I’ve always been a firm believer in the 80/20 rule. That 80 percent of your productivity (or success, or income, or just about anything else), comes from 20 percent of your effort. The problem is, we live in a society of distraction. There’s always something "more important" coming up, that disengages our focus, and completely kills productivity.
Zen Habits posted a really interesting article this week comparing productivity to haiku. The main point is that to succeed, you must limit yourself to the essential. This very restrictive form of poetry provides a very structured format, so instead of getting distracted by form, you can focus on the art and message of what you’re writing.
With such a limited form, you cannot just use any amount of words you want to express a concept. You have to focus on one small but essential concept, and as a result you accomplish a lot with a few syllables. That’s what Haiku Productivity is.
So lets haiku for success! Write a haiku that you’ll put in your workspace. Focus on what you want to be, and where you see yourself in 5 or 10 years time. Your simple poem may be the difference between mediocrity and success. How great would it be to have a personal mission statement in haiku. Here’s mine to give you the idea:
Taking a risk and
failing is just another
step towards winning
If you come up with something, post it here. I’d love to see how success becomes poetry (or vice versa).
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Its always one step forward or behind that decides where you are
Remember to raise you head and eyes to look forward.
Looking down doesn’t show you where to go only where you have been.