According to a report by U.S. News and World Report, a whopping 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions don’t last beyond the second week of February! When we don’t succeed, we might think it’s because we didn’t try hard enough or really want our goal. But the truth is, success comes from doing simple, productive things consistently over time. This is called the slight edge.

To get the slight edge, we need to develop a life philosophy and get really good at ordinary things. Successful people might seem super smart or have special skills, but often they don’t.

There are lots of self-help books out there with tips on how to succeed. But just knowing the information isn’t enough – we have to use it. That’s where having a life philosophy comes in. It’s how you see life, and it can change the way you think about everyday tasks.

Think about Thomas J Watson, the founder of IBM. His life philosophy was simple: “Double your rate of failure.” Even though many of us don’t like failing, the more we fail, the more chances we have to succeed.

Abraham Lincoln, one of the most famous U.S. Presidents, faced lots of failures in elections and public offices. But he saw failure as an opportunity. Doubling his failure rate eventually helped him become a leader with a big impact.

Another way to get the slight edge is by focusing on ordinary things. Take Steve Martin, for example. He’s a famous comedian, but as a teenager, he couldn’t sing, dance, or act. So he practiced every day, learning magic tricks and the banjo. It wasn’t exciting, but by getting really good at the ordinary, Steve Martin became a star.