Mind the Habit

We are kept from our goal not by obstacles, but by a clear path to a lesser goal

Robert Brault

Do you spend your time ticking off items on a to-do list?

Instead of focusing on getting more done, try to focus on having less to do!

Do you treat everything ‘you believe you must do’ as equally important?

Prioritise your tasks. Give to the most important task, the one that is in line with your longterm goal, your full unconditional attention until it is completed. Then you can move on to the next task, priority number two.

We all are, too often, dragged into procrastination by letting ourselves fall prey of the overwhelming amount of small unimportant things TO DO.

You may feel like you have accomplished a lot, because you have ticked off most of the items from your to-do list…. But are those things all important? Are these real priorities, or are they simply easier tasks to do than your number ONE priority?

We also waste hours of our important time, in fulfilling someone else’s priorities….. Does the urge of replying to an incoming email or to a social media message rings a bell? Remember:

The Sun will rise again tomorrow, whether we reply to those messages or NOT!

Think about your to-do list. Compare the tasks you’ve completed with those you’ve postponed to another day, when you hope to have ‘enough’ time. Often, these are the challenging tasks we avoid, but actually they are the most important ones!

Consider the productivity, satisfaction, and growth you’ve gained from the tasks you’ve already completed. Now, imagine the results you would achieve by tackling your number one priority. Perhaps it’s a challenging project that could open new opportunities or a personal goal that promises significant personal growth.

How many times have you felt exhausted at the end of a very busy working day, but had that sinking feeling that you accomplished nothing and you haven’t moved forward? That is because you spent the majority of your day dealing with unimportant tasks. The key is to shift focus. Concentrate on your top priority first to ensure significant progress in your day.

You get 80% of the results from 20% of the effort!

This principle was formulated by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto in 1896, who initially observed that 80% of Italy’s land was owned by 20% of the population. He also noted a similar distribution in his garden, where 20% of his plants produced 80% of the fruit.

The Pareto Principle, commonly known as the 80/20 rule, is a concept that suggests that in many scenarios, approximately 80% of the outcomes results from 20% of the causes.

In a business context, it might be observed that 20% of customers contribute to 80% of a company’s profits, or 20% of a company’s products account for 80% of its sales. Similarly, in time management, it might mean that 20% of the tasks contribute to 80% of the value of what is achieved in a day.

The 80/20 rule is not a fixed mathematical equation, neither a law. Therefore the actual distribution could be 90/10 or 70/30 in different situations.

The key takeaway from the Pareto Principle is to identify and focus on the most impactful 20% of causes that will yield 80% of the results.

How to apply this rule to become more productive?

The key is to identify the tasks which are aligned with our longterm goal and prioritise them.

To do this a good technique is to make a list of all the daily tasks, and then identify the top 20% that are most crucial. From this refined list, select again the most important 20%: the ones that can have the greatest impact.

Keep doing that until you end up with one single task: this is your ONE THING! Your number ONE priority.

It may seem like a tiny action, but if chosen wisely, it can unleash tremendous power through the domino effect that follows. This wave of change, starting from one small, well-selected action, can lead to outcomes far beyond its initial scope.

You have to keep your final goal in mind, because this ‘one thing’ most often is not the final result we are looking for, but it is the start of the journey to achieve it.

… and the start is where usually we procrastinate!

The key habit to develop is time blocking. Dedicate 10-20 minutes at the start of each workday to plan your tasks, placing your number one priority at the forefront. Then, delegate the non-priorities. These are often just time-suckers, steering you attention from your main goals.

Don’t underestimate something important, only because it’s small….