Hey :)
Last year was a big Richard Koch year for me.
Last year was a big Richard Koch year for me.
I read his books multiple times, and somewhere along the way the 80/20 principle stopped being just an idea and became a first principle for how I think about almost everything — from life at home to how I spend my time at work.
One concept in particular really stuck with me: the idea of your 20% spike.
I came across a set of journal prompts in one of Richard Koch’s books (I can’t remember exactly which one), and one morning I decided to actually sit with them properly.
I took the ten prompts, put each one in the centre of a page on my reMarkable, and mind-mapped my thoughts around them. No pressure. Just getting things out of my head and onto the page.
It took a couple of hours.
What surprised me wasn’t how hard it was — it was how obvious the answers became once I gave myself the space to think.
The pull towards doing this work came from a bigger question I couldn’t ignore: What is it that I’m really here to do?
What is the value I bring — to my work, to the business, to the people I work with?
Not just discovering that, but really owning it.
Because once you’re clear on that, something else happens.
You stop competing.
You stop feeling threatened by what other people are doing.
You stop thinking you need to copy, explain, justify, or perform.
You stop feeling threatened by what other people are doing.
You stop thinking you need to copy, explain, justify, or perform.
You can let other people do what they are meant to do — without feeling like you should be doing that too.
And you can lean fully into who you are, what you’re good at, and where you create the most value.
Honestly, the feeling was incredibly liberating.
Imagine being completely settled in what you’re here to do.
No anxiety.
No second-guessing.
No background noise of “should I be doing more of that?”
No second-guessing.
No background noise of “should I be doing more of that?”
That’s what this exercise gave me.
At its core, the idea of the 20% spike is about leverage — where you do your best work, where things feel natural to you but difficult for others, and where your contribution really matters.
It overlaps closely with ideas like Dan Sullivan’s Unique Ability, Gallup’s StrengthsFinder, and even Martin Seligman’s work on strengths and wellbeing. in Authentic Happiness.
The common thread is this: When you spend more of your time operating in your 20% spike, you don’t just perform better — you feel better.
You say yes to the right work.
You say no to the wrong work without guilt.
You stop forcing yourself into roles, behaviours, or expectations that don’t fit.
And that applies at home as much as it does at work.
So I wanted to share the exact prompts with you.
If you’re feeling stretched, misaligned, or quietly wondering whether you’re doing work that actually fits you, I’d encourage you to take these into your journal and spend some real time with them.
Don’t rush them.
Don’t try to be clever.
Just be honest.
Richard Koch’s “20% Spike” Prompts
Here they are:
- What sort of thing really excites you?
- What am I most passionate about? (Doesn’t have to be work related.)
- Imagine you become famous in your lifetime — what might you be celebrated for?
- What is the single most distinctive thing about you that defines your individuality?
- What is most different and idiosyncratic about you?
- What do you think you would be happiest and most fulfilled doing?
- What one thing are you best at — better than anyone else you know?
- What occupation or role do you think you are best suited to?
- Think laterally: imagine a new arena or activity where you might be excellent — creative, surprising, maybe not even serious.
- If you were to start a new venture that becomes amazingly successful, what might that enterprise be?
My bet is this: If you really engage with these, you’ll feel a weight lift.
You’ll feel clearer.
And you’ll feel far more confident saying no to the wrong things — and yes to the right ones.
🗣️ 👀
Chris
Chris