Leverage

The ability to influence a system, an environment, or yourself – in a way that multiplies the outcome of one’s efforts without a corresponding increase in the consumption of resources. In other words, leverage is the advantageous condition of having a relatively small amount of effort yield a relatively high level of returns.

I remember helping my Dad lift some old paving stones – boy were they heavy. He was an engineer and surprise, surprise he had a solution to the problem.

Rather than use brute strength he explained that we would use a lever.

He showed me how to use a length of flat iron and a block of wood to raise the stones to a point where we could safely lift them correctly.

He multiplied his strength with the minimum of effort and the maximum return.

He used what I call The Leverage Factor.

The Problem

We rarely apply the concept of leverage, and if we do, we don’t always maximise the benefits.

The quantum leaps in technology over the last decade should have made life so much easier for us all, both personally and professionally.

In terms of time poverty, we should all have so much more time to go and do the things we really want to do – but the reality is that we have just filled up the extra time we have gained with more ‘things’ to do.

We continue to be busy fools.

The Solution

The few really successful people know how to ‘leverage’ and ‘maximise’ the use of that extra time to their advantage.

In business one of the key Leverage Factors for me is the ability to Think Smarter – Work Smarter.

I look at every aspect of the business – tasks, projects, processes, systems, marketing, products, services … the list is endless – and I try to think how things could be done better, faster, simpler, and with less costs.

The goal is always to use the minimum effort to achieve the maximum return without sacrificing quality, excellence, or integrity.

Action Exercise

Take 5 minutes and find one area to which you could apply the ‘Leverage Factor’.

It could be as simple as calculating how many hours a week you spend on emails, and deciding to cut that time by 30 minutes a day.

That’s 120 hours a year, or three and a half weeks.

Now that’s what I call leverage!

Have a great day.

Alistair

PS: If you’ve made it this far with these Time Tips – then thanks for keeping me company.

Only 2 more Tips to go!