Would you believe the fact that 80% of your goals can be achieved with just 20% of your efforts? To elaborate further, Italian economist, Vilfredo Pareto, found that in 1895, about 80% of Italy was owned by only 20% of people. This theory on uneven distribution was later developed as the Pareto Principle, which can be used in all aspects of life.
- Using the top 20% of the apps in 80% of your smartphone usage in a day.
- 80% of a Company’s profit depends on the top 20% of customers.
- Eating your top 20% favourite food 80% of the time.
All of these are instances where Pareto’s Principle is applicable. Many business experts, managers, and supervisors use this principle in their daily lives which helps them define and achieve targets. Likewise, it can also be put to use in our daily lives to save time.
But How Can We Apply This Universal Truth to Our Lives?
Pareto Principle’s most marvellous feat is its versatility – it applies to almost everything in our daily ecosystem. On a day-to-day basis, you can achieve the most essential goals using this technique. You might have noticed that on your most busy days, you actually end up achieving fewer tasks than what you had planned. The main reason behind this is the lack of focus and failure of prioritizing the most vital goals. Focusing on just the top 20% of deadlines or tasks can drastically change your life and give you the right direction. What this means is to channel your best efforts for the most important targets and objectives.
Here Are the Brief Steps:
- Map out your most vital tasks of the day. Put them on a piece of paper or your phone and make sure that they are in front of you the entire day.
- Pick the biggest task of them all and finish it off first. For example, finishing off a report is on your priority list, get on it first. Completing your biggest milestone of the day will boost your motivation and set the right tone for the rest of the day.
- Complete the tasks according to their priority ranks and size. Try not to lose focus while doing this.
- Take short breaks in between to avoid complete burnout.
- Put 100% attention on attaining these 20% goals. Work smart and work hard to save maximum time.
Prioritizing your goals, not just in a day but in life, will help you reach them faster. Completing a million tasks in a day sounds tempting, but it’s of no use if these tasks lack quality and effort. So prioritize your day accordingly to ensure quality results and save some time for yourself on an otherwise chaotic day.