It seems like in this crazy modern world we have more and more time-saving devices but less and less time. While there are a myriad of factors causing this problem I want to propose one way to help – get more time by cutting back.
I first heard about the Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 Rule while reading The 4-Hour Work Week, but it is an idea that has been getting a lot of attention in the past few years. Basically it states that 80% of your returns come from 20% of your efforts. The 80/20 Principle has been used on everything from setting goals to information security to relationships.
Once you start thinking about it you may realize (I certainly did) how true this principle can be across many parts of your life. What would it look like if you used this principle to cut out the 80% of your life that wasn’t productive, fulfilling, or fruitful? What if you used the 80/20 principle to take a fresh look at:
- The number of RSS subscriptions you actually read and find worthwhile
- The number of email newsletters you receive
- The websites that you visit every day Read More