Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.
Archimedes
Observation:
For about 12 years now I've observed the same thing: People wondering how I get so much done. People have even come for extended stays to try and learn productivity hacks. Much to their chagrin, I'm not running around "grinding" all day. From afar, they can't understand how I get so much done, up close they don't understand why I am not doing more.
Here's the secret:
There are two superpowers anyone can develop. The ability to spot asymmetry and the ability to create it. There are many ways to engineer asymmetry to the upside. I'm going to focus on the most obvious and most powerful;
a Force Multiplier.
Force Multiplier: A tool that amplifies effort to produce a greater output. The tool can be a technology, a skill, or a strategy.
A force multiplier results in either:
- same output with less effort
- more output with the same effort or
- exponentially more output with a little extra effort.
Engineering a greater output with the same input is engineering asymmetry. Some force multipliers are obvious. You hit a nail with more force with a hammer than you do with the same effort and your bare hand.
Some are less obvious. Let's talk about it.
Last year I spent an hour each morning for three months going through various typing courses.
Small commitment for a lifetime of compounding returns.
14
First, we have to appreciate compounding returns. Many force multipliers appear to be linear on a short timeline. On a longer timeline, they compound to create outsized results.
Imagine an investor learns a new principle. If applied, this principle will increase his average performance by 5%. 5% on each trade he makes compounds to many millions of extra dollars. The principle is a force multiplier if applied consistently.
Then, we have to appreciate fundamentals.
The greatest force multipliers are the fundamentals. Basic, universal principles give us a slight edge in everything we do. we get a little more output out of every minute if we apply the basics.
When things aren't going your way or you want greater results, go back to the basics. Forget the complicated stuff.
Want better results in the gym? Drink more water and get better sleep. Until you can do that consistently, all the complicated stuff has diminished returns.
A new routine and a few supplements might give you a tiny, momentary boost. Proper hydration and sleep will improve the quality of your exercise, focus, and recovery. It will even make those fancy new supplements more effective.
Force multiplier.
Lastly, we must understand sequencing and our sense of urgency
Humans aren't great at either.
Sense of Urgency: mistaking what feels urgent for being high leverage or a top priority. Urgency hijacks our monkey minds and prevents us from seeing or creating leverage.
We want to get in better shape now, so we don't have time to fix our sleep. It's a process and we want a shortcut.
We have a pile of work on our desks now, we don't have time to learn how to type a little faster. (I take a typing program every year. An hour a day to make every other hour of my life on the computer more effective)
We need to chop down as many trees as possible today, can't waste time sharpening the axe.
A sense of urgency will have us swinging a dull axe and finger-pecking our way through the day. Those that take the time to sharpen the axe will lose a step today on us, and blow right past us tomorrow.
Sequencing: mistaking the thing you want to do most as the thing to do first.
If you want to master many skills, first master mastery. By doing so, you will be able to master many more skills, at a much deeper level, much more efficiently.
If you want to make better decisions, practice examining logic, reasoning, and evidence.
I'm guessing there is something you want to do at a high level. Whether it's chopping down trees, writing novels, getting in shape, or having a great relationship, there is always something. Whatever that thing is, a force multiplier is hiding in plain sight. It will amplify your future efforts and compound into outsized returns. It may be worth taking a step back today to slingshot forward tomorrow. Be intentional about the order in which you do things. Prioritize the force multipliers. Develop habits that allow those returns to compound over time.
Simple.
And that's exactly the point.
It's a force multiplier.
Nic
PS. If you want to know some of the highest leverage Force Multipliers (in my opinion)... I just filmed a whole series for the Guardian Academy breaking down foundations and force multipliers here.
