The Hidden Equation Behind Every Hour of Your Life

We’ve all heard the phrase, "Work smarter, not harder." But what does that really mean? How can we tell whether someone is working harder or smarter than others? Is it about the time spent on an activity, the effort expended, or something else entirely?

The truth is, it’s not so easy to define. That’s why I propose a new way to think about work: Work = Output.

This is a significant change from the traditional view, where work is often measured in terms of input. Instead, I suggest focusing on the results: what you get out of your efforts. After all, that’s what truly matters.

The Equation of Work = Volume × Efficiency

Let’s start by breaking down the equation.

Volume: The "Working Hard" Component

Volume refers to the amount of time and effort you put into a task. We all have the same 24 hours in a day and 168 hours in a week. While it’s possible to increase the volume of work by dedicating more hours, there’s a natural limit to this. You can’t work 25 hours a day, and you still need time to sleep, eat, and recharge.

This is why volume alone isn’t enough to maximize output. It’s the "working hard" part of the equation, but it’s constrained by the finite nature of time.

Efficiency: The "Working Smart" Component

Efficiency, on the other hand, is about making the time you spend count more. It’s the "working smart" part of the equation, and unlike volume, its potential is virtually limitless. How do some people achieve more in the same amount of time as others? Efficiency.

This is what most people in this scenario would also refer to as productivity.

I like to think of it this way: Productivity = Output per Unit of Time. The higher your productivity, the more you can accomplish in a given timeframe. This is where the concept of leverage comes into play.

The Power of Leverage

Leverage is force amplification. If your leverage is zero, no matter how hard you push, nothing moves. But if your leverage is 10, every action creates outsized results.

So the question becomes: How do you increase your leverage?

Here are some exampless:

• Improve your skills: If you're better at something, each hour spent yields more output.

• Use better tools: Whether it's software, systems, or frameworks, tools multiply your effort.

But there's another, more powerful way—what Naval Ravikant, a well-known thinker and entrepreneur, calls permissionless leverage.

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The Four Types of Leverage

According to Naval, there are four types of leverage:

1. Labor – Having others work for you (oldest form).

2. Capital – Having money work for you (most dominant in the last 100 years).

3. Media - A post, video, or podcast able to reach millions of people without requiring additional effort.

4. Code - A piece of software or an app can automate tasks, solve problems, and generate value indefinitely.

Code and media are particularly powerful because they are because they’re accessible to anyone with the skills and creativity to use them.
Plus they are permissionless—you don’t need anyone’s approval to use them.

You can build once and distribute forever. That’s infinite leverage.

How to Apply Leverage in Your Life

These points are important to keep in mind:

1. Work = Volume × Leverage (Efficiency)

2. Leverage has no upper limit, but volume does

3. Permissionless leverage (code/media) is the most scalable

4. Find the highest-leverage task first, then pour your time into it

5. Buy back your time with money to create more leverage loops

We can take the definition of leverage and apply it to everything.

Let’s go through some examples:

1. At Work

• Prioritize deep, focused work time.

• Meetings, while necessary, often dirsupt the flow and are less efficient. Try to cut them.

• One focused 2-hour block = 8 hours of distracted work

2. Fitness

• Focus on compound exercises (pull-ups, squats, presses,..)

• Better form > more reps

• One good set close to failure beats five half-a**ed sets

3. Learning a New Language

• In the beginning: vocab flashcards (Software-tools like Anki)

• Later: focus on massive input (native media, immersion)

• Adjust leverage based on curent stage

4. Studying / Learning

• Use spaced repetition and active recall

• Don’t re-read or highlight excessively

• Block high-focus study times

Cut Low-Leverage Tasks Ruthlessly

The first part of the equation (volume) matters way more once you’ve identified your highest leverage activity in a certain area. So double down on that activity.

Everything else? Cut it.

Examples of low-leverage tasks in different domains:

• Answering emails for 2 hours a day

• Being in every meeting “just in case”

• Highlighting everything in a textbook without synthesis

• Obsessing over supplements instead of training/sleep/nutrition

• Reading grammar books endlessly without producing the language

Use this filter:
Does this create output or just empty momentum?

If not, drop it.

And if you must do it? Maybe try to outsource it.

Buy Back Your Time

Once you’ve identified what’s truly high leverage for you, everything changes.

It now also might make sense for you to buy back your time.

People are often sceptical if they hear about paying someone to take certain tasks off their hands, but if you actually run the numbers, you’ll realize it’s often the smartest move you can make.

Some examples:

• Hiring a cleaner - Cost/month: $200-$400 - Hours saved/month: 16-32 h

• Using meal prep services - Cost/month: $200-$300 - Hours saved/month: 20-40 h

• Getting groceries delivered - Cost/month: $20-40 - Hours saved/month: 4-8 h

• Automating tasks with code - Cost: $3000 once - Hours saved/month: 40 h

Once you did the math, you’ll realize: Unless you're earning under $10/hr and love these activities, outsourcing very often makes financial sense. What you get back isnt just time. It’s mental space, energy, and stress relief. Plus, it opens space to earn more or enjoy life.

Even if it costs money upfront, you’ll earn it back if your time is better spent on a high ROI activity.

Look at how many people are doing it:

Don’t stand in line for two hours to save $6 at a new pastry shop opening.
That’s valuing your time at $3/hour.

Do the opposite of that. Try to think what your time is worth and spend your money accordingly.

Closing Thoughts

Maximizing output isn’t about working longer hours—it’s about working smarter. By redefining work in terms of output rather than input, and by focusing on efficiency and leverage, you can achieve far more in the same amount of time.

Leverage creates exponential returns. But only if you identify it and act on it.

So today, don’t ask how hard you’re working. Ask:

• Is this my highest-leverage activity?

• What would happen if I did this for 2 focused hours every day?

• What could I stop doing to buy back time for this?

In this way I juggle full-time software engineering, full-time CS study, learning Japanese, fitness, social life, sleep and still do pretty well in all of them. Not because I work harder. But because I do the highest-leverage thing first—and skip the fluff.

So can everybody.

Thanks for reading :) See you next Saturday🤟

📚 Resources

• Naval Ravikant’s Tweetstorm on Leverage: https://twitter.com/naval/status/1002103360646823936

• My blog post about Learning: Sharpening the Axe: Efficient Learning Strategies