Chapter 5 of The Slight Edge is entitled “The Quantum Leap Myth.” I no longer buy into this myth but for far too long, I did.

Some day …

Some day, when my ship comes in…
Some day, when I have the money…
Some day, when I have the time…
Some day, when I have the skill, the confidence…

There is no some day. There is only today. When tomorrow comes, it will only be another day; so will the next day. They all will. There is never anything but today.

And some more shocking news: your ship’s not coming in – it’s already here. Docked and waiting. You already have the money. You already have the time. You already have the skill, the confidence. You already have everything you need to achieve everything you want. You just can’t see it.

That vaporized my excuses. Why can’t you see it? “Because you are looking in the wrong place. You’re looking for the breakthrough, the quantum leap. You’re looking for the winning lottery ticket in a game that isn’t a lottery.”

I have a minor quibble with Olson in that I think a reasonable, honest person can truthfully assess they need more of something in order to succeed. I have no doubt his rejoinder would be to use The Slight Edge Principles to get what you need. And he would be right. Need more skills? Then acquire them bit by bit. Need more time? Then bit my bit rearrange your life to get that time. Need more money? Then bit by bit save it, find partners, or invest. So, he is right. The time is now. Your success will come in small, even microscopic, steps. There is no quantum leap to success.

The implications for fitness are obvious. If you want or need more endurance, then work up to it bit by bit. You won’t go from walking mile to running a marathon by magic. If you need to lose weight, it can be done bit by bit. Or bite by bite. You aren’t going to drop 40 pounds overnight.

This week’s music is the only sensible choice given my musical proclivities. I know there are a million good choices for July 4th. This song, and the video, is every bit of shameless excess that makes America great. *I am not crying. It’s dusty in here.*