A Productivity Rule for Life
A few weeks ago, I was reading The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. It’s a book packed with advice and new perspectives but only one rule stood out to me. The 80/20 Rule has stuck with me and will mostly likely change how I view my days forever.
What is the 80/20 Rule or the Pareto Rule?
The 80/20 rule describes the ratio that much of our efforts and energy reflect. It states that 80% of an outcome comes from 20% of the input. For example, 80% of the interviews you get may come from 20% of the things on your resume. Maybe you have one skill that is particularly valuable for job recruiters or one connection that has opened up most of the doors.
You might be able to think of some ways it applies in your life, from your work/career to the things that bring you joy.
Why is it useful?
I read a lot of productivity advice and this one has made the largest impact in recent memory. The 80/20 rule forces me to look at what is not only efficient, but also effective. I have spent my school years learning how to get my work done quickly and never stopped to ask, was the work worth doing in the first place?
By looking at the 20% of work that’s contributing to 80% of the outcomes, you can cut tasks that don’t add anything towards your goals and put more time into the tasks that do. I was surprised to find that getting rid of just a few tasks actually made me feel a lot less overwhelmed. The rule applies the opposite way too – 80% of your unhappiness (or frustration or stress) probably comes from 20% of the things going on in your life. It’s not always a perfect 80/20 ratio, but the idea that all work is not equal remains true.
“The 80/20 rule forces me to look at what is not only efficient, but also effective.”
How I’ve applied it
After reading about this principle, I dived into my notebook and applied it to every aspect of my life I could think of. Here is a quick example.
Comeback Newsletters aka the comeback club
You may or may not know that we publish a quarterly newsletter! So far, it’s been filled with two printable downloads, an exclusive interview, and a collection of interesting reads from the internet. I went over to our newsletter hosting site and looked over the analytics.
Based on open rates and click rates, I found out that the majority of interest came from the main goal check-in printable each quarter. I already suspect this a while back and it became the first item in the newsletter. What I didn’t realize, however, was that no one was really clicking on the mini version or the exclusive interviews.
All of a sudden, I could save myself hours of time making a mini printable and coordinating an interview. While those were fun, I could spend that time doing things that were more fun and would contribute more to my newsletter as well.
How you can use the 80/20 Rule
This rule is a great lens to look through when analyzing every area in your life, from career to health to personal joy. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:
What 20% of tasks are contributing to my goals the most?
Which clients are generating the most profit? Which are generating the most costs?
What content gets the most engagement? What content do I enjoy the least?
What activities bring me the most joy? Which activities do the opposite?
I’ve thought about this rule when it comes to my other work, my personal projects, my career, and my university life. I think I always knew that I should stop doing the things that weren’t effective – we all do. It’s only after looking at all the numbers and results that I was confident enough to believe they weren’t effective and cut them out.
Let me know your thoughts on this rule and if/how you’ve applied it to your own life.
