What My ADHD Taught Me About Focus: The 80/20 Rule That Actually Grows Your Business

In my first year of business, I was everywhere. Jumping into Facebook groups, starting chats with anyone who would listen...

Picture this. You finish the day and finally close the computer. The last 8 (well, maybe 10) hours have been a blur of emails, calls, meetings, stressed-out scrolling, and thinking, “What am I supposed to be doing next?”

As you think of the day, two things become immediately obvious.

1. You were flat-out busy all-day

2. You didn’t do anything that felt like it would help you get closer to your business goals.

Sucks right!

In my first year of business, I was everywhere. Jumping into Facebook groups, started chats with anyone who would listen, and went to networking events despite no one clearly caring about what I was selling or being in a position to buy it.

I was running in survival mode - a fever pitch of new business anxiety mixed with ADHD hyperfocus.

And I was exhausted.

My calendar was full, but my business was still careening between good weeks and bad, which played a huge part in my underlying insecurity.

Thankfully, as I went on, I discovered something that I later learned was called the Pareto Principle.

And it completely changed the way I did business…

What is the Pareto Principle?

The Pareto Principle was first observed by an Italian economist who noticed that roughly 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. This observation was later expanded into a general principle: 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.

Think about that for a minute.

Most of what you're doing (about 80% of your activities) produces only a tiny portion of your results. And a small portion of your activities (around 20%) produces most of your results.

When I realized this, I knew I needed to find that critical 20% in my business - the actions that were actually bringing in clients and revenue - and focus all of my energy on building that.

Finding Your Business Nail

I like to think of your 20% as "your nail" - the thing that builds your entire business house if you hit it consistently.

For me, it was podcasting.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve been lucky enough to build an Instagram account with over 80k followers. But it was really the simple act of reaching out to podcast hosts and being a guest that was having an impact.

So, what's your nail?

It's probably something surprisingly mundane. It might be:

• A specific type of email you send

• A particular networking event you attend

• Content you create in a specific format

• A connection-building activity you do

• A sales conversation you have

To find it, look at where your actual clients came from in the past. Not where you think they should be coming from according to what everyone else does - but the verifiable source of your actual revenue.

It could be the single most valuable thing you do this year.

The Distractions Hiding Your 20%

One of the reasons most of we can struggle to identify our 20% is that it's hidden among:

1. Distractions: All the events, tasks, and “urgent” tasks that cross your path each day

2. Shiny Objects: The exciting new platform or strategy everyone's talking about

3. Obligations: Commitments you've made that don't serve your goals but come with a side of guilt

4. Accolades: Activities that make you feel important but don't actually move the needle

Turning Your 20% Into Business Growth

Once you've identified your nail, the growth path becomes surprisingly straightforward:

1. Dedicate focused time to your 20% activity every day (I recommend 45 minutes)

2. Get really, REALLY good at that one thing

3. Eventually, train others to help you scale that specific activity

It's not about working harder or doing more. It's about doing the right things consistently.

When I doubled down on podcast guesting, my business grew faster than it had in the previous two years combined. Not because I was working more hours but because I was working on the right thing.

But What About "Word of Mouth"?

Many business owners tell me, "But most of my clients come from word of mouth!"

If that's you, I want you to dig deeper. Word of mouth is rarely a complete explanation. How did those initial people who are now referring you find you in the first place? There's usually a pattern there - a podcast, a specific type of networking event, a particular piece of content.

Word of mouth is often the result of your 20%, not the 20% itself. And until you've scaled significantly, it's not something you can directly leverage as a growth strategy.

The Hard Truth About Your 80/20

Now, here’s the kicker. Although you might be excited to go and find your 20%, unfortunately, it’s often going to be a task that is, for lack of a better word… a bit boring.

Creating a beautiful Instagram graphic might feel more immediately rewarding than sending another batch of podcast pitch emails. Building a fancy new website might feel more productive than having those same sales conversations over and over.

But if you want to grow without burning out, you need to find ways to make your 20% activity engaging enough that you'll actually do it consistently.

For me, that meant bringing someone onto my team to help book me into podcasts and help me prep. That allowed me to focus on the part of the process I really enjoyed: connecting and chatting with the host.

Your Next Steps

So here's what I want you to do this week:

1. Review your last 10 clients - where did they actually come from?

2. Identify patterns in how people find and decide to work with you

3. Determine the one activity that seems to drive most of your results

4. Schedule 45 minutes daily to focus exclusively on that activity

5. Before adding any new marketing strategy or platform, ask yourself if it's taking time away from your proven 20%

If you struggle to identify your 80/20, don't be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes, we're too close to our businesses to see the patterns clearly. You can always email me if you need direction in this.

Remember, the path to business growth isn't doing more - it's doing the right things more consistently.

Wishing you focused, balanced growth (and a very clear view of your own business 80/20),

Skye

P.S. Whenever you’re ready to grow your business without ADHD overwhelm, here’s how I can help:

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