Do the 20% and Limit Distractions
Today I want to touch on something that confused me a bit when I first learned about it. It’s called the Pareto Principle, and it states that 20% of your work should yield 80% of the results. Of course, that’s the short form, and we will talk about it in detail in just a moment.
So in my Janes Agenda Masterplan Class, we’re talking about a multitude of topics, all touching on productivity and how to improve your planning processes. Even though I’ve read and heard about a lot of what we’ve touched on, it’s very interesting to talk to a group of planners about the subjects. Everyone has a different opinion, reasoning, expectation or result and it’s truly a great learning experience.
When it comes to the Pareto Principle, the basic concept is you want to do the most important or the most impactful tasks/projects first. For example, say you have a list of ten tasks and you list them in order of importance according to your goals, if you do the top two tasks, they should yield 80% of the results you want to accomplish in that day.
I have a day theme for each work day. I have one main specific task that I want to get done that day. I also have 100 other tasks that I either add the night before that also need to get done, or things that come up that day. So where do you start? According to the Pareto Principle, you should do your main task first, and in my case it’s my day theme (i.e. writing my blog). The problem is, first thing in the morning, I have a regular morning routine with journaling and reflecting (which is also just as important to me), so I do that to “ease” myself into the day. I usually do that while I drink my morning coffee.
It’s usually between 9am and 2pm that I start my “most important task” of the day. When it comes down to it, does it really matter what time of the day you get your important tasks done? In order to answer this, you need to reflect. If you know you’ll procrastinate and keep putting off a task, just do it first. If you know you’ll get it done that day no matter what, then the time you do it doesn’t really matter. (Unless you try to tackle it when you have no energy, and then you don’t do as good of a job). Only you can answer that, because you know yourself best.
Now, when we talk about distractions, here’s where it can get a little complicated. Personally, I work from home and I have three kids. My kids are the biggest distraction from any work I do (around the house or on my business). My kids are younger too, so the earlier in the day I start work, the better.
If you don’t have kids at home, or if you don’t have kids at all, you will still run into distractions. The good news is that these are things within your control. As Jane mentioned in the Masterplan Class, you can turn off your phone! You can set it on silent mode or move it into another room so you’re not tempted to get sidetracked with short-form videos. (We all know how they reel you in)! You can tell your friends or family that you’re busy at a particular time and kindly ask them to not interrupt you. If you’re one of the lucky ones and have a separate home office, close your door or put up a sign. Another great technique is to wear headphones.
The trick is to know what your weakness is when it comes to distractions. If you wake up prepared, then you can have a great work day and get a lot accomplished. Those are days I like to refer to as “maximum efficiency days”. After one of those, I feel like I’m on top of the world and I can do anything! If it happens on a Monday, I really feel set for the rest of the week and it usually goes by great.
In my case, when Monday comes around, I have a huge list. As I tackle each item, I cross it off. Anything not done will move to the next day. By Friday, my list is a lot shorter than Monday’s list and it’s such a great feeling!
Thanks for reading and we’'ll see you again next week!
Sandra
