Please indulge me as I review a few examples before getting to my point.
Reflexology
I am not a healthcare practitioner and I don’t give health advice. I am not trying to do that here although I will make reference to a specific discipline of healthcare. Let’s consider the concept of pressure points. If we take reflexology, for example. It is the holistic wellness therapy that involves applying pressure to specific points on the body in order to produce health outcomes usually in other areas on the body that seem unconnected to the pressure point but which are ostensibly connected through unseen meridians under the surface of the skin. Acupuncture also draws on this concept of precise pressure points on the surface of the body that can produce healing and/or pain relief in other parts of the body when stimulated.
The Vulcan Nerve Pinch
The original Star Trek television series (1966-1969) featured a beloved character, Mr. Spock, who knew how to use a pinch delivered to a nerve bundle on the lower neck area of a subject to render them unconscious in an instant. He used it to good effect on several episodes to incapacitate unsavory or agitated individuals.
Where am I going with this talk of “pressure points”?
Another story or two …
The Furnace
My oil furnace started blowing only cold air yesterday. It refused to respond to inputs on the thermostat. The temperature in our home dropped precipitously overnight. This morning, before calling a technician to come over and spend a day diagnosing the problem, I was reminded that there’s a small red button hidden behind a metal panel on the side of the huge furnace system in the basement. When pressed and held for 10 seconds, this button will normally turn off the furnace. I thought I’d try a reset. I applied the 10 second press and the furnace didn’t shut off but instead made a hissing noise for about another 10 seconds and then began blowing hot air again. Problem solved!
The Monitor
This morning, as I was starting work in my office, my right external monitor connected to my laptop started flashing solid colors in a 2-second rotation. Was I going to need to call IT to have someone deliver a new monitor? Before creating a ticket, I thought I’d ask AI what this means. Long story short, it suggested that I check my video cable connections. I pulled out one monitor’s video cable and plugged it back in. Both monitors immediately reset and the issue resolved completely. Problem solved!
Pressure Points
In these last two examples, “pressure points” solved problems in seconds that could have taken hours to solve had I taken a different path.
A pressure point can be compared to a button. With the press of a button, you can turn on a phone, start a car, open a garage door, or launch a rocket. In a way, a button represents infinite potential for leverage. And what is leverage? In its most general and abstract form, leverage is the strategic use of a relatively small input of resources, force, or influence to command a disproportionately large effect, result, or advantage.
Effective people apply leverage in as many areas of their lives as they can. It seems logical that the more ways we can find to use leverage, the more we will be able to accomplish. This is why this blog has the short-form format that it does. Rather than fully developing complex strategies for improving your life, I am taking the approach of identifying the smallest pieces of information and simplest techniques out there for effecting the largest amount of positive change possible. I hope this blog helps you find “pressure points” in your life that can help you solve larger issues using smaller solutions instead of letting life’s challenges overwhelm you.
Want More?
It’s all fine and good to know how to apply leverage. But what if you’re still looking for the area of your life in which you should begin this optimization? Consider the Japanese thought exercise known as Ikigai, shown here; Are You Still Trying to Figure Out What to Do?
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- First Thing in the Morning
- Selecting a Morning Routine
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