The problem with Tim Ferriss is that his book, The Four Hour Work Week taught us methods for taking advantage of the system and getting maximum leverage.
The 80/20 rule and the minimum effective dose mindset are powerful ways to focus your effort. However, it is still up to you to figure out the leverage points. For years I have struggled with figuring out the leverage points, but the only thing I have figured out is that it is not the 80% that you give up, but the 20% that you choose.
Counterintuitively, it is not be about just focusing on the big picture, the key is focusing on the details that make the difference. Which 20% do you choose?
You can’t just pick any 20%. You need to focus on the right 20%..
The details are where you win. The details are what you make you special. But you can’t focus on all the details, but the important details that you can manage better than anyone else
Finding the details that will make a difference is the really difficult part, but it is definitely a case of working on not harder.
Figure out the 20% that matters and concentrate your resources on that. The trick is that the things that matter will change over time and because you are human, you will be tempted to try to do more.
While the book was geared toward individuals who wanted to break the mold, I can’t help but think that this mindset can be applied to organizations that want to be more effective. Getting maximum leverage is a great way to build an effective, profitable business.
