Why some effort pays you back for years
Read time: 4 minutes
Not too long ago, I measured almost everything I did by hours:
- Hours spent preparing a presentation
- Hours spent in weekly meetings
- Hours spent writing proposals
- Hours spent creating content
Now I think about my work very differently. I ask a different and much simpler question: Will this still be creating value six months from now?
Because I've realised not all work behaves the same way.
Some work disappears the moment you finish it.
Other work keeps working for a long time after you've moved on.
The gap between the two is much bigger than I ever appreciated. So I've started thinking less about how long something takes, and more about how long it continues to create value.
1. Some work finishes when the clock stops
The meeting ends, an email get archived, or a presentation is delivered.
There will always be work that needs doing in the moment and is then finished. However, if every hour of your week looks like this, it means you're constantly starting from zero.
2. Some work compounds quietly
Then there's the work that lasts longer:
A thoughtful article you wrote.
A useful framework you posted online.
An interesting relationship you've invested in.
A system that saves you 20 minutes every day.
They may not feel that important when you're creating them. But their value comes from the fact they continue having an effect long after you've finished creating them.
Action: Each week, try to create one thing that future-you will benefit from.
3. Small assets become surprisingly valuable
One conversation leads to two intros.
One recommendation becomes five more.
One LinkedIn post gets discovered months later.
Most opportunities aren't created by one big moment. They're created by lots of small moments that build on each other bit by bit, over a period of time.
Action: Don't underestimate the value of creating something once that can help people many times over, and long into the future.
4. The best investment might be your future workload
I've become much more interested in reducing the amount of work I need to do tomorrow than squeezing more into today.
Sometimes that means documenting a process step by step.
Writing something once rather than explaining it ten more times.
Building a reputation that answers questions before people ask them.
It often feels much slower in the moment, but it creates far more leverage in the long term.
Action: Before starting your next task, ask: Is there a way of doing this once instead of repeatedly?
The takeaway
Being productive isn't just about getting more done. It's about focussing on work that continues creating value long after you've finished it.
The more of that work you build, the more options you create for your future self.
I'd love to know—what's one piece of work you've done that's still creating value for you today?
Hit reply and let me know. I read every response.
Speak soon,
Dupé
PS: One way I help founders and leaders is by building this kind of compounding asset through their content and visibility. If that's something you'd like help with, just reply to this email and I'd be happy to chat!
