or flossing one more tooth.
Because in the end, it's the little things that add up to big results—the slight edge that separates the ordinary from the extraordinary.