the effort equation
action + quality + context = effort
Cameron Murray
August 07, 2026
open role: mid market sales manager
series b, $80M in funding, $20M in ARR, $50M in 6 mo
SF based 5x a week, no that’s not code for remote
lead a team of 6-7 AEs, 2 of which you’ll inherit
100% team attainment across all segments
avg attainment last quarter was 124%
$300-400k, depending on exp
interested? email me
my 2 cents: the effort equation
feeling stuck? take an honest look in the mirror and ask yourself if you’re truly putting in the effort to warrant the results you desire. stings to hear, but often if we’re not getting the results we want, there’s usually a piece to the effort equation that’s missing and that’s no one else’s fault, but our own.
what’s the effort equation you ask?
action + quality + context = effort
action:
specific tasks that enable you to move closer to your ideal results.
want to be healthy? work out
want to be a good father? play with your kids
want to get a new job? apply for one
every goal we have in life, will require some form or series of actions in order to get there. however, not all actions are created equal and not all effort is the same. so it’s not the action itself that counts, but the quality of the action
quality:
the effectiveness of your action’s ability to move you closer to your goal.
in a job search this is most commonly exposed in the quality of your resume/profile, your messaging and outreach, and your preparation.
applying isn’t enough.
interviewing isn’t enough.
having relevant experience isn’t enough.
when you are applying for a business role, you need to bring business effort.
but much like action, quality is only relevant if it’s in the right context.
context:
the relevance of your actions and effort as they pertain to your goals.
if my goal is to be a faster runner, and i spend all of my time in the gym focusing on my chest and arms, i may be putting in top tier effort, but it’s focused on the wrong thing and therefor doing nothing to accomplish my goals.
am i trying? yes
am i putting in quality effort? yes
am i getting myself closer to my goal? no
i may be giving it my all, doing far more than necessary, but that doesn't mean it's working. if I don’t understand the context of my efforts/goals and how they’re connected (or not), then i’m going to feel like i’m spinning my tires when in reality the engines not even on.
so… if you’re feeling stuck, or wondering why your effort feels null, ask yourself a few questions
what is my goal? get specific
‘get healthy’ isn’t specific. get x seconds faster is
create stages or tiers to the ideal target
be realistic on what’s attainable in immediate future
what are the primary steps necessary to accomplish my goal?
start broad. the aim is to understand the scope of your goals
create a general outline of your goals that’ll allow your to zoom in
hard to get granular when you have yet to get broad
what actions are required for each step?
once you have your big picture, you can zoom in
what can i do today to move the needle forward
understand what granular looks like
lean in - don’t get intimidated
start today
what does quality look like for each action?
there’s a difference between a strict pull-up and a kip - don’t kip
hold yourself accountable to a standard you’re proud of
don’t just take action, but do so with intentionality
what is the context of these efforts?
understanding your goals and necessary steps, gives you the all context you need
if your actions feel hard but ineffective, you’re likely in the wrong context
while context won’t make it feel easy, it makes your effort effective
the questions of self reflection are endless, but they require honesty for them to work. and while honesty isn’t always the best feeling out the gate, it’s the only way to truly accomplish your goals. and i know for myself, i must rather feel the sting of honestly than the sting of regret.
tldr:
action + quality + context = effort
if one of them is out of line, your success will be impacted.
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