Jeff Olson – You must be willing to do what others won’t do to achieve what others don’t have
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Welcome to The Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, and today is November 1st.
Today is Extra Mile Day. It’s a day dedicated to embracing the idea of doing a little more than what’s expected. Founded by motivational author Shawn Anderson, Extra Mile Day encourages us to go above and beyond in every area of life – whether that means taking an extra step in your work, lending an extra hand to a friend, or pushing yourself just a bit further toward your goals. It’s a simple idea, but one that has the power to change everything.
With that in mind, today’s quote comes from Jeff Olson, author of The Slight Edge, and it really captures the spirit of going the extra mile.
Olson says,
“You must be willing to do what others won’t do to achieve what others don’t have.”
Now, this is one of those quotes that makes you pause and think.
The Slight Edge is one of my favorite books... highly recommended.
Olson is saying that success, happiness, and achievement aren’t reserved for the lucky few; they’re earned by the people who are willing to push a little further, work a little harder, and make the choices others simply aren’t willing to make.
Going the extra mile, Olson suggests, is about choosing to take that small step beyond what feels comfortable, even if nobody else is watching.
Imagine two people on a path – one chooses to stop and rest, while the other just takes one more step, and then another. Over time, that person who kept moving, just one step at a time, ends up miles ahead.
That’s the power of “extra.” Not big leaps, but small actions that others overlook or avoid because they don’t see an immediate payoff.
Jeff Olson also emphasizes in his book the idea that success is linked to simple daily actions that are easy to do but also easy not to do. The simple choices you need to make to be successful are actually easy to do according to Olson... but the problem is they are just as easy not to do.
“Things that are easy to do are also easy not to do.”
This encapsulates his philosophy in The Slight Edge, where he emphasizes that consistent, small actions can lead to significant results over time, and that the choices we make daily are crucial for long-term success
In the book he drives home the concept of compound interest. The idea that you don't notice the momentum your generating with your small easy to do actions until you've been doing them consistently for a long time... but the impact of those actions grows geometrically.
The purpose of his book is to teach you that going the extra mile with your small decisions is where the long term success lies. Doing the little bit extra consistently will drive success.
So today, think about what extra step you could take to put Olson’s words into action. Maybe it’s putting in that extra time on a project, choosing patience with a challenging relationship, or committing to a small habit that leads to big change over time.
Remember, the extra mile is rarely crowded – but it’s there, waiting for anyone who’s willing to walk it.
Thanks for tuning in to The Daily Quote. I hope today’s message inspires you to take that next step forward, no matter how small it may seem.
I’ll see you right back here tomorrow – same pod time, same pod station, for another Daily Quote.