I have to share that!
In the June 2013 I saw an announcement in the SE community, that we may send our stories to be included in the new edition of the book. I sent my transformation story 21st of June, didn’t get any reply and forgot about it.
I bought the book, just to have it. I read it once, more than a year ago and it literally changed my life.
A few days ago it has came and I browsed through it.

I was stunned when I’ve found that…

My personal story has been featured in the latest edition of “The Slight Edge” book!!!

My own story in the real, hardcover paper book! (on the pages 106-107).
Here it goes, in the brackets are my comments updating the story [last update: 7th of June 2017]:

I’m a reader. There wasn’t much else to do in Poland before the fall of Communism. We had a black-and-white TV with only two channels, and I didn’t see my first PC until I was eleven. So I read and this habit stuck with me. I’ve read several thousand books in my life.
In August 2012 I read “The Slight Edge”, by Jeff Olson. It took me a month to start implementing some ideas from this book.
I had not really thought seriously about my life for years. I was overweight, stressed, constantly worried about my finances and quietly desperate about my relationship with God. I was aimless with no plans as to how my life would be in two, five, ten years.
Soon I changed the type of books I was reading, and started reading more books on personal development. By the middle of November I had created a personal mission statement, which was the real starting point of my progress. Over the next several months I applied plenty of different slight edge disciplines – and started seeing results:
I rejuvenated a few old friendships and made several new ones with people from all over the world. I overcame my shyness (partially). I started two blogs. I learned WordPress and built a website with a hundred of useful tips. I stopped playing computer games (which was my vice) and wrote a fantasy short story. I read Homer’s Iliad and I’m halfway through the Odyssey [I finished it and read also On War and Think and Grow Rich and dozen more]. I read ten books [about 50 up to date] written by saints and listened to more than 100 hours of educational and motivational audio materials.
Things in my life started changing. I lost fifteen pounds (and my wife lost thirteen). My savings doubled and my donations to charities grew by 75%. I found I now read 50% [about 150% now] faster – and my ten-year-old son reads 250 percent faster (no exaggeration!) – and his grades improved. As a birthday present, I gave my wife a gratitude diary about her. She was amused – and amazed.
I can track a slight edge discipline behind each and every one of these accomplishments – and this list is not even complete.
I became a self published author. I had been dreaming about writing since I was a child, but had never done anything about it. Since November [2012] I’ve written about 100,000 words [1,400,000+ words since September 2013], mostly in English (which is not my native language). Now I’ve finished my second booklet (a guide on how to use ten-minute disciplines in weight loss) [The Fitness Expert Next Door, it is published] and plan to write four more books in the series [done; I’ve published 15 books so far].
Most of all, I’m happy. I feel alive. I keep three different gratitude journals: one about my wife, one about my kids, and one about my life. Every day I produce three pieces of paper full of my gratitude. I feel I have discovered what my life is about. My dreams are coming true. I’m fulfilling my destiny. And I’m doing it by following dozens of simple disciplines incorporated into my days.

The Slight Edge story


See how my life changed:
within two years since reading The Slight Edge
within three years since reading The Slight Edge.

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20 thoughts on “The Slight Edge

  • February 8, 2014 at 2:18 am
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    A great, inspiring story Michal! Congrats on your many personal successes. I’m sure it brings Jeff Olson much joy to read about your successes with his method. Cheers!

    Reply
  • February 9, 2014 at 10:49 am
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    I’m happy you find it inspiring Stephen.
    It was part of the reason to post it here (and the temptation of the vain glory…).

    Reply
  • February 6, 2015 at 1:53 am
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    Michal,
    Just finished your Trickle Down Mindset book. It is without question the book which best talks to me and inspires me to understand my personal philosophy and use changes to it to make the changes I desire in my life. I’m glad you persevered with your writing and I’m sure you also are impacting thousands of lives for the better. I’m off now to write a review on Amazon for Trickle Down Mindset. Keep up the great work. I do want to order a copy of the Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. If you provide your Amazon link, I’ll be honored to order it through it.

    Reply
  • February 19, 2015 at 1:11 am
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    Thanks Michal, for your incremental transformation. I have read your book Trickle Down Mindset, and find myself wanting to make a better life also. I am working for 30 days to narrow down to find out what I want to do Exactly. You give me hope for change. Thank you.

    Reply
    • February 19, 2015 at 5:04 pm
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      Thank you form heartwarming message Juliana. You’ve made my day brighter.

      Reply
  • February 24, 2015 at 3:13 pm
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    I am confused. Is your book “The Fitness Expert Next Door” the same book you mention in the Slight Edge “how to use 10 minute disciplines in weight loss”?

    I too love the Slight Edge. Have started a book club around the book.

    Thanks
    Patti (Seattle WA)

    Reply
    • February 24, 2015 at 4:01 pm
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      Yes Patti, it’s the same. At the time of submitting my entry to The Slight Edge I hadn’t had the title yet.

      Reply
  • April 24, 2015 at 1:07 am
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    Amazing Michal
    Your words speak the continuous change and growth thereby you able to make.
    Your aim for transparency I think is a key factor which drives your committment.
    Good to note your 3 gratitude journals.
    Hindu mythology (Sri Vaishnavism) that a human being should be grateful to the following in everyday of his life:
    1.To be grateful to God to give opputunity to us to be born as human being (It is said that according
    To our actions we will be born as Non living thing or tree/plant or any other form of life or finally
    A human being evolving in every re-births).For this we need to offer our food to God before we eat and portray God during prayers.
    2. To be grateful to 5 boodha ( Air,Water,Earth,Fire and Heaven) with which our body is made of.
    We do this by offering gratitude prayer 3 times a day to the Sun God (just before sun rise,mid afternoon,just before sunset).
    3. To be grateful to our forefathers(offer prayers to God for their good ,taking care of father and mother)
    4.To be grateful our grate saints who have explored the difficult vedas and given us easily undestandable Grandhams (Prabandham). We need to read them atleast once to understand
    the greatest asset that God has given us in the form of these Prabandham through the great Saints
    . It is like reading Bible progressively everyday continuously throughout our life ( of course repeat reading once a cycle is over)?
    5. To be grateful to human beings who help us in various forms ( that too God sent !) and donate to the poor. As per Manu Sasthra every human being should donate one sixth of their income to the
    Needy and the poor.
    If we do the above four on daily basis there is no doubt that we will get evolved to great heights like
    What you have achieving right now and more importantly the everyday satifaction of doing our duty as intended by God himself.
    You are doing great. May god bless you ……

    Reply
    • April 24, 2015 at 9:05 am
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      Thanks Ravi for the detailed infor about Hindu beliefs. Very interesting.
      Funny how we have much different backgrounds and religions, but very similar daily habits.
      I study Bible every day. I don’t read it from beginning to the end, but I think with decades I’ll read it several times even in this random fashion.
      I also read every day a fragment of a book written by saint.
      I donate just 1/20, but I intend to increase this share with the increase of my income.
      May God bless you too.

      Reply
  • November 4, 2015 at 3:26 pm
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    I read your story avidly, it took me 3 attempts.
    Attempt no 1: I was on the train and ran out of time, I had to get off the train to go to a toastmasters event.
    Attempt no 2: I fell asleep whilst reading the account ( I was very tired, after a long day with little sleep).
    Attempt no 3: The following day, I blocked out 1 hour to read the book (“The Slight Edge”) and completed your account. Then jumped onto the web to find out more about your approach. This is what brought me here.

    I posted a question to you, as I thought you could give me the answer I’m looking for.

    Reply
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  • January 27, 2019 at 10:33 pm
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    My work gave to me new book called “the sight edge “ I got a book l don’t understand to write questioning etc. l am worried l may reject job .l just started new job 2 months l am disabled l was born deaf and spoken well English . I did checks you-tube or comments . I don’t find anything what is answer ?
    I don’t find anything simple explanations.

    Reply
    • February 23, 2019 at 4:10 pm
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      Norman, I cannot tell what you are asking for from your comment. Could you clarify?

      Reply
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  • October 22, 2023 at 4:01 pm
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    I guess you decided not to write updates for 2022 and 2023?

    Reply

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