🎯 THE TIP OF THE SPEAR

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about Pareto’s Principle—the 80/20 Rule—and the idea of identifying the vital few.

But the principle doesn’t stop at identifying the 20%.

Within that vital few, there is often ONE THING carrying disproportionate leverage.

🎯 The tip of the spear—

the point that leads the rest.

The thing with the greatest leverage and impact.

So instead of asking:

❌ What are all the things I could improve here?

Ask:

✅ What is the ONE thing I need to nail in this area right now?

Not forever.

Not the only thing that matters.

But the thing that is most upstream—the one concrete action that makes a whole string of other good outcomes more likely.

Your tip of the spear should be specific enough that you know:

I did it.
Or I didn’t.

For example:

SPIRITUAL
Maybe it’s opening your Bible before you open your phone.

PERSONAL
Maybe it’s writing down your top three priorities before the day begins.

PHYSICAL
Maybe it’s scheduling your workouts for the week before the week begins.

FAMILY
Maybe it’s putting your phone away from 6–8 p.m. every evening.

PROFESSIONAL
Maybe it’s doing your highest-value work before opening your email.

FINANCIAL
Maybe it’s automating a transfer to savings every payday.

REST & RECHARGE
Maybe it’s protecting Sunday afternoon—no work, no errands, no catching up. You completely unplug.

PEOPLE
Maybe it’s putting your phone down when someone is talking to you.

None of these is the only thing that matters in that area.

That’s not the point.

The point is to identify the thing with the greatest leverage.

The most upstream action.

The one thing that, if you consistently get it right, makes a lot of the downstream things easier—or more likely to fall into place.

There may be twenty things you could work on.

But what is the one thing you need to nail right now?

Find the tip of the spear.

Put your energy there.

Because that’s where you’ll often get the greatest leverage—the biggest bang for your buck.

One well-chosen action, consistently executed, can move far more than twenty scattered efforts ever will.

Published by thesuedesofa