I have often acted to make myself feel that I was accomplishing something without waiting for my internal guidance system to kick in. It seems that our culture is all about action. Over and over I hear the key to success is setting goals and taking action, but it is impossible to do it all and which actions to take?

The idea of “leverage” keeps popping up for me. Taking focused action to give me the most result for the least effort. I even named my new company “Connect 4 Leverage” to remind me that I get the most benefit from combining my efforts strategically with those of others to see quicker and more successful results.

A bigger lesson for me is to get centered and listen to God talking to me through my internal guidance before I act. A few years ago, Shihan Pete Pukish said to me during a martial arts class, “It’s hard to move from your center when you’re hauling ass out in front of yourself.” Over the years, that has been my perpetual challenge, hauling ass because I was scared or excited and getting ahead of my guidance – then tripping over myself into something I didn’t want.

I’m reading (for the second time) the Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman.  His teacher in Hawaii says this to him about leverage. “To really help people, you first need to understand them – but you can’t understand someone else until you understand yourself. Know yourself; prepare yourself; develop the clarity, the courage and the sensitivity to exert the right leverage, in the right place, at the right time. Then act.”

In what ways are you getting leverage? See how others answered this question on LinkedIn. Post a comment about how you are getting leverage.