Applying the Principle of Finite Volume to Your Company

What is the Finite Volume Principle

The Finite Volume Principle is the idea that in any physical room there is a finite amount of space. Once you have exhausted that space, there is no more room to grow and therefore no more opportunity. 

Every business owner at one time or another finds themselves overwhelmed with tasks and work with approaching deadlines. One way to limit this feeling of overwhelming exhaustion is to set clear objectives. Create milestones that keep your business as well as your positive outlook moving forward.

Ask yourself, are there smaller tasks that you can work on to build up to a larger objective? We’ll discuss the metaphor of focusing on rocks instead of sand a bit later on!

Break it Down

Once you’ve established that you may be overwhelmed , it’s time to break down your business into 3-5 elements that can all be worked on and improved upon separately. Instead of forcing your brain to jump from one task to another, make it more feasible to focus. Focus on applying the Finite Volume Principle to each of these elements individually. Define a beginning, an end and then fill in the middle. This will leave you at a place where you can cross objectives off your to-do list instead of being stuck on a revolving wheel.

It’s Time to Overcome the Fear

This process sounds so simple, yet there are countless businesses who fail to break it down. Your objectives and timelines, need to be put into a format that is easy to comprehend.

Fear can come in a lot of forms and an overwhelming feeling and fear of failure are just a few.

Move the Rocks First!

There is a famous analogy to demonstrate capacity of placing items into a glass jar. You have a large glass container with rocks, water, sand and pebbles to add into it. Making and observation of how much you think will fit is just like the principle of finite volume.

This demonstration truly expresses how it can be difficult for employees or business owners to understand their true finite volume.

Why is this demonstration important to keep in mind when discussing task management? 

Because as a business owner, your primary focus should be the rocks. The rocks represent the larger objectives or defined ends that result in a project’s completion. For most business owners, once a beginning and end has been defined, the middle will come easy. 

If you are able to evaluate your processes every few weeks to create boxes inside of boxes and define objectives, you’ll be shocked at just how much you and your team can accomplish!

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Listen to Our Podcast

This week we join Rem Oculee in his discussion about the Finite Volume Principle and the importance of defining the beginning and end of any project! Instead of falling into the trap of thinking “How am I going to get all of this work done in so little time?” like a lot of business owners do, Rem talks about defining milestones and promoting the feeling of achievement along the way.