Leverage: The Secret to Doing Less and Achieving More

Leverage is a concept that has been on my mind a lot lately. If you want to excel in business, fitness, or any area of life, understanding and applying leverage is essential. But here’s the thing—I didn’t fully grasp its meaning until I experienced it firsthand.

Like many of us, I used to think leverage was just a fancy term thrown around by successful people in motivational talks. It wasn’t until I encountered it in a very practical, almost accidental way that I truly understood its power. And believe it or not, my first real lesson in leverage came through my fitness journey.

From Home Workouts to the Gym

For years, I exercised at home. I was persistent, disciplined, and managed to stay in great shape without ever stepping foot in a gym. My workouts consisted of bodyweight exercises, jump rope sessions outdoors, and resistance bands. I even invested in an ab wheel—an absolute game-changer for core strength.

Initially, I worked out for just 10 to 15 minutes a day. Slowly, I increased it to 30 minutes, then 40, and eventually up to two hours. I was enjoying the process and seeing results, but there was a problem—I was running out of time. The more reps and sets I added, the longer my workouts became, and I started to feel stuck. I wanted more results, but I couldn’t afford to spend all my time exercising.

That’s when I stumbled upon the idea of leveraging my workouts. Instead of increasing the duration of my training sessions, I needed to increase the intensity. And the best way to do that? Lifting weights.

The Leverage of Strength Training

I came across a post that explained how lifting weights allows you to maintain the same number of reps and sets while increasing resistance. In other words, instead of working out longer, I could work out smarter. This simple realization was my first true understanding of leverage—getting better results without putting in more time.

To implement this, I needed access to proper weights, which meant joining a gym. At first, I was hesitant. I had always worked out at home and wasn’t sure if a gym membership was necessary. But when I saw how much more effective my training became with weights, I realized that the investment wasn’t just about fitness—it was about efficiency. It was about leveraging my time to maximize my results.

Applying Leverage Beyond Fitness

This experience opened my eyes to the broader concept of leverage. If I could apply it to my workouts, why not apply it to other areas of life, like business and personal growth?

In business, leverage means using tools, systems, and people to multiply your output without multiplying your effort. Think about it—successful entrepreneurs don’t do everything themselves. They hire teams, use automation, and build systems that work for them. Instead of working endless hours, they focus on strategies that maximize their impact.

This is the same principle I applied to my fitness. Instead of spending hours doing countless bodyweight exercises, I leveraged weights to get better results in less time. And this is the key lesson: leverage exists in every field.

How to Leverage Your Skills and Time

If you feel stuck in any area of life, chances are you don’t need to work harder—you need to work smarter. Whether it's fitness, business, or any skill you’re developing, leverage is the key to breaking past plateaus. Here’s how you can start leveraging what you already have:

1. Identify Areas of Inefficiency – Where are you spending the most time with minimal results? Look for ways to streamline those efforts.

2. Use Tools and Systems – Just like weights accelerated my fitness results, automation tools and strategies can accelerate your business or personal growth.

3. Invest in the Right Resources – Whether it’s a gym membership, a business mentor, or software that saves you hours of work, strategic investments can significantly boost your efficiency.

4. Delegate and Outsource – If you can, don’t do everything alone. Hiring help or collaborating with others can free up time and energy for bigger projects.

5. Focus on High-Impact Actions – Instead of getting stuck in the small details, prioritize actions that create the most significant results with the least effort.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Leverage is the secret ingredient to achieving more without burning out. Whether it’s lifting weights instead of doing endless reps, using technology to automate tasks, or building a team to expand your business, the principle remains the same—maximize your results without maximizing your time.

If you feel stuck, don’t assume that what you’re doing isn’t working. Instead, ask yourself: How can I leverage what I’m already doing to get even better results? That’s where true growth happens.

So take a step back, evaluate your efforts, and find ways to work smarter. Leverage is all around you—you just have to use it.

What’s an area in your life where you could apply leverage?