What's in Your 20%?

I've been thinking quite a lot about the 80/20 principle recently, partly because Richard Koch's 80/20 Daily seems to have landed at exactly the right time for me.

I don't particularly want to turn my life into a mathematical formula, but I do like the question underneath it:

What are the relatively few things that make the biggest difference?

It sounds obvious, but I'm not sure our diaries always reflect the answer.

I can spend a huge amount of time doing things that need to be done. Emails need replies, appointments need organising, there's admin to deal with and there is always something else asking for attention.

None of those things are necessarily unimportant. But it's very easy to reach the end of a busy day and realise that the things I say matter most have had very little of my best energy.

That got me thinking about my own 20%.

When it comes to my health, the things that make the biggest difference aren't particularly complicated. Moving my body, doing some strength work, eating well, getting enough sleep and having some time when my brain isn't constantly being asked to respond to something.

When those things are happening reasonably consistently, I tend to feel better and everything else feels easier.

Of course, knowing that doesn't automatically mean I do it.

I can put the walk off because something needs finishing, work later than I intended or convince myself I'll get back to the training tomorrow.

That's one of the reasons I find the 80/20 question useful. It makes me step back from everything I could be doing and think about the things I already know make the biggest difference.

I think the same applies to work.

There are probably only a handful of things that really move things forward. An important conversation. A piece of thinking that needs uninterrupted time. Following up with someone. Creating something useful. Making a decision I've been sitting on.

The difficulty is that these things don't always fit neatly into the gaps between everything else. And some of them are uncomfortable.

I can be very efficient at getting through a list and still avoid the thing I know I need to do. There is usually another email I can answer or another small job I can tick off first.

So perhaps finding your 20% isn't just about identifying the habits, people and pieces of work that make the biggest difference.

It's also about noticing what you keep pushing aside.

If movement makes a big difference to your energy but is always the first thing removed from the day, that tells you something.

If an important piece of work only gets your attention when everything else is finished, it's unlikely to get your best thinking.

And if the people who matter most to you are always getting whatever energy is left at the end of the week, perhaps that's worth noticing too.

So I'm playing with this question at the moment:

What's in my 20%, and does the way I use my time actually reflect it?

You may already know your answer.

If you don't, perhaps start by noticing what makes the biggest difference to how you feel, the work you produce and how you spend your time.

You probably don't need twenty things. Two or three would be a very good place to start.

Thank you for taking the time to read 'What's in Your 20%?'. If there are any other topics that you'd be keen to hear more about, I'd love to know. Please drop me an email at hello@kateslatter.com.

What's in Your 20%?

By Kate Slatter