How to Unlock Career Growth Without Burning Out

 

What Is Career Leverage? Leverage is like a magic multiplier. It’s how you get more results from the same amount of effort.   Think of it this way: You could push a boulder uphill with brute force (good luck with that), or you could use a lever to make the job easier.   In your career, leverage means working smarter, not harder. It’s about focusing on the activities and opportunities that create the biggest impact. And the best part? There are so many ways to create it.

The 3 Types of Career Leverage Here’s how leverage shows up in your career:   Resource Leverage This is about making the most of your skills, time, and tools to maximize results.   Sharpen the right skills. Basic skills are great, but developing niche expertise or leadership abilities gives you a major edge. Manage your time wisely. Focus on high-value work that moves the needle. Use technology. Automation tools and efficient systems free up your energy for bigger things.    The goal? Use your resources to work more effectively and position yourself as a go-to authority.   Relationship Leverage You’ve heard it before: It’s not what you know; it’s who you know. And it’s true. Building the right relationships can fast-track your career.   Case in point: I landed my job at Microsoft through a connection with one of the team members. Not only did I get the role faster, but I also negotiated an extra $25k on top of the offer.   The secret is to:   Find the right people—those who influence decisions and open doors. Build genuine connections. Focus on relationships, not transactions. Leverage those connections when opportunities arise.   Here’s the thing: Relationships don’t just make your career easier. They make it possible.   Strategic Leverage This is the big-picture stuff—the moves that show you’re ready for leadership.   Strategic leverage means:   Creating value for your organization. (Think revenue growth, cost savings, or efficiency improvements.) Developing influence by aligning your work with company priorities. Making smart decisions that set you apart as someone who thinks like a leader.   Even if you’re not in the executive suite (yet), you can start thinking strategically by understanding the bigger picture. (And here’s a pro tip: Relationship leverage often unlocks the info you need to make those strategic moves.)   Why Leverage Matters Imagine this:   You’ve spent the past year working hard, meeting every deadline, and doing everything asked of you. But when performance reviews roll around, the promotion goes to your colleague.   What happened?   While you were focused on the day-to-day grind, they were building relationships, taking on high-visibility projects, and making moves that created impact. Same effort, but their results were bigger because they used leverage.   If you want to accelerate your growth, it’s time to play smarter.

Your Next Steps   Ready to create leverage in your career? Here’s how to start:   Look at your resources. Which skills, tools, or habits can you sharpen to create more impact? Build your network. Identify one person this week who could help you grow—and reach out. Think strategically. What’s one high-impact action you can take in your current role?   Leverage = the same amount of effort, better results. It’s time to stop spinning your wheels and start making moves that count.

The 5 Productivity Habits of True Heavyweights

 #1. The Creative Cottage Concept

 

Your genius adores solitude. Masterwork never gets done in an office, surrounded by people and noisiness and complexity. The artistry that honors your highest gifts and makes the world a more enchanting place gets done in isolation. So go find a place where no one can find you, to make your magic real.

 

#2. The Daily Napping Practice

 

I don’t nap as much as I used to but for over 20 years I’d take a Power Nap nearly every single day. Churchill said that his napping habit gave him two days in one. When I was on the road in Greece, I’d sleep for 15 minutes on the way to an event and, in doing so, come back to life. Test this regimen out and see if it delivers excellent results for you.

 

#3. The 2-Phone Protocol

 

The CEOs and financial titans I mentor love this one! Have one phone that’s fully-loaded. It has all your social media apps, Netflix, weather and food ordering technology. Then, in a wise and brave act of creative heroism, invest in a cheap and simple phone with only SMS on it. This is your “Spartan Phone” and the phone that’s with you when you need to get real (versus fake) work done. Your productivity is dramatically defined by the environment you set up so set up one that doesn’t have the attraction to distraction.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: If you’d like me to mentor you on the habits of the world’s most successful people so 2025 is your best year yet, check out the details to my special program The 1st Step Academy here. It’s a life-changer!

 

#4. The Weekly Design System

 

I’ve written about my entire planning process in The Everyday Hero Manifesto. The starting principle is to remember that the things you schedule are the things that get done. And without a clear plan for each week, you’re certain to be reactive instead of peaceful, productive and strategic. Here’s the template I use myself to plan each week.

 

#5. Become a Master of The Polite No 

 

Too many good people suffer from the affliction of trying to please people. This causes them to say yes to nearly every request that comes their way. Mastery is very much about minimalism: building a life around a monomaniacal focus around only a few things. And because all you do are a few things every day (that are the very same things each day), you’re certain to get very very very great at these things. So, politely say no to lost opportunities so you can get your finest work done.

SOP: 5 High Achiever Sins Sabotaging Your Promotion

 

34 Life Lessons from 34 Years

 

1. You'll achieve much more by being consistently reliable than by being occasionally extraordinary.

You can get pretty damn far in life by just being someone that people can count on to show up and do the work.

2. You're one year of focus away from people saying you got lucky.

Most people overestimate what they can do in a day and underestimate what they can do in a year. Your entire life can change in one year. Not ten, not five, not three. One. One year of focused, daily effort. You're always just one year away from a dramatically different life. The transformation won't be easy, but it is possible.

3. The worst prison in the world is having the talent and intelligence to achieve something great but lacking the courage to go out and do it.

There is someone out there living the life you want simply because they took action and you didn’t. They aren't smarter than you. They aren't more skilled than you. They aren't more resourceful than you. They just acted when you didn't. Think about that.

4. There's nothing more dangerous than the person who shows up every single day even when the rewards are uncertain.

The one who can tolerate the most uncertainty is the one who will eventually win.

5. Preparation always beats planning.

Planning is based on the expectation of order. Preparation is based on the expectation of chaos. Plan for order and you'll be destroyed by chaos. Prepare for chaos and you'll thrive in any condition.

6. A lot of problems are solved by waking up early and working out.

Waking up early is as close to a life cheat code as you will find. It requires intense discipline, and it creates evidence of your power and control over your world. That bleeds into every other area of life. Confidence is built, not born.

7. The worst decisions in life are made when you allow your head to talk you into something when your gut already said no.

Rule for life: Never let your head outsmart your gut.

8. The answers you seek are found in the actions you avoid.

Every single thing you want in life is on the other side of something you don't want to do. The body you seek is found in the workouts you skip. The relationships you seek are found in the hard conversations you delay. The success you seek is found in the hours of execution you avoid. The answer is found in the action. Remember that.

9. It's all on you.

No one is coming to save you. No one will fix your problems. No one will change your mindsets. No one will hand you the things you want in life. It's just you. It's all on you. There's a power in that.

10. Later you'll be dead.

Life is filled with laters. I'll spend more time with my kids later. I'll find time for my health later. I'll have more freedom later. The brutal reality: Later is just another word for never. Most of the things you say you'll do later won't be possible by the time you claim you'll do them. Your kids won't be five years old later. Your health won't be there later. Your life won't suddenly be built for freedom and enjoyment later. Either design it into your life now or live with regret later.

11. "Be realistic" is the single worst piece of advice.

It’s impossible to fly with your feet on the ground. It’s not up to anyone else to decide what's possible for you or your life. Sometimes, you need to be unrealistic.

12. Anxiety loves idleness.

Stress and anxiety feed on idleness. When you take action, you starve them of the oxygen they need to survive. When in doubt, act.

13. You are the sum total of the actions you take.

You may have positive thoughts and intentions, but your actions are all that matters in the end. And no matter what anyone tells you, your actions are always within your control. You get to choose your next action. If it isn't one you're proud of, that's on you.

14. Choose your hard.

It's hard to build deep, meaningful relationships. It's also hard to live on the surface with everyone. It's hard to build the body you want. It's also hard to see your body atrophy from lack of use. It's hard to build a life of purpose. It's also hard to live without one. Choose your hard.

15. No one has it all figured out.

No one knows what they're doing. Even the people you admire. Everyone is stumbling along. Some are just willing to stumble enough that they find their way into something magical.

16. You don't plan your future. You plan your actions today, and those actions create your future.

A question to reset your focus: If I repeated this day for 100 straight days, would my life be better or worse? Planning your future can quickly spiral into procrastination in disguise. Focus on the actions in the present and let the future take care of itself.

17. The people you choose to surround yourself with will determine your outcomes.

The Pygmalion Effect says that we rise to the level of other people's expectations for us. If you surround yourself with people who believe you are capable of more, who want you to think bigger, who push you to grow, you will prove them right. Remember: Someone is either holding you back or pushing you forward. There is no in between.

18. Life is more fragile than you think (even when you account for that statement).

You never know when it will be the last time you get to hug that friend, tuck your kid in for bed, kiss your wife, take a walk with your parents, or see that crazy family member. Hug your people with everything you have. Always make them let go first.

19. Inputs may be trendy, but outputs get you paid.

No one cares about your deep work ritual or morning routine if you don’t get sh*t done. Focus on your inputs, but never lose sight of the fact that the world will judge you based on your outputs. If the quality of the outputs doesn't match the quality of the inputs over a long time horizon, you need to adjust the inputs.

20. Stress is a tax on extreme ambition.

When you care deeply about something, you will experience feelings of stress that accompany the non-linearity of your progress. The goal isn't to have no stress, but to stress about things that actually matter to you.

21. The good old days are happening right now.

Every single thing you do today is something that your 90-year-old self will wish they could go back and do. Slow down, look around, embrace the present.

22. Adaptability is the single most important trait for life.

The explorer doesn't set out on his voyage trusting that the seas will remain calm and that he will stay perfectly on course; but rather, in his ability to adapt when the inevitable storms and chaos arrive. You are the explorer and life is your voyage. You don't need to trust in your plan or your intelligence. You need to trust in your ability to adapt.

23. Dopamine from information gathering is a dangerous drug.

Your entire life will change the moment you stop looking for more information and start acting on the information you already have. Get your dopamine from action.

24. Happiness is found in the becoming.

Real happiness is found in the anticipation. It’s the quest. It’s the hunt. It’s the process. It's the journey. It's the moment right before you achieve it. Happiness is not in the having, but in the becoming.

25. The things you want most in life will come to you, but only when you're ready for them.

Mario Quintana once wrote, "Don’t waste your time chasing butterflies. Mend your garden, and the butterflies will come." Your external reality is often a manifestation of your internal reality. Don't look out, look in.

26. The word "yet" will change your life.

"I'm not good enough" becomes "I'm not good enough...yet." "I don't know how to do it" becomes "I don't know how to do it...yet." "I'm not capable of that" becomes "I'm not capable of that...yet." "Yet" is your one word reminder that you can achieve anything that you set your mind to. You are dynamic and capable of so much more than you realize. Embrace the "yet" and change your life.

27. Success always follows interest.

Most people focus too much on being interesting and not enough on being interested. Being interested is how you become interesting. When you're interested, you're prone to deep focus, which cultivates a depth that is impossible to fake. That depth is a necessary ingredient of success.

28. Winning can be problematic for your social life.

Drake once said, "People like you more when you working towards something. Not when you have it." I felt that.

29. You should always cringe at your former self.

If you look back at yourself from a year ago and you don't cringe at your outputs, habits, behaviors, or actions, you should be worried. That "cringe" sensation is a sign of your growth. It should always exist.

30. Work hard first, then smart later.

When you're young, all you have is time. You don't have the skills, money, knowledge, experience, or networks that would allow you to work smart. You have to trade your time to acquire those things. Once you have them, you can pick and choose your opportunities, but until then, work hard.

31. The only way to make a lot of money is to create a lot of value.

No one hands out money. No one is going to pay you just because they like you or think you're cool. That's not the way the world works. Money earned is a direct byproduct of value created. It's not talking about the thing, it's not brainstorming about the thing, it's not asking about the thing, it's not thinking about the thing. The only way to create value is by doing the thing. Identify a problem, create a solution, scale the solution. Simple, not easy.

32. Everything matters.

You don't get to pick and choose when to show up, because the world will ignore your best and judge you for your worst. If you want to win, your responsibility is to show up with energy and enthusiasm for the little things just as much as you do for the big things.

33. It's not supposed to be easy.

The most valuable things in life are hard to earn. They will take longer than you ever imagined. And that’s precisely why they’re so valuable.

34. The climb prepares you for the summit.

If you got dropped at the top of Mount Everest, you'd immediately pass out from the altitude. You can't skip the climb in life, it physically and mentally prepares you for the summit. Never intentionally seek to avoid the climb. Be grateful for the struggle and what it builds within you.

25 supreme habits for 2025

 1. Rise with the sun and spend at least an hour praying, reading and running. Your days will never be the same!

 

2. Go complaint-free for a week. [You’ll feel so much stronger and better].

 

3. Stop focusing on the faults of people and, instead, seek to amplify their strengths. Simple idea yet practiced rarely in today’s society.

 

4. Walk for an hour every day. Period.

 

5. Read for an hour each evening.

 

6. Be the most prepared person at every meeting you attend.

 

7. Outwork everyone in your industry. Always giving your best effort breeds tremendous self-respect.

 

8. Make deep sleep a priority. Bonus tip: the key to a superb morning routine is an excellent pre-sleep ritual (and not much good happens after 9pm so why not go to bed then?). 

 

9. Finally forgive the people who hurt you, understanding that your hurters have helped you become you. 

 

10. Do 3 scary things every 3 months in 2025.

11. Work without your phone until noon each workday.

 

12. Turn your phone off every Sunday (for the entire day). Your family deserves the best of you, yes?

 

13. Hope for the best yet be absolutely prepared for the worst. Too slow is too late. 

 

14. Start your mornings focusing on 5 things you’re grateful for. The tone of your day will rise.

 

15. Be the best listener in your home.

 

16. Be the most enthusiastic student in your field.

 

17. Develop impeccable manners.

 

18. Go to art galleries often so that the stardust of the masters mesmerizes your consciousness. Leave your phone at home if you really want the benefit of this special habit.

 

19. End every creative project better than you started.

 

20. Stop being mean to yourself. You’re incredibly special.

 

21. Stop comparing your life to other lives. Your journey is perfect for you and there’s rich wisdom in you being exactly where you’re at.

 

22. As you produce more success, think even more like a beginner. Winning makes most people sloppy.

 

23. Tell your loved ones you love them daily. 

 

24. Speak like a leader not victim.

 

25. Remember that your daily habits predict your lifetime results. So make them great.