In the contemporary world, it does not matter whether you are a student, business owner, house manager, or teacher, your time management will play a massive role in determining your success. In this article we discuss How to Excel in Time Management with Pareto Principle.
“Time isn’t the main thing; it is the only thing”
– Miles Davis
Effective time management has always been a major goal of many people trying their best to achieve their goals. But only a few have been able to manage their time well and get the desired results from the tasks.
Now the question arises if everyone is trying why only a few are successful? The answer lies in simple one word, “plan”.
Everybody decides to manage their time efficiently but does not create a plan on how they are going to master the art of time management.
So, this blog will help you in defining some of the key ways to effectively build the “plan”.
As we all know modern problems require modern solutions. So, all you need is the modern rule to manage your time efficiently. If you have ever read about time management, you might have heard of the Pareto Principle. And this is our modern solution.
Effective usage of the Pareto Principle will assist you in managing your time efficiently. But first, we need to understand what exactly is Pareto Principle?
The prominent principle simply states that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. That is the reason is also called the 80/20 rule.
Furthermore, it states, that the relationship between input and output of efforts and results in the Pareto principle is highly unequal and inconsistent
Now that we are clear on the concept of the Pareto Principle, let us dive right into the blog and understand in what ways this tremendous concept can assist in mastering the art of time management.
Table of Contents
5 Strategies to Master Time Management with Pareto Principle
1. Say a BIG “NO” to Distractors
The fact of the matter is that all of us are vulnerable to distractions which can kill our time indeed. You might also relate to the fact that a single notification from our phones can easily distract us for the next one hour.
As per the Pareto Principle, 80% of your distractors come from 20% of your sources. So, a wise decision over here to manage your time efficiently is if you cannot stop yourself from getting distracted, simply eliminate your sources.
As we talked about phones being our biggest distraction, you can just simply put your phone on charging at a place that is far from your reach to reach out frequently.
This will assist in eliminating the distractor which will contribute to making you more concentrated on the work you are performing with the utmost attention.
Eliminating the distractors will effectively help you in saving a significant share of your time. This way you can use your time in doing something more productive and you will also be able to manage your time more efficiently.
2. Avoid Multitasking
We have often been taught that someone who multitasks is a genius. However, did you know that many pieces of research have proven that multitasks impacts productivity and efficiency negatively?
The major reason is that when you shift your focus from one task to another in a short span of time, you make yourself vulnerable to making mistakes. This not only affects your overall performance but also impacts your productivity in performing each task.
And did you know that according to a study by the University of California Irvine, it takes 23 minutes to focus again once you have been disrupted? This also applies to the case of multitasking as well.
To elaborate, when you will start working on other work in between of doing something else, it will take you 23 minutes to get into the zone where you can focus completely on the other task.
Now, why would you want to waste so much of your time when you are trying to manage your time effectively?
Now if we talk about the implementation of the Pareto Principle, then the rule here states that 80% of your efforts only bring 20% of results whereas, 20% of your efforts derive 80% of your results.
This is the reason why you should always give your best in performing one task at a time. This will assist you in performing your tasks more efficiently and you will be able to save and manage your time better because you will be able to focus better.
3. Leverage the Time Block Technique
The time block is one of the most foolproof techniques of time management and effective implementation of this technique will definitely help you in managing your time.
For those who don’t know the time block technique, here’s a quick definition. In the time blocking technique, you divide your time into different blocks and assign each task a time that it will take you to complete the following task.
When you will assign a particular deadline to each and every task on your to-do list, it will assist you in escalating the speed with which you will complete the task.
This will assist you in saving time and managing it more efficiently. The application of the Pareto Principle, in this case, states that 20% of your efforts on assigning time using the block technique will save you 80% of your time.
Moreover, it is no hidden fact deadlines make you more punctual. So, if you do not have anybody to supervise you, you can be your own supervisor and can work as per the self-assigned deadline.
This will assist you in avoiding procrastination and will also make you more focused and will ensure that you attain your SMART goals successfully. So, what are you waiting for? Make your to-do list now and effectively use the time blocking technique to manage your time more effectively.
4. Use the 80/20 Sleep Rule
It is an undeniable fact that we are not at our best if we are sleep-derived. This is the reason it is really essential to get a good healthy sleep because we head up to our scheduled work days. This brings us to another implementation of the Pareto Principle in managing your time.
Here comes the 80/20 sleep rule into the picture which states that you only have to plan 80% of your day and keep the rest 20% flexible which will give you enough time to breathe out of your hectic schedule.
This will assist you in maintaining your work-life balance which is also one of the crucial needs of the contemporary world.
Giving yourself that 20% will assist you in getting your mind relaxed and regaining the energy to start once again with more efficiency.
Otherwise, if you are already tired and sleep-deprived before starting the day, it will take you more time to complete tasks than usual which will significantly impact your time management goal.
Hence, you should take reasonable breaks and sleep to get yourself back on track and complete your tasks with more efficiency which will also assist in saving time.
5. Plan Things in Advance
As Dale Carnegie correctly quoted, “An hour of planning can save you 10 hours of doing.” This brings us to our last but definitely not the least way to manage your time more efficiently using the Pareto Principle. This implies that 20% of the time that goes into planning will indeed save 80% of your time.
This is the reason it is essential to plan out your whole day in advance. This will assist you in managing your time well. For effective time management and planning, you can create a complete to-do list covering all the tasks that you have to complete in a day.
For example, you start a day unknowing that you have to do today. Then whenever, you will complete one task, you will waste your valuable time searching for the tasks that had to be completed next.
This way you will end up wasting a lot of time that could have been saved just by planning things ahead of their time.
By making an effective to-do list, you will be able to plan out your day effectively and you will be able to save much more time than doing things unplanned. Moreover, planning out in advance will also assist you in relieving yourself from the stress, you often face when you do not know how much work has been on your pending list.
To encapsulate, time management is the need for today irrespective of what position you are in your life. If you are able to manage your time effectively, you will be able to manage your life effectively which will give you enough opportunities to grow and excel in life. Moreover, using the Pareto principle, you will just run on the time management path with more speed.
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Author Bio
Jessica Robinson loves to write knowledgeable articles regarding business and education to satiate the curiosity of her readers. She’s serving as a content manager at the ‘Speaking Polymath’. Her content demonstrates her immense love and passion for her profession.