80/20 Life - Get More from Less

We’ve all surely heard of the 80/20 Principle, or Pareto’s Law as it’s more formally known. It goes something like this:

80% of the results come from 20% of the effort.

It’s often thrown around in business as nothing more than a buzzword. Few actually do a full 80/20 analysis of their business and almost no one I’ve come across has applied the same to their life as a whole. Other than two people that is: Richard Kock and Tim Ferriss–and the people who have since followed in their footsteps (me included). The 80/20 Principle is the source material for what Tim wrote in The 4-Hour Work Week. It took me reading it a couple times to grasp the simplicity and life-altering implications of the principle. The time saved and gained will blow your mind.

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The amazing thing is that the studies in this book show the principle working in just about every possible scenario. Of course it’s not always 80/20. Sometimes 90/10 or 95/5 or even 70/30. But the point is it works–without fail.

Richard’s purpose was to explain this ancient principle in a way that would inspire action and application to every part of life. When applied to work, productivity will go through the roof, but when applied to your life outside of work, happiness and fulfillment do just the same. All it takes is a shift in thinking. Try the following for a few weeks and the time in your life will never be the same.

5 ways to apply the 80/20 Principle to enhance your life:

1. Do the 20% of your work that leads to 80% of your results: Track all the time you spend on projects each hour of each day for a week. How many of these things were necessary? How many got you closer to your goals? How many were a waste of time? How many could someone else have done? Pick the 20% of your tasks that yield 80% of the results and outsource or simply discontinue the rest. Wondering what to do with your remaining time? Enjoy life. I outsourced a significant portion of my work to two very reliable virtual assistants in India starting in 2006. Ravi and Vikash now do that 70 or 80% for me. At $3-5/hour it is very hard to beat. Check out eLance.com if you’re looking to out source. Search “Virtual Assistant”. Once you start outsourcing, you’ll never go back.

2. Locate the 20% of your customers who drive 80% of your profits: Find your top 20% customers (by profit, not revenue) and fire the rest. Yes, fire them. The goal is not to work your life away. It is to make a good living to enjoy your life. If you must work more, then list out the characteristics of your 20% customers and go out and find more of them. You will not believe how liberating it can be to fire a customer who’s been a real pain in the ass.

3. Prioritize the 20% of your friends who provide 80% of your support and enjoyment: If you apply 80/20 to your relationships you will surely find that a few people in your life provide the majority of your support, excitement, laughter and feelings of connection. On the other side, there is likely another 20% group of people who account for most your sleepless nights, tears, anger and frustration. If you don’t want to feel this way, stop spending time around your bottom 20. Fire them and work on duplicating your top 20. This may sound a little callous, but it’s not. It’s practical. The quality of our life comes down to the quality of the people and experiences that fill it.

4. Fill your life with the 20% of your experiences that provide 80% of your happiness: As humans, our two biggest priorities are to move towards pleasure and away from pain. As mentioned above, find the few people, things, places and experiences that provide 80% of your happiness, fulfillment, pleasure and excitement. Also find the things that cause you to feel the majority of your negative emotions. Focus your time on the top 20% and avoid the bottom 20% like the plague.

5. Do the 20% of your workouts that lead to 80% of your physical gains: The majority of fitness results come from a small portion of most workouts. 80% of the muscle is built in the last 20% of the reps. Crossfit is a great example. The workouts are 7-14 minutes long on average but they provide more physical benefit than most hour-long workouts. Spending more time on something is not always a good thing. If you believe your workouts must take an hour then you’ll likely miss a lot more of them. What if they only took 7 minutes, but that seven minutes really tested your limits? You’re likely to show up a lot more often.

I know this sounds simple. But few people stop to actually do it.  It is truly possible to spend the majority of your time doing the things that you love. The only way to get there is taking Pareto’s 80/20 principle seriously. It will make all the difference.

Do not let more than 3 months go by without performing a full 80/20 breakdown of all areas of your life (especially your personal life). It will only take a couple hours and those hours will likely save days before you know it… 80/20 in action yet again.

Somewhere along the path of life, most of us were taught to associate fulfillment and worth with the number of hours spent–thinking the more the better. This has lead many of us to working aimlessly just to say we filled the day. This IS NOT the goal. The goal is be fulfilled, happy, efficient, effective and more than anything else, to enjoy life. Happiness is a daily right. It is not something we need to work our ass off for years to finally achieve. That is what Pareto stumbled on all these years ago. I encourage you to do the same.

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3 Habits Surprisingly Killing Your Productivity

Yesterday about 6:30 p.m. a gaping sense of panic set in. Did I send that article? Wait, did I finish that article? Hey, did I eat today? Why are the lights off? Did everyone leave? How did this happen to me, again?

I was content with my accomplishments that day, never leaving my workstation.

At one point, I responded to twenty emails, while answering the phone. In addition, I scheduled five meetings, created a beautiful report with splashy graphics and squeezed in assisting a teammate.

Turns out my leg muscles were cramped, two of those meetings were scheduled at the same time and a bewildered client called to inquire why I emailed her regarding my cat, Mr. Whiskers. By the way, I missed the crucial deadline, never having forwarded the article.

Sound familiar? I’m positive I’m not the only one that thinks I’m helping myself, yet in reality, has developed destructive habits that have directly affected my level of productivity.

Take a look at these three top offenders and recommendations on how to counteract these habits.

For Goodness Sake Don’t Skip The Break

We spend our lives wishing for more time. Convinced the only way to add time to the clock is to skip our breaks. Should we honestly wonder why our brains are feeling fuzzy and we are severely unfocused?
Set a reminder on your calendar, don’t ignore it. When it goes off, stand up, stroll around the room. 

Better yet, wander outside, breathe in fresh air. It’s a fact, brains require oxygen. Don’t be opposed to a quick set of jumping jacks just to ensure the blood begins to flow. Consider taking that lunch or break and consuming one of these superfoods that help support an active, productive, and healthy brain.

Provided you followed the above advice, the fog in your head is now clear, allowing your brain to return to creative problem solving. Built up stress between your shoulder blades has finally let go of it’s tight clutch. 

You’re coherent and ready to pounce on that massive project you have been ignoring.

In addition, a quick meditation break also can lower your stress, giving you back a sense of peace and purpose creating a joyful attitude. Come on, cheerful people are so much nicer to be around. Right?

Meet the Zen Master of Multitasking

For years we have all been proudly adding the title “King of the Multitaskers” to our resumes. Delighted we can type 80 wpm, send off a bunch of emails and call fifteen clients, simultaneously!

Turns out, this could be the most destructive habit that numerous people are still guilty of developing. 

Multitasking typically equals mediocre work, including a high percentage of mistakes. Studies have shown that if you are splitting your focal point between tasks, fragments of focus are pointing toward each of the tasks you are trying to accomplish. However, most of the attention is pointed towards the actual act of switching tasks potentially losing up to 40% of your productivity.

This explained why yesterday I dialed the wrong number five times before connecting with the right customer and why my best client received a lengthy email detailing Mr. Whisker’s infatuation with his new cat toy.

Desperate for a recommendation on how to break this loathsome routine? After wasted hours surfing the net (another habit to break), I stumbled on the Pomodoro Technique® . Surprisingly, this not only helped break me of the dreaded multitasking habit. It also aided with time management, forcing myself into those much needed breaks that were being ignored.

The Pomodoro Technique®, created by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980’s, focuses on utilizing twenty-five minute blocks of time to focus on a single activity, taking a mini break after each block and a larger break after completing four blocks of time. For me the key was prioritizing tasks, placing the most vital on the list into the early morning portion of the day. I began feeling exceptionally focused, completing two extra assignments per day.

Um…No?

A co-worker once gifted me a magnet, thinking it captured my attitude perfectly. It reads: “No, No I’m sorry I can’t, No….OK, I will be there Friday at 8:00.” So many of us can be categorized as people pleasers, never wanting to be heard saying no. We also like being viewed as willing to help and first to volunteer. 

Besides, some of us are under the impression that by being seen as the Yes Man for our supervisors, we are ensuring ourselves an opportunity to get ahead.

However, with today’s packed schedules, that behavior results in becoming bogged down. Trying to juggle tasks and complete assignments leads to sacrificing quality for quantity. We run the risk of pushing our calendars to maximum capacity as pleas for our assistance or requests for meetings flood into our inbox. 

In addition, with today’s economy, we are fearful that we will be out of a job if we use the dreaded “no” word.

Why are we afraid to say no? It could easily be traced to the fact that when most of us are learning how to talk one of our first words is “NO”. Soon after, our toddler selves learn this powerful word, our parents quickly reverse the knowledge insisting we don’t say it. We learn it can be rude, borderline impolite.

Consider this, saying yes can have negative consequences. Potentially sacrificing our own deadlines, turning assignments in late and completing less than superior work. Thusly, appearing incapable.

By trial and error I finally learned “no” is an acceptable response. I always try to include a reason and a possible alternative suggestion. It’s justifiable to state: I am up against a deadline. I have time available to assist you tomorrow.

If your boss asks you to take on an additional project, state your concerns. Share that you value the attention to detailed, quality work and you would feel it’s best to wrap up the current task you are working on before diving into this new assignment. Be prepared that his answer might also be no. If so, ask him to sit down with you and re-evaluate the order of priorities.

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6 Tips to Improve Your Time Management Skills

When you learn and maintain good time management skills, you’ll find freedom from deadline pressure and from stress in general. You’ll be more productive, procrastinate less, and have more time to relax, which helps further decrease stress and anxiety.

Time management skills are like shoes or a good pair of jeans — you may have to try several pair before you find just the right fit. They’re different for each person and you have to find what works best for you. Below are a few that work for me which you may want to borrow.

1. Make a list.The thing about making lists is that you actually have to use them. You may want to set reminders on your phone and computer.Lists really do work if you use them. One of the most important things is to make sure your list feels attainable. No one wants a 30-item to-do list and have to, at the end of the day, look at the 20 items that didn’t get done. Prioritize yours and others’ needs and plan accordingly. You might even want to make three lists — personal, home and work.
2. Set deadlines. Again, there is no point in setting deadlines if you make executive decisions to always push them back. Set a deadline and try your best to stick to it. Set your deadline a few days before the task absolutely has to be done. This allows for the possibility that other things will get in the way, but also allow for you still to get the task done.
3. Stop multi-tasking. Multitaskers often seem to think they get more accomplished, but it’s not always the most productive or efficient route. Let’s face it, our minds work better when we are truly able to focus and concentrate on one thing.
4. Delegate responsibilities. For those of us who like to be in control the very thought of this is likely to provoke a bit of anxiety. The truth of the matter is that no matter how good we are, we can’t do everything. Sometimes we take on more than we can handle. Delegation is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of intelligence. Find competent, reliable people and share some of the responsibilities. It will allow you to be less stressed and more productive.
5. Use your downtime. This tip requires some balance. Using all of your downtime for planning and prioritizing is bad and can lead to increased stress and burnout. However, if you find yourself sitting in early morning traffic, this may be a good time to start prioritizing your day or making plans for dinner. If you’re waiting in the doctor’s office, this may be a good time to write the grocery list. (Just don’t forget it.) If you have opportunities like these make the best of them, but also remember to use them for relaxation as needed.
6. Reward yourself.When you accomplish something, celebrate it! How you celebrate is up to you. My word of advice is to keep whatever you choose to do healthy, make sure it’s something you really enjoy, don’t do it in excess, and don’t let it cause you to get further behind.Time management skills are an essential part of making your day just a little easier. Find what works for you and stick to it.

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How I kicked my time management habit and became exceedingly more productive, profitable and thrilled

I’m done putting my life into categories. Quadrants. Day types. Feck.

Here’s how it happened: Last year I turned my life upside down. Moved. Shelved numerous obligations to meet a writing deadline. Avoided said writing deadline for a long time. Slammed that writing deadline. Put my health significantly further up on the priority list. Chose yoga over blog posts. Hung with friends instead of wooing clients. Launched stuff at light speed. Killed projects. Stopped cooking dinner mid-boil to capture an idea. Talked on the phone with friends…in the middle of the day…for hours.

I lived more, because it was time for some things to die.

I devoted myself more deeply to liberation because the longing to be free was the passion of my inner Christ. I had to arrive at thrive or I would get stuck in survival mode. In this dimension, nothing is predictable, and unbridled is the only way to go. It was not the time to “manage” my time.

Time management systems are tricky beasts. They may help us be more productive, but not necessarily less stressed, or more fulfilled, or more in touch with our true nature. We may look freer with our priorities all tidy, but too often, time remains the master and we get “given” time for obeying the system.

I’d rather be fulfilled than obedient. And it turns out that when I’m fulfilled, I’m…fulfilled — whether I’m productive or not. And that gives me plenty of energy to be more focused on what matters most, which makes me truly productive. It’s a beautiful thing. Here’s how I got there:

HOW TO PUT TIME MANAGEMENT IN ITS PLACE.
(BUT ONLY IF YOU WANT TO.)

1. Stop keeping a detailed to-do list. If it’s truly important, you’ll remember to do it. A few post it notes and texts to yourself should be all you need.
2. Say no, thank you to four things a day. My coach gave me this assignment. It changed my life.
3. Relentlessly focus on the one or two vocational desires that turn you on so much that envisioning doing JUST those things seems so fantastical that it borders on erotic pleasure (yep, I think it’s your birthright to feel that hot about your work in the world). Everything else that is not about fulfilling your most intense vocational desires is getting in the way of making your fantasy life a reality.
4. Work with talented and excellent human beings. Amateurs, posers and mediocrity-makers are time squatters. Move ‘em out.
5. Delegate the stuff that doesn’t light you up.
6. Have (only) 3 important things to accomplish every week. Make those three things happen and you’re closer to making your fantasy life a reality. Accomplish more than that and you’ll feel like a super hero (good esteem fuels fulfillment AND productivity.)
7. Batch n’ chunk. Pay all of your bills at the same time. Create a day just for errands. Make all of your calls before noon. This “while you’re at it” kind of momentum is incredibly efficient.
8. Ask yourself every morning what you really feel like doing. Not what’s most important. Not what’s expected of you. But what you’re most excited to do. Enthusiasm is the DNA of making things happen. Start there.

Flying without a to-do list made me worry. It was scary to let go of revenue streams and planned projects. Going to yoga when I had obligations actually took some moxie.

Doing what I was truly stoked to do each day was unnerving, guilt-inducing and exhilarating all at once.

And… it didn’t take long for this free forming time style to reveal my most lucrative, artistically satisfying, relationship-enhancing year ever.

Easy does it.

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