Pareto Principle
Use the Pareto 80:20 Rule to Help Prioritise What You Do
Are you like many of the business owners and individuals I meet where there just never seems to be enough hours in the day, and that To Do list just gets longer and longer?
Well using the Pareto Principle to help guide you might be a good place to start working on that issue.
The Pareto Principle is predicated on a strange economic phenomenon first outlined over 100 years ago by Vilfredo Pareto. The “Pareto Rule” is at the heart of the 80/20 Principle which he founded on the observation that 80% of Italian land(wealth) was owned by 20% of her people. There are so many valid examples of this Pareto Principle. In most businesses you will find that 80% of your sales are generated from 20% of your customers, and likewise that your top 20% of representatives will account for 80% of the sales volume.
The Pareto Principle is that a small number of events give rise to the majority of effects.
Therefore, very few things matter at all; but those that do, matter enormously.
How does this apply to you and your time?
The Pareto Principle is counter-intuitive and based on the premise that most of your effort is a directed at relatively unimportant tasks that derive just 20% of your output. The true value of the Pareto principle is that it drives us to identify those few activities – the top 20% – that we should pursue, as they will lead to great results.
So when you create your daily To Do list, identify the top 2 or 3 tasks that will have the greatest return…and make sure you complete them first.
And don’t fall into the trap of doing the easy ones (the other 80%) that don’t give you the best results.
If you’re still having trouble prioritizing, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.