The 80/20 Principle– asserts that a minority of causes, inputs, or effort usually lead to a majority of the results, outputs, or rewards.” A few actions create most of the results.

Work smarter with the 80/20 Principle

  • Say no. Whether you say “later” or “never,” the point is to say “not now” to anything else you could do until your most important work is done.
  • Don’t get trapped in the “check off” game. If we believe things don’t matter equally, we must act accordingly. We can’t fall prey to the notion that everything has to be done, that checking things off our list is what success is all about. The truth is that things don’t matter equally, and success is found in doing what matters most. Sometimes it’s the first thing you do. Sometimes it’s the only thing you do. Regardless, doing the most important thing is always the most important thing
  • Go small. Don’t focus on being busy; focus on being productive. Allow what matters most to drive your day.
  • Go extreme.Once you’ve figured out what actually matters, keep asking what matters most until there is only one thing left. That core activity goes at the top of your success list.

Use Covey’s Time Management Matrix to help you assess where your time goes and how you can work more effectively.