5. Pareto’s Principle – the 80/20 rule
The simplicity of the Pareto Principle is what makes it brilliant. Surpassing the economics behind the principle, let me tell you what it means for procrastinators.
20% of your activities will lead to 80% of your results. The rest 80% of your activities are just alliteration and decoration. So, in the horde of 10 equally time taking tasks, you need to figure out which are the ones that will generate most value for you.
A small exercise – take a minute and write down 3 most important things you want to do in your life. Repeat the exercise for 3 most important milestones you want in your career and 3 in your personal life. These 3 will probably be the 20% that will lead to 80% of all good things for you.
Now, if you have to procrastinate absolutely (because it is your second nature!), you procrastinate on those 80% activities that give you 20% results. Not the other way round.
I know a lot of people have FOMO i.e. fear of missing out on important things in life if they are not everywhere. But trust me – if you are everywhere, you will probably end up nowhere. To find fulfilment of your own goals, you will have to let go of certain things. The sooner you realize this, the better off you will be.
In this internet generation, fighting FOMO becomes more difficult because of our incessant need to be connected and communicating continuously. Technology is just a tool. If used well, it can serve you and make you more productive. If abused, it will definitely add scores to your mastery of procrastination. (Here’s how you can stop your smartphone from hampering your productivity.)
Knowing what requires your immediate attention and what can be put off for later – is an important exercise in managing your time well. What would be the point of doing efficiently, that which need not be done at all! Thus, this 80-20 rule is very crucial for prioritizing and planning.
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