Quote: Richard Koch, author of 80/20 Principle (http://amzn.to/jcoejq)

Posted by foursides on May 14, 2011 · 3 Comments 

My experience and that of the readers who’ve written to me confirms that for most of us, very few things really matter to any individual. I think there is a problem with the modern age and the consumer society because we have been conditioned to think that if we make a lot of money or become famous or buy expensive products, then life will have meaning. But you can’t take meaning from external artifacts or even from the admiration of millions of fans. Meaning is intrinsic and personal. I know many talented and well-meaning people who are wasting their lives working away at objectives and causes they don’t truly believe in. I make it a personal rule never to do anything that I don’t really care about. It is surprising how much this cuts out. It sounds trite and obvious, but try it. Write down the three to five things in the world that you care most about – they could be people or causes or abstract qualities such as truth and beauty. I doubt that your car will figure on the list. Another test – if you’re not enjoying something, or feeling that it is really important and useful, stop doing it. You have to stop doing things to discover what is truly important.

Richard Koch, author of 80/20 Principle

Full interview posted on Boing Boing.

Some may have noticed how absent I have become here, and the lack of commenting on other blogs (if you haven’t, that’s okay, too).

Where have I been?

Well, taking a bit of a sabbatical. I can’t say it was a digital sabbatical, because I have been using my computer extensively for work. I did take a break from reading a lot of blogs and news sites and focused more on the ones I really had to read to know what was going on (Boing Boing, kottke, Daring Fireball, 37 Signals, and, um, Bluejay Banter (baseball related)).

Every now and then I’ll go through my list on Google Reader to see what I am missing out on. The most common reaction I have when I read a title is I let out a sigh. Reading about how to gain new readers, get better comments, discovering what I am doing wrong with my blog, etc. is getting to be way over-done. Reading about some of the new companies and products coming out on sites like TechCrunch is interesting, but there is a lot of stuff to filter out. Tech news in general has been replaced almost completely by listing to This Week in Tech or This Week in Google. I still read local news once a week or so in my RSS reader, but I have been trying to watch The National on CBC for more Canadian/International news. I know, I know, TV is bad for my brain, but there are some journalists and panelists on the show that I enjoy listening to.

I also haven’t been writing. This bothers me to a degree, but I use writing as a way of expressing myself and archiving thoughts for me to reflect on in the future.

Blogging is not a medium that I want to excel at, I have discovered. Reading about affiliate marketing, creating a list, tips on engaging users on Twitter or Facebook does not interest me as much as I thought, and I am not interested in devoting that much time in connecting with people that I most likely will never meet.

I have been putting more of a focus on real relationships and experiences that will benefit me immediately and in the near future. Reaching out to companies to help my current clients out, while creating a deck of cards with these contacts for use with future clients. Building deeper relationships with the clients to take them beyond pure business talk has been great, as well. Of course, I have also been spending a lot of time with my daughter helping her grow and learn.

There has also been some fun. The Tiesto concert I went to at the end of April was incredible. I apologize for the numerous tweets about it, but I really connect with electronic music. Something about the beats make it very tribal in nature.

Speaking about tribes, I have gone back to the paleo/primal diet after a relapse into a more normal diet. Even a week of eating more clean has made me feel much better. That and the weather is warming up more to allow for more regular walks (a welcome change from being stuck indoors).

Can I talk about the future of this blog? Not really. I am going to stay away from promises of doing series or covering certain topics. I find I create expectations for myself that I can’t match, so why bother? I have larger expectations in my life with my work and my daughter, that is enough for now. When I have more time to devote to writing, I will write more frequently here.

For now, I have nothing more to say. Read the interview with Richard Koch, read his book, and as an experiment, stop doing the unnecessary tasks and see what happens.

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