1-Minute Wednesday 178: How to Think Clearly
illustration by @milanicreative

1-Minute Wednesday 178: How to Think Clearly

Design A Life That Really Matters


Over the last few weeks, we’ve talked a lot about the crucial role leverage plays in helping us accomplish the things we could have otherwise never accomplished.?

But I don’t want to end our discussion without talking about a vital caveat in our journey to leverage, and that is the concept of negative leverage.?

If we’re not careful, the automation and systems we have worked so hard to implement can work against us by making the nonessential effortless.? Some examples include:

  • a subscription service you no longer use but are automatically charged for each month?
  • hiring the wrong person who constantly makes things difficult for other team members
  • learning the wrong thing once and then holding on to that belief for years

Unintentionally filling our lives with negative leverage makes it hard to live an essential life. So, I want to end this series on leverage with a final challenge.?

In the first article of this series, I asked you to look for leverage everywhere. Now, I want you to identify negative leverage in your life.?

Why??

Because eliminating just one form of negative leverage can be a 10X play, it can free you from a perpetual drain on your resources and energy.?

The genius of leverage is that it makes things so effortless they become almost invisible. Don’t let the nonessential things in your life become invisible. Make them visible so you can do something about it.?

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Listen


Don't miss my conversation with Shane Parrish, the brain behind Farnam Street and author of Clear Thinking. Hear his remarkable story of resilience and continuous learning and discover how you can think deeper, question biases, and embrace the complexities of the world.

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Learn


How to Prepare for the Deluge of Year-End Requests

From anticipating recurring requests to confidently communicating your time off, executive coach Darcy Eikenberg shares strategies to mitigate the year-end crunch and thrive in the face of last-minute demands.

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Weekly Wisdom


“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently something that should not have been done at all.”? ?– Peter Drucker


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W. Michael McGrail, Jr., M.A., SSM

Senior Product Technical Writer, M.A., SAFe SM

1 年

More wisdom by Greg McKeown!

Paul Waddy

Ecommerce Coach | Best Selling Author | I Help Ecommerce Businesses Start or Scale | Dad

1 年

Got it – leverage is a game-changer, but we need to watch out for the negative side; keen to learn how to cut out the nonessentials, thanks for the heads up!

Kristian Livolsi

Teach 1 million business owners how to grow and scale with confidence, clarity and predictably, without burnout. Want to know how? Complete the Quiz below for your next steps ??

1 年

Powerful insight, Greg McKeown! Leverage can shape our outcomes, and understanding its dual nature is crucial.

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Kevin McDonnell

Chairman / CEO Coach & Advisor / Author of "Build, Panic, Adapt, Repeat" (out July 25) - Helping ambitious CEOs accelerate growth and successfully scale themselves, their teams and their business.

1 年

While leverage amplifies outcomes, I think it's important to remember that it doesn't inherently improve the quality of input. In the context of productivity, leveraging subpar strategies or tools will only magnify inefficiency. It's like trying to fill a leaky bucket faster rather than fixing the holes first. Really insightful Greg.

Konstantin Merenyashev

Chief Business Development Officer @ Parus LLC | Executive MBA, Sales Strategy

1 年

Great insight! Leverage can be a game-changer. ??

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