- Frugality Buys Freedom: How and Why I Quit my Corporate Banking Job - February 27, 2019
- 8 Creative Ways to Save Money With Family and Friends - February 25, 2019
- Behind the Scenes of the Financial Freedom Book with Grant Sabatier - February 10, 2019
I am not a genius. I am no more capable than you are. However, I have achieved things that other people say they could “never do”. Today, I want to share these strategies and tricks with you so that you too can have a slight edge.
You only have to be 1% better to get the job, make the sale, find the deal, or win at anything!
This content may contain affiliate links. See the Privacy Policy for more information.
Time Blocking
Time blocking involves cutting the hours of your day into designated “blocks”. Each block serves a specific purpose.
For Example,
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM: Create content for the blog.
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM: Reply to emails and social media.
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM: Work on new business ventures.
As you can see, the whole day isn’t blocked out minute-by-minute, but during those designated times, do nothing except the planned activity. Put your phone on airplane mode, buckle down, and get shit done. If you’ve ever tracked your daily time usage, it’s incredible to see how many minutes get sucked into the black hole of nothingness.
Eliminate Decision Fatigue
If you’re the type of person who takes 10 minutes to decide on what to eat at a restaurant, what movie to see, or some other negligible choice, this segment is for you. Analysis paralysis is a real issue that affects productivity and efficiency.
The best way I’ve found to cope with this issue is to think “What’s the worst that could happen?” Choosing the chicken marsala over the steak tips won’t have any lasting effects on your life… believe it or not!
Please note, I am NOT telling you to flippantly make decisions when the outcome actually matters (e.g. buying a home, getting divorced, etc.).
Here are some of the actual strategies I use to eliminate decision fatigue:
- If I have an idea, I try it. Something completed and imperfect is always better than something that was never started.
- At restaurants, I order the first thing that looks good on the menu. I really don’t need to waste the mental energy choosing between the buffalo chicken salad and cajun ribs.
- I always take a left turn at a fork in the road (I do this while hiking and biking… please don’t make some crazy illegal traffic maneuver because of this post). This tactic makes life so much easier! My girlfriend Lauren teases me about it… but if we are hiking and come to a fork, she knows to go left!
The list goes on. Don’t waste your brain power on unimportant decisions! Eliminate decision fatigue and you’ll notice a spike in productivity and efficiency.
Stop Thinking “Why Me?”
This mindset shift is a two-pronged strategy for self-improvement.
- Taking Responsibility
When something unfair happens to you, it’s not your fault, but IT IS your responsibility. People with a “Why Me?” attitude refuse to assume responsibility for their own lives. Instead, they use cop-outs such as blame-shifting.
This mindset is not healthy and severely hinders your personal growth and development. Realize that everything in your life is your responsibility and take back control.
- Realizing Self-Worth
This is actually something that I struggled with in the early stages of my entrepreneurial journey. Nobody will want to buy my discs, why me? Why would anyone want to read my blog… why me?
I honestly thought that I was not special or unique enough to succeed. Fortunately, once I realized that I’m just as worthy as anybody else, my whole mindset shifted.
No matter how corny it sounds, everyone is special or unique in their own way. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.
Do It Yourself
As I’ve talked about in a few of my other articles, failure is the key to growth. However, you can’t fail if you don’t try… and you can’t try unless you do it yourself!
With the proliferation of YouTube and Google content, DIY is so easy in 2018. Not only does DIY save money, but it also helps to build valuable skills.
The skills I have gained through DIY are too many to count, but I’ll name a few: Website design, social media marketing, changing oil, replacing a door, graphic design, audio editing, and so much more. I could have easily paid and outsourced these tasks, but instead of shelling out temporary dollars I gained skills that I’ll have forever!
Networking and Community
I talk about this strategy in-depth in my “how to network the right way” article. I would be nowhere close to where I am today if it were not for the network and community I’ve built. It’s near impossible to “make it” by yourself.
Networking is a two-way street. You give and you get. Don’t be afraid to reach out to other people in your community, job field, or personal life for help! Just remember to return the favor.
At the end of the day, all we have in this world is human connection.
Public Speaking
Public speaking is HUGE for standing out amongst your peers. If you can clearly and concisely convey a message to an audience, you’re set up for success.
If you’re not a naturally talented speaker, don’t worry! There are organizations such as Toastmasters that can help.
As a blogger, the ability to project myself well on podcasts has been instrumental in the growth of my site. It’s a lot easier to connect with someone if you can put a voice and a face to a name.
Final Thoughts
Well, there you go! Those are some of the strategies I’ve used to achieve success. This article is just scraping the surface. I’m sure there are thousands of additional strategies to implement.
Do you have any strategies that have helped you gain a slight edge? Please share in the comments below!
If this content helped you, please share! Website traffic helps to keep the lights on and allows me to keep producing helpful content.
Note: I am not a financial advisor or fiduciary. All the information presented in this article reflects my opinion. I am not liable for any financial losses incurred related to this content. My content is always written with the readers’ best interests in mind. I believe that my content is helpful and well-researched, but it is not professional financial advice. For more information, read our Privacy Policy.
My post tomorrow is about work burstiing (short intensive periods of concentrated work). Similar to blocking.
Awesome to hear, Doc! Great minds think alike. It’s such a powerful strategy for increasing productivity and effectiveness. Cheers!
i notice you keep climbing up that modest money blog rankings lol…. I guess you are applying the slight edge principles to blogging as well haha.
If you know anything about me, you know i love the slight edge, one of my favorite books of all time!
Thanks for noticing 😉 Slowly and steadily climbing up the blogging ladder. The Slight Edge is a great book. One of my personal favorites! You really only have to be 0.00001% better than someone else to win. Appreciate the comment!