Managing Your Priorities

With a mounting list of responsibilities, how can you manage your time and energy, especially as things start to feel overhwelming? Here’s a resource that can help you organize and prioritize your to-do list.

A tool to boost productivity

The 80/20 Rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, is a quick exercise that can boost productivity by helping you make better use of your time and mental energy. It offers a tool you can use to:

• Have more time to spend on what’s important to you
• Reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed
• Gain a better sense of control
• Achieve more in less time

Why 80/20? 

In 1906, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto realized that 80% of Italy was owned by only 20% of the population. It didn’t take long for him to see the same pattern emerge again and again. There are exceptions, but for the most part, it turns out 80/20 is a ratio that reveals itself repeatedly for all kinds of situations:

• Roughly 20% of the world’s population controls 80% of the world’s income
• We wear 20% of our wardrobe about 80% of the time
• 20% of a business’ customers tend to be responsible for 80% of the complaints

How will 80/20 make me more productive?

Say you have a daily to-do list of 10 items (like on the right). Choose the two most important, or most difficult, or most time-consuming items on the list — or 20% — in this case, the research paper and meal planning + grocery store. Now, focus 80% of your effort on working on your research paper and figuring out the week’s meals for the family. You may be thinking, “Ok, I’m following… but what about the other eight things?” Just flip the equation — spend the remaining 20% of your effort on those items.

You can apply the 80/20 ratio to a to-do list of any size. For example, think of a list of just five tasks. One item is 20% of the list. Put 80% of your effort into the research paper, while the remaining 20% of your effort goes into the other four tasks.

What next?

Now you try it! Have a busy day coming up? Try applying the 80/20 Rule to your to-do list for that day and see if it helps you prioritize and manage your work a little more efficiently. Just keep in mind that the point isn’t so much the actual numbers, but to help you simplify your life one day at a time.

If you want a reminder, or to hear a quick explanation, check out this Tips in a Minute video.

With a little effort and motivation, you’ll start to see that things become more manageable, your days start to feel a little less hectic, and you have renewed confidence in efficiently managing your time and energy.