How to Apply the Pareto Principle to Your To-Do List
We like to think our to-do lists are efficient, but at the end of the day we still feel unproductive.
The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, states that "20% of your activities account for 80% of your results".
If you have a to-do list with 10 items, 2 of them will turn out to be worth more than the other eight.
Work isn’t distributed equally, so you need to focus more on the things that matter most.
Your to-do list should reflect your priorities and take into account the effort needed.
Here’s how to 80/20 your to-do list:
Step 1: Assign a Number to Effort
Pick a task and think of the amount of effort involved.
Number it from 1 to 10, with 1 requiring the least amount of effort.
Repeat for all the items.
Step 2: Assign a Number to Impact
Now, consider the potential positive results from each task.
Label these in the same way, with 10 being the biggest impact.
Step 3: Rank Your Tasks
Divide the amount of effort by the potential results.
This is your new priority ranking to more effectively manage time and increase results.
💡 Those that deliver the greatest results with the least effort are complete first. Others that require more effort with little results can be postponed or removed from your to-do list.
P.S.
Next Tuesday February 20th @ 11AM EST I’m hosting the Prioritize Your Work Workshop.
Tickets are just $100 and it comes with a money-back guarantee.
The only catch is that you won’t be able to buy after the deadline.
Get your ticket here: https://dansilvestre.com/prioritize-your-work
Dan