80/20: Doing Business Gently.

It's amazing how hard you can chase a thing only to find it is always ahead of you and you never seem to catch it.

We try so hard in our lives to make things work for us and yet all the energy, effort and attention we put in never seems to pay off - what we want always remains tantalisingly out of reach.

Western business culture applauds those that drive themselves into the ground - doing their bit for the team, always being first in and last out, making the effort and so on. Complete nonsense - we've been sold that rubbish for years.

Yes, we need a goal. Yes, we need the right expectation and yes we need the right motivation and yes we need to take actions. But we need to do it gently.

Life unfolds and we have to make a little space for it. Relationships require two people or more - and if we are making all the effort we are not making space for the others. For life and people to engage. 80/20 should do it.

I am an 80/20er.

I'm good 80% of the time and bad 20% (its my nature....), I eat protein 80% of the time and carbs 20%,  I apply 80% of my energies and allow 20% of the effort to be made by others, the market, the Force (if you're a sales jedi) - the 20% is the time for my efforts to take root and grow with a life of their own.

I'm not seeking perfection but I do work on perfecting.

Learn - especially in today's market - to be gentle with yourself. Your friends, family, colleagues and clients will thank you for it and you will have the energy for the long march that is ahead of us.