Design your Edge

Design Your Edge

The most important thing to make the most of everything you do is to find, create, and polish your edge. Do not be a leaf in the wind, a flavor of the month, a shiny object follower, or someone chasing greener grass on the other side. Focus on something, dedicate yourself, and master it.

What Is Edge?

Edge is the advantage you have in something. It is your talent—something you are good at. It’s what puts you ahead of the crowd. It is your strong suit.

For example, your edge could be your patience—the ability to stay calm and figure things out while others quit or rush. Edge can also be your work ethic, team communication, morals, endurance, strength, or any other defining quality.

For some people, edge comes naturally. Others have to create it. It might be something you already know or have taken an interest in—something that gives you a unique advantage over everyone else.

How Does This Relate to Current Affairs?

Step 1

Yesterday, I identified many areas that will lead change and shape the future in this second quarter of the century: AI, quantum computing, energy, military, drones, robotics, pharmaceuticals, social media, and more.

Start with the area that interests you most or the one you already know about. Study it and create an edge. Educate yourself in that sector—know the companies, the technology, and what the future holds.

Educating yourself enough to have an edge in all these areas is a Herculean task. However, having more knowledge than 90% of the population in one area is achievable.

Step 2

Choose how you are going to capitalize on your idea. There are stocks, options, commodities, fixed income, ETFs, crypto—the list goes on. Which one do you have an edge in? Can you use your edge to create a business? Do you have the skills to get employed in that field? Are you an entrepreneur?

If you don’t have an edge, start building one. Research stocks, options, and futures. Go to college. Get a job. Polish yourself. Sharpen your mind.

Are you strong in fundamentals or technicals? Are you more philosophical or practical? Sharpening your strengths and understanding who you are as a person creates an edge.

Does Edge Go to Waste?

Many people have an edge, but it is wasted—wasted talent. The process of creating, polishing, and capitalizing on your edge is difficult.

How to Design the Edge, Sharpen It, and Capitalize on It

Three sayings come to mind, and they underscore what I call the PDC Rule: Plan, Discipline, and Choice.

1. “A goal without a plan is a wish.” Plan how you are going to tackle the problem. Create your process. Set deadlines and know the next steps. Hopes, dreams, prayers, and raw talent will only take you so far.
   

2. “We are only as good as the processes we have in place and the discipline to follow them.” This is where discipline comes in. At the start of any endeavor, we rely on motivation, excitement, and energy. But when all of that fades, discipline is what keeps us going. When you are sick, exhausted, or down on your luck, discipline is what ensures you keep polishing and using your edge.
   

3. “What we don’t change, we choose.” We have the power to change anything in our lives. If you wake up tired, go to bed earlier. If you are out of shape, start exercising. If you don’t know something, Google it. The power to change is within us, but it requires a conscious decision and a willingness to act. Ignorance is a choice when we refuse to seek knowledge.
   

Final Thoughts

It’s time to find your edge, polish it, and use it. That is the cheat code of life. It is the one thing that will propel you to new heights.

It takes the dedication of a Buddhist monk, the patience and grace of Jesus, and the curiosity of Socrates. It’s not easy, but it’s worth the effort.

We’ll get into more specifics next time!