1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,440 In my many years of building businesses from scratch, 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:05,240 the most effective habit I carved into my daily routine 3 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,960 was what I call the 20% reflection. 4 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:11,320 Contrary to the flurry of task completion 5 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:12,840 and constant hustle, 6 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:15,680 I found myself allocating a fifth of my time 7 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,379 not to doing, but to thinking. 8 00:00:18,379 --> 00:00:21,200 This was not the popular meditative reflection, 9 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,280 but a structured strategic review 10 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:25,320 of my actions and their outcomes. 11 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,160 I noticed that my peers were often caught 12 00:00:27,180 --> 00:00:30,860 in the trap of efficiency without effectiveness. 13 00:00:30,860 --> 00:00:33,240 They executed tasks swiftly, 14 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:35,119 but lost sight of whether those tasks 15 00:00:35,119 --> 00:00:37,540 were the right ones to pursue. 16 00:00:37,540 --> 00:00:40,160 The 20% reflection is about stepping back 17 00:00:40,160 --> 00:00:42,279 to evaluate if you're climbing the right mountain 18 00:00:42,279 --> 00:00:44,680 before you reach the summit exhausted, 19 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,939 only to realize it was the wrong peak all along. 20 00:00:47,939 --> 00:00:49,680 Here's the approach, 21 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:53,200 treat your time as an investor treats their capital, 22 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:55,580 always seeking the highest return. 23 00:00:55,619 --> 00:00:57,740 For every hour worked or decision made, 24 00:00:57,740 --> 00:01:00,720 dedicate 12 minutes to critically assess its impact. 25 00:01:01,540 --> 00:01:04,220 It's not about questioning yourself into a standstill, 26 00:01:04,220 --> 00:01:07,699 but ensuring that you aren't blindly following convention. 27 00:01:07,699 --> 00:01:10,139 Most businesses sprint in circles. 28 00:01:10,139 --> 00:01:11,779 I chose to walk in a straight, 29 00:01:11,779 --> 00:01:14,339 albeit unconventional line towards objectives 30 00:01:14,339 --> 00:01:16,080 I had verified as valuable. 31 00:01:17,220 --> 00:01:21,220 Another piece of advice I can pass on relates to networking. 32 00:01:21,220 --> 00:01:23,040 The secret isn't attending every mixer 33 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,019 within a 50-mile radius. 34 00:01:25,099 --> 00:01:27,500 It's identifying individuals with expertise 35 00:01:27,500 --> 00:01:29,320 so central to your goals 36 00:01:29,320 --> 00:01:31,099 that investing in those relationships 37 00:01:31,099 --> 00:01:34,040 provides a return no conference could ever yield. 38 00:01:35,300 --> 00:01:37,820 Think of it as targeted networking. 39 00:01:37,820 --> 00:01:40,160 Often, this meant forgoing large events 40 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,379 in favor of deep conversations with just one person 41 00:01:43,379 --> 00:01:45,379 whose expertise was leagues ahead 42 00:01:45,379 --> 00:01:47,660 in a domain I needed to understand. 43 00:01:47,660 --> 00:01:49,660 These relationships often became pivotal 44 00:01:49,660 --> 00:01:52,279 in navigating the business terrain. 45 00:01:52,279 --> 00:01:54,699 Lastly, people often confuse complexity 46 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:56,199 with sophistication. 47 00:01:56,199 --> 00:01:59,919 I focused on simplifying, not complicating. 48 00:01:59,919 --> 00:02:01,639 When presented with a business model, 49 00:02:01,639 --> 00:02:03,080 a strategy or a product, 50 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:05,480 I stripped it down to its essence. 51 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:07,379 If it couldn't be explained simply, 52 00:02:07,379 --> 00:02:10,399 it was often because it wasn't understood well enough. 53 00:02:10,399 --> 00:02:13,500 This isn't to dismiss complexity but to control it. 54 00:02:13,500 --> 00:02:17,559 Simplicity is digestible and more importantly, executable. 55 00:02:17,559 --> 00:02:19,759 In closing, you may find these practices 56 00:02:19,759 --> 00:02:22,960 opposing the bustling entrepreneur's archetype 57 00:02:23,100 --> 00:02:26,139 but they've been instrumental in my journey. 58 00:02:26,139 --> 00:02:27,759 If any of this resonates with you, 59 00:02:27,759 --> 00:02:30,279 I encourage you to subscribe for more insights 60 00:02:30,279 --> 00:02:32,240 that stray from the beaten path 61 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:36,080 but have weathered the test of intense business realities. 62 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:38,479 Share this if you know someone who could benefit 63 00:02:38,479 --> 00:02:41,559 from a perspective that challenges the norm 64 00:02:41,559 --> 00:02:43,419 in favor of what's effective. 65 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:46,960 Thank you for investing your time with me.