Long time lurker and first time poster. Wanted to give some thoughts based on what I have seen and experienced so far since swallowing the pill.

Efficiency: The state or quality of being efficient, or able to accomplish something with the least waste of time and effort.

In business, it's desirable to reap the benefits of low risk and high return. This principle can be applied to life. As a man, your time is valuable. The last thing you want to do is spend time, money, or effort on something more than you absolutely HAVE to. This is where being efficient sets you ahead of the social media scrolling, video game playing, netflix watching, orbiter beta boys.

https://i.imgur.com/8E8GQPg.jpg

Low Risk, High Return Risk is something that is associated with time, energy, and money. Low risk, high return activites give high returns for their low investment. Often they're activities that become habits: good hygiene (showering, brushing your teeth, etc), lifting weights, eating healthy food, getting enough sleep at night, spending time with good male figures, and many more. If any of these things aren't things you do, you need to change that shit right away.

Whenever possible, you should try to recognize these low investment returns IMMEDIATELY and implement them so you are efficient with your time. This seems obvious, but its often not that easy.

  • STEM major at a university studying for an upcoming exam? FIRST thing your ass should do is make a note sheet with all important equations and formulas that you need to know, with ALL variables labeled. You could do practice problems all day without knowing when you're ready, but making a note sheet is low investment, high reward, and has an end goal. Look at learning objectives, the syllabus, and get the low hanging fruit FIRST.

 

  • The most important thing when it comes to clothes and styles is fit. You want slim fitting clothes that show off all those gainzzzzz, leave the baggy clothing trend in the early 2000's. Good fitting shirts are easy to find but the real pain in the ass is pants. You could go to a tailor and pay up the ass to get fitted every time you buy a pair of jeans OR you can make the small investment and buy a sewing machine and quickly learn how to taper clothes to your frame from a couple youtube videos and a cheap sewing machine. Small investment, high return.

 

  • Taking you too long to walk to school/work? Buy a bike, you'll save time. Low risk/investment, high return.

 

  • Newbie to the gym and not sure what workouts to do? You could spend hours researching what could work best for you, but you don't have time for that. Look up a basic routine or go with a friend who goes, just pick something and stick with it. Whatever you do, go LIFT. 30 min- 1 hour a day, low investment, high return.

 

  • Want to talk to that cute girl you always spot at the coffee shop? GO. Girls are the lowest investment, and laying them is the reward. Even if you get rejected, the reward is learning how to be comfortable with that and getting better for the next time.

 

The most succesful people I know take every chance they get to sieze the low investment, high return opportunities and you should too. They should be the first things you work on when you wake up. Leave the long and grueling tasks to be done in longer periods and break these tasks into maneagable sizes so you get the reward of at least accomplishing part of these tasks. Set a goal in mind for that time period for these long, necessary, grueling tasks. If you need ideas, look up the pomodoro technique.

Stay away from high investment, low return (or no return) options. These come in the form of needy emotional plates, drama, social media, netflix binges, stressful minimum wage jobs, video games, you get the point. If it takes more investment than it returns, its not worth your time. Anything that is not an option with low investment and high rewards should be thought about carefully. Your time is precious, so act like it.

TL;DR: Seize all the low investment and high return opportunities as often as you get.