Ikigai Thought for Today: Applying 80/20
Living your Ikigai in the Vital Few
Audio narration by David Marlow
In Sunday's Musing, I wrote about the 80/20 Principle using the Super Bowl to illustrate that few things matter.
I am often asked about applying this in daily life. The 80/20 Principle is fundamental to expressing our essence and purpose in harmony with whatever we do. That's why it's a key topic in my upcoming book, The Ikigai Way.
Long-time reader Tom’s response to Sunday's Musing captures what many experience. Here's what he said...
It's your “Final Thought” that drew my focus most when reading this week's Musings. “There is a world of noise and disharmony right now screaming for you to pay attention. Don't do it. Ignore the noise and focus on the vital few things in your life.”
This rings so very true to me, now more than ever. And yet, I find it a daily challenge (perhaps at times, a struggle). I would love to learn more about specific habits, choices, and discipline you've built into your personal life to help you “ignore the noise and focus on the few vital things”.
One way to build the habits and discipline to ignore the noise and focus on the vital few things is by identifying your happiness islands.
Those special moments when time seems to slow down and you're completely content. Maybe it's reading a book in your favorite chair, having coffee with a long-time friend, or playing with your grandkids.
In the spirit of Kaizen let me share a story that shows how finding these islands often starts with spotting what's blocking our path to them.
Meet Derek1.
Like many of us, Derek was drowning in the 80%, the noise that fills our days but doesn't add any value to our lives. He had been a rising star at his company only to stall once he became a manager.
While I worked with Derek on immediate tactical things to get the noise down, I knew long-term he needed to invest in personal development. Like many managers at this company, he had been thrown into the role without any mentoring or training.
To begin this process, I suggested a book for him to read.
“I don't have time to read," he told me. "I know I need to get wisdom in several areas of my life and career, but there just aren't enough hours in the day.”
I shared with him that reading only 15 minutes a day means you can finish 12 non-fiction books in a year. He still pushed back, emphasizing how busy he was.
“Do you watch ‘The Big Bang Theory’?” I asked.
“Yeah, of course!”
“Ever watch episodes you've seen before?”
He laughed, as the realization spread across his face. He'd been watching 30-minute reruns of shows he'd already seen many times before while saying he couldn't find 15 minutes to read.
Half the time of one rerun could become a happiness island. In this case, a daily reading ritual leading to greater personal growth and development.
Derek made the trade. He stopped watching sitcom reruns and started reading instead. By the end of that year, he'd finished three books that sparked a transformation in both his personal and professional development.
He'd found one of his happiness islands. Quiet time with a good book that now anchors his evenings.
Perhaps even more importantly, he had his first lesson in eliminating noise so he could replace it with something in his 20% space. This became his template for change.
As he applied his reading and coaching from me, Derek began to notice noise everywhere: unnecessary meetings, constant email checking, and scattered unfocused time. Each piece of noise he eliminated created more space for his 20% activities.
Small changes compound. He went from nearly being fired to receiving a promotion in one year.
🌀 Here’s your reflection…
1. What's your equivalent of sitcom reruns?
2. What happiness island is waiting for you in those 15 minutes?
3. What would reading 12 books (or some equivalent fun thing) this year do for your vital 20%?
Remember, finding and protecting your happiness islands often starts with one small change like choosing to redirect 15 minutes. This is one small Kaizen example of how we can practically ignore the noise and focus on what matters most.
Quest well.
Derek is a real client and this is his story though for privacy I did not use his real name.
A good sleep is my happiness boat, to my first happiness island of the day - my morning walk. Love the analogy here David! It truly is amazing how much 15 min of reading can do. Ok War & Peace...here we go.
Ever since I started to write, I also started to read, and I simply canceled all my streaming platforms simply because I didn't watch any more TV. Still, there is a lot of noise I need to eliminate, but I'm getting there. Thanks for the reminder!