Finding More Time, Part 3: Eliminating Even More!

July 7th, 2008          Email This Post        Print This Post

Using the 80/20 Rule
The Pareto principle, or 80/20 rule, tells us that 80% of the results come from 20% of the actions (the numbers aren’t literal, nor must they add up to 100). This is a tremendous realization: in any project most of the actual work doesn’t have much of an affect on the outcome. Develop the ability to notice the difference between the little that really matters, and the rest. In most cases, the unimportant parts can be dropped or done quickly.

Distractions - Think Long Term
Most distractions aren’t worth our attention, but we still choose to deal with recurring distractions over and over. Instead of dealing with the same thing repeatedly, prepare NOW so that it becomes less of a distraction.

One easy and common example is a newsletter or update in your email that doesn’t matter to you. The second it takes to delete it isn’t such a big deal, but it adds up. The next time you see one, instead of just deleting it find the “unsubscribe” link in the email, or the “junk/spam” button in your email client.
This takes some extra time now, but it saves in the long run!

Similar Posts:

• Do you run your life, or does it run you?
• Finding More Time, Part 1: Eliminating Activities
• Finding More Time, Part 4: Optimizing
• 80/20 Your Middos for Faster Growth!
• How To Use Each Day Better
• Don’t re-act, pre-act!