We're witnessing a fundamental shift in how effort translates to results.
For generations, the relationship was beautifully predictable: more time invested usually meant proportionally better outcomes. Work 10% harder, see roughly 10% better results. There was comfort in this linear world; effort was honest, measurable and fair.
For centuries, we've been slowly moving away from this model well described by the principle of leverage. Think of Archimedes' famous quote:
"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it and I shall move the world."
We learned to multiply our strength by applying force at strategic points. Tools, machines, and systems became our levers, allowing us to achieve greater results with the same human input. But even this leverage was relatively predictable and incremental. We could see it coming.
Now something different is happening. AI has completely shattered the linear relationship between effort and results.
Today, the right prompt can generate in minutes what used to take hours (we see this front row in software development). The right tool can automate what used to require entire teams. The right strategic decision can 10x your output while your competitor still grinds in the old paradigm.
This creates an unprecedented premium on where we focus our efforts, not just how intensely we work. The person who spends 30 minutes crafting the perfect AI agent may outperform someone grinding for 8 hours using traditional methods.
We're moving from "effort equals results" to "strategic effort equals exponential results." Or what I like to call "Pareto on Steroids."
This shift is forcing me to confront something uncomfortable about how I was raised to think about work.
I was taught that working hard was paramount. And I still believe in giving your best effort. But maybe working long doesn't equal working hard.
I catch myself constantly making myself busy for the bizarre reward my brain gives me. It rewards busyness and confuses it with "doing what I'm supposed to do." I often have to stop and ask myself: am I putting my efforts into what's actually smart?
The old frameworks still matter. I used to rely on the Eisenhower Matrix every morning to decide what was worth tackling. That reasoning isn't wrong; but now the dimension of effort versus results has become absolutely critical to my decision-making process.
The question that haunts me daily: What task today is important and can give me the biggest results?
The high-achievers in business won't just be those who work hardest. They'll be those who think most strategically about where to apply their energy in this new exponential landscape.
The uncomfortable truth? We might need to unlearn some of what made us successful before.
How are you adapting your decision-making to thrive in this new reality?