Fresh Start Monday #89: A metaphor for finding what's important
I'm guessing that many of you have heard of the 80/20 rule or the Pareto Principle that states that roughly 80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes.
The goal of this rule is to help you identify the biggest levers and make them the priority. This concept can be applied to any field.
When I bring up the 80/20 rule to clients when I'm helping them identify their priorities, a question I'm often asked is, how do you know what the 20% is?
I want to share a metaphor that I first read in Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss years ago, and it remains the best illustration of the 80/20 rule in action.
It starts by asking, are you hunting antelope or field mice?
A lion is fully capable of capturing, killing, and eating a field mouse. But it turns out that the energy required to do so exceeds the caloric content of the mouse itself. So a lion that spent its day hunting and eating field mice would slowly starve to death. A lion can’t live on field mice. A lion needs antelope. Antelope are big animals. They take more speed and strength to capture and kill, and once killed, they provide a feast for the lion and her pride. A lion can live a long and happy life on a diet of antelope. The distinction is important. Are you spending all your time and exhausting all your energy catching field mice? In the short term it might give you a nice, rewarding feeling. But in the long run you’re going to die. So ask yourself at the end of the day, “Did I spend today chasing mice or hunting antelope?”
The field mice are the low-hanging fruit. The busy work. The easy tasks. The crossed-off to-do list items. The things that take short amount of work or effort. The things that you already know how to do.
Whenever I've gone through periods of weeks or months with barely any progress or feeling like I'm not going anywhere, I return to this question of whether I'm hunting antelope or field mice.
Field mice feel like progress, they might be tasty, but you'll never reach your long-term goals by chasing them.
Save your energy for what matters.
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Books
Currently reading:
Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples: Third Edition
Finished reading:
Training for the Uphill Athlete: A Manual for Mountain Runners and Ski Mountaineers
The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.
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