We’ve been led to believe that crossing off 10 tasks on your to-do list is better than 5. However, if you put more time into those 5 things, and cut out the rest, that could have a bigger impact and lead you closer to your goal.
“The things which are most important don’t always scream the loudest’ — Bob Hawke
In reality, we need to build a sense of prioritisation. Those who get the most return from their work have a clear sense of priority. We could get many things done in a day, but how do we decide which thing matters the most?
“Be like a postage stamp — stick to one thing until you get there” — Josh Billings
In ‘The One Thing’, Keller explains that we all want to achieve as much as we can, however, the problem with trying to do too much is that even if it works, adding more work to your life without cutting anything brings a lot of bad with it: missed deadlines, high stress, long hours etc.
If you feel yourself under pressure to do more, and start to feel a sense of high-performance anxiety, start your week by asking:
“What’s the ONE thing you can do this week such that by doing it, everything else would be easier or unnecessary?”
The Pareto Principle suggests that 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your results.
Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto, philosopher, and economist, points out that the majority of what you want will come from the minority of what you do. So, maybe we shouldn’t be thinking about quantity and doing more and more to be productive, but rather be thinking about how we can maximise our 20% give the best 80% of results.
Have a great week!
Abdullah
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