“Music is the space between the notes” – Claude Debussy
Have you ever noticed how much better you feel when your house is clean? Why do you think that is?
I know for me that I think better when the distractions around me are kept to a minimum. Inevitably, if I have something on my desk, it will catch my attention and distract (even if only mentally). Space, or lack of it, is a powerful ingredient in success. They say that it’s less crowded at the top of the mountain. This is definitely true, but more than that, it’s an indication of the power of space.
There are several reasons that creating space will help you be more effective:
- As I mentioned before, there are fewer things to distract you.
- The Law of Concentration kicks in and the items that occupy the space will have more power
- Space improves your focus. It is easier to keep track of fewer things.
- A vacuum must be filled. When you create space, you make room for more. If you focus on the right things, the more will be better.
- Space gives you room to operate. The room room you have, the easier it is to manage things.
When I was thinking about writing this post, the thought of a single tree on the top of a hill in a meadow by a stream came to mind. I’m not sure why this image keeps coming to me, but I do know it makes me feel peaceful. Isn’t it amazing how beautiful a single tree can be. If you were to put this same tree in a forest, it would barely get a second thought. The same goes for buildings. In midtown Manhattan, a nice sized beautiful building will barely get a second glance. However, if you put that same building in even a mid-sized city, it would draw quite a bit.
This analogy of space is really true for any tangible thing you can bring to mind. Space has power to change the importance of virtually anything. If you have the ability to manage or create space, you have the ability to change your entire world. I challenge you to think about space in a different way. Space as rhythm. Space as opportunity. Space as abundance.
Instead of thinking of space as nothing, think of space as room for abundance.
If you want to grow beyond your current state of existence, you will need to learn how to use leverage. The Fulcrum Principle is one of the key drivers in understanding how leverage works. A fulcrum is the pivot point for a lever. Thus, if you want to properly use leverage (or getting exponential benefit versus one for one benefit), then, you will need to place the fulcrum in the proper place.
If you apply this to your current state, your fulcrum is where it is based on your knowledge, skills, and ability. the levers that you use (or the resources that you apply) are dependent upon these factors. If you want to use more leverage, then, you will need more of one of these to effectively apply leverage.
As an example, let’s look at a manager. A manager has learned to do work through others. An effective manager has learned the proper knowledge, skills, and ability to manage employees. The level of each of these factors determines both the success at the current level and whether that manager can handle more employees. This ability affects the amount of money that manager makes and can make.
So, to move your fulcrum (thereby increasing your capacity to use leverage), you must acquire one or more of these factors. Knowledge is also known as relevant information. Skills are the activity knowledge or know how. Ability is the capacity to perform. In any endeavor, you must have all three to be effective. Your level of effectiveness will be limited if you are lacking in any of these three.
To apply The Fulcrum Principle, do this. First, assess where you are. Second, determine what information you need to acquire. Third, find out how to apply the information to your specific situations. Finally, practice applying the know how; thereby, improving your capability. By focusing on moving the fulcrum, you will be amazed at the benefits and opportunities that you will begin to see in your life.
One of the reasons that I started the Bubble Planner was to use the Fulcrum of Distributed Cognition (using an external tool to extend your thinking capacity). I highly encourage you to use an organizer (like the Bubble Planner) to use this lever in your own life.
