In this chapter, we’ll learn to give ourselves the time to make good decisions.
We typically can’t make good decisions when we feel stressed or overwhelmed. Hence, using our time effectively and efficiently also requires time for self-care.
“People that look after themselves and practice self-care do have better cognitive ability. They do have better focus and they do have better concentration,” — Dr. Russell Thackeray, a licensed clinical psychologist.
So, don’t neglect setting aside time for your walks or coffee breaks.
Decide What to Spend the Most Time on With the Pareto Principle
Understand the Meaning of the Pareto Principle
Here’s a method that will help you make decisions: introducing the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 rule, which states that 20% of our actions produce 80% of our outcomes.
The Pareto Principle can be applied in many different scenarios:
For building a house, the structural work (80% of the project) will take 20% of the total time.
The finishing touches to the house (20% of the project) will take 80% of the total time.
Same thing for creating a website: 80/20.
20% of clients bring in 80% of revenue.
20% of advertising campaigns generate 80% of traffic.
20% of your wardrobe is worn 80% of the time.
And 80% of your output is produced with 20% of your effort.
So, you’re telling me that 80% of the work I put in only makes up 20% of what I put out? I’m spending the vast majority of my time on a fraction of my work?
Yes, exactly. An optimist might look at that and think, “This is great! So much extra time!” And that’s true, but don’t get the idea that you can totally free up that 80%. What you can do, however, is make it more efficient.
The difficult part is identifying the things you do very efficiently and not so efficiently. In other words, when are we most effective and when are we wasting time?
What makes up our 80% and 20%?
Believe me, this is not the most intuitive exercise. It’s logical, but frustrating at the same time—when you enjoy doing something, like baking a cake, you might bring a lot of enthusiasm to it, but it’s not always efficient.
If you watch TV shows like Top Chef or The Great British Bake Off, you understand what I mean when I say “enthusiasm.” If you’re forever getting bogged down in details and making sure everything is perfect think back to the example of building a house. Tell me, what makes up the bare bones of your work—the 20%—and what are the finishing touches and details that take up the remaining 80% of your time?
That’s all well and good, but I like being extremely meticulous in my work! I can’t spend less time on any one part. What should I do?
Not everything we work on needs to be a masterpiece. Administrative and accounting tasks, for instance, certainly require clarity and precision—but not to be printed on gilt-edged paper.
Identify Your 20% and 80%
Let’s play a game to identify your 20% and 80%. On the right side of a sheet of paper, write down the aspects of your work that require lots of time, finishing touches, and endless details. In the left-hand column, write down the things you do with the most enthusiasm, meaning you try to do them well, but very quickly.
20/80 (efficient and time-saving) 20% of my actions produce 80% of my output | 80/20 (incidental and less efficient) 80% of my actions produce 20% of my output |
Example: Writing an article ...
| Example: Editing it, formatting it, proofreading it, uploading it... ...
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It’s up to you to distinguish between what’s important and what’s less important in your work. If you need help, try asking your friends or trusted colleagues what they think you’re quickest and most efficient at doing.
From there, you can deduce which areas you need to improve in that 80% of work that only produces 20% output—your time thieves.
Reduce the Time You Spend on the 80%—Your Time Thieves
There are two main categories of time thieves:
Passive: transportation, waiting in line, waiting for approval/confirmation, etc.
Active: constant notifications, social media, email, phone, etc.
It’s possible, however, to recuperate some of the time usually eaten up by passive time thieves and put it to good use:
Listen to a podcast that relates to your profession.
Ask the Pocket app to read you articles related to your profession that you’ve bookmarked (this app is a must-have!).
Read a book on your profession or on personal growth.
Reread this course. 😉
If all else fails, read a book of your choice, or listen to music.
Turn Your Biggest Time Thief—Your Smartphone—Into an Ally
Your smartphone can be your best friend when it comes to productivity. Even simply taking a photo can help you keep track of things and save you precious time. Whether it’s a note scribbled on a board, a credit card slip from a restaurant, or something that needs to be changed or fixed, take a photo. That way, you’ll also have a record of the date and time of the photo. Then, if necessary, add the task to your to-do list.
But there’s no question that your smartphone can also be your worst enemy with its constant and unnecessary demands on your attention.
Here are some tips for limiting disruptions from your phone:
Disable notifications for games, social media and non-work-related messaging apps.
When possible, during your morning and afternoon work sprints, turn on “do not disturb” mode, which will limit notifications (note: don’t forget to turn it off when you’re done so you don’t miss any important calls or messages).
And no cat videos! 🐈 Just like you did with emails and phone calls, set aside specific times for yourself when you can indulge in games and social media. Better yet, use them as motivation to finish a series of tasks—“As soon as I’m done, I’m going on Instagram/Twitter/TikTok!”
Let’s Recap!
Use the Pareto Principle to identify when you’re naturally efficient and where you could improve efficiency.
Take advantage of passive times, such as commuting on public transportation, to stay up to date on what’s happening in your field of work.
Use your smartphone wisely, turn it into a time-saving ally, and disable your notifications at strategic times so you’re not constantly disrupted.
Now you have a good idea of how to prioritize your work, let’s find out how to plan your schedule two or more weeks in advance...
