Hey :) 

This idea was inspired by Josh Waitzkin (Author of The Art of Learning), and I’ve started using it as part of my shutdown routine.

If you’re not familiar with my shutdown routine, here's a picture of it from my calendar. The important part for today is the last two lines on the page.

It's called the MIQ - The Most Important Question.

At the end of the workday, I ask myself a single question. Not to solve it. Not to journal about it. Just to ask it...and then leave it alone.

That question can be very practical:

Or it can be much broader:

There’s no rule for what qualifies — other than it feels like the most important question right now. And don't forget, you get to do this every day. 

Here’s the interesting part.

In one of his books, Richard Koch talks about the 80/20 principle as a way of leveraging the subconscious mind.

And my sense is…the subconscious is working anyway.

It’s running in the background whether we like it or not. Through the night. Through sleep. Through showers. Through walks.

So the leverage question becomes: What do you want your subconscious working on?

Josh Waitzkin talks about this idea of asking the question and then forgetting about it. No obsessing. No forcing. Just setting the instruction and walking away.

That exact thing happened to me recently.

I had a very specific, very practical work problem. I was frustrated. I couldn’t see the solution. I stopped thinking about it, went to bed… and when I woke up, the answer was just there. Fully formed.

You’ve probably experienced this too.

You’re stuck on a crossword clue.

You can’t remember the name of a song or an artist.

You stop trying — and suddenly it pops into your head.

That’s the subconscious doing its thing.

So if we combine Waitzkin’s idea with Koch’s thinking, we end up in the same place: Use the subconscious deliberately.

Not by grinding harder — but by pointing it at something that actually matters.

This doesn’t have to be work-related, by the way. But if you’re anything like me, it probably will be. Ideas, problems, decisions, tensions — they tend to follow you around anyway.

So here’s the gentle challenge I’ve been playing with: At the end of your day, ask yourself:

Then leave it alone.

Let your mind get on with the rest of life, knowing it’s already working on something useful instead of just spinning.

That feels very 80/20 to me.

High leverage. Low effort. No forcing.

Just something to think about.

🗣️ 👀

Chris