Archimedes Was Half-Right 🌏 Finding the Right Lever for Your Life and Season

Lately, I’ve been in a season where my mind feels crystal clear -  but my body and energy are moving at a very different pace.

It’s shown me, more than ever, how true the things I’ve believed and taught about marketing when "you" are the brand really are.

I haven’t just been saying them - I’ve been living them, by necessity.

And strangely, through it all, I’ve been thinking about Archimedes.

Archimedes said, "Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough, and I will move the world."

It’s a beautiful idea. Empowering. Exhilarating.

But here’s the part that often gets overlooked:

You still need a lever you can hold.

You still need a place you can stand.

You still need to choose a rock you can actually move.

And that’s where the real wisdom lies - in the knowing, the selecting, the honouring of your current capacity.

Because it’s not just about possibility.

It’s about applicability.

Why "Bigger" Isn't Always "Better"

We live in an era obsessed with scaling, growing, maximising.

If your lever isn’t moving mountains, you’re told you’re aiming too small.

If you’re not lifting boulders twice your size, you’re told you’re playing too safe.

But the truth is, real growth is seasonal.

And sometimes the most strategic, powerful thing you can do is choose a smaller boulder, a sturdier lever, a closer place to stand.

Sometimes wisdom looks like asking:

• What can I move with the strength I have today?
• What lever can I actually grip without it splintering under pressure?
• Where can I stand that’s solid enough to bear my weight?

Because leverage isn’t just about force.

It’s about positioning.

It’s about timing.

It’s about discernment.

How This Applies to Personal Branding (and Life)

Every time you try to launch a new project, build a personal brand, or show up more visibly, you’re choosing a rock and a lever.

And if you choose a rock too big, or a lever too fragile, or a stance too unstable—you’ll end up frustrated, exhausted, and disillusioned.

Not because you’re not capable.

Not because you’re not destined for big things.

But because leverage is seasonal.

Capacity is fluid.

And wisdom is knowing how to align your strategy with your season.

Today, the biggest move might be posting your first article.

Tomorrow, it might be launching a program.

Next year, it might be writing the book.

But trying to lift all three at once?

That's a fast track to burnout, you’ll overheat, run out of steam – and lose momentum.

The Real Game: Strategic Leverage

Here's a radical idea:

Instead of aiming for maximum effort, aim for maximum effective effort.

The "right lever" for you is the one that:

• Honours your current energy, time, and mental capacity.
• Aligns with your priorities, not someone else's timeline.
• Creates momentum without creating collapse.

This means getting radically honest with yourself:

• How much capacity do I truly have this week?
• Where do I have solid ground to stand?
• Which boulder is meaningful and movable right now?

When you operate this way, you don’t just preserve your energy—you multiply your results.

Because small, strategic moves compound over time.

Because wise effort opens doors frantic hustle can never reach.

Your Lever, Your Season, Your Move

There will be seasons for lifting mountains.

There will be seasons for lifting pebbles.

Both matter.

Both shape your path.

Both deserve respect.

The magic isn't in the size of the rock.

It's in the wisdom to choose the lever you can hold, and to stand firm in the place you can sustain.

It's in trusting that even the smallest shift, done with the right leverage, changes the landscape over time.

So today:

Find your lever.

Choose your rock.

Stand where you are.

And move what you can—with all the grace, strategy, and wisdom you carry.

Because Archimedes was right about one thing:

With the right lever, you can move the world.

But only if you first honour the place you’re standing now.

******
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nina Christian is a Marketing Futurist & Global Marketing Mentor who helps people do their marketing in a more human way. 

She is a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), Life Member and Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute & AMI State Chair (Vic) and for 20 years was director of Braveda (Winner, Best Marketing Agency, Australian Marketing Excellence Awards).

Several years ago Nina saw the world of marketing shifting – this time as people became their own brands.  With this, she created a new business as a thought leader, combining her expertise in brand building with personal positioning, resulting in a breakthrough praxis known as Marketing Me™.

She has a knack for simplifying the complex which comes from being a hands-on mum to five children, and uses this to turn time-sucking activities into easy-to-follow systems and processes that make a lot of sense and get outcomes fast.

There are different ways to work with Nina based on your situation and organisation size - with all of them you'll see rapid transformation and tangible outcomes fast. Book a chat with Nina here.