How the 80/20 Rule Can Transform Your Mindset and Boost Productivity

As humans, we are wired to want more time, better results, and streamlined efforts in all aspects of our lives. We seek efficiency and effectiveness in our daily tasks, hoping to maximize productivity while minimizing wasted effort. This desire for optimization is a natural part of our drive to achieve our goals and improve our overall well-being. I am sure at some point in your life you have said to yourself things like “There are only so many hours in a day, I wish I had more time, I wish I could do more of what makes me happy.” Me too, so a few months ago I began implementing Pareto’s 80/20 rule to help streamline my time and double my efforts.

Pareto’s 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle or the law of the vital few, states that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. This principle can be applied to various aspects of life, including time management, productivity, and mindset.

To implement Pareto’s 80/20 rule daily and improve your mindset, you can follow these actionable steps:

1. Identify the 20% of activities that give you the most satisfaction or have the biggest impact on your mindset. This could be spending time with loved ones, practicing mindfulness, marketing for your business, and so forth.
2. Prioritize these activities and make time for them every day. Schedule them into your daily routine, and try to do them first thing in the morning or at a time when you’re most likely to be focused and energized.
3. Reduce or eliminate the 80% of activities that are less important or don’t have as much impact on your mindset. This could include scrolling through social media, watching TV, or spending time on tasks that don’t align with your goals or values.
4. Use the extra time and energy you gain from reducing these activities to invest in the 20% of activities that give you the most satisfaction or have the biggest impact on your mindset.

Monitor your progress and adjust your routine as needed. Regularly evaluate how you’re spending your time and whether you’re getting the most out of your 20% activities. Adjust your routine or priorities as needed to stay aligned with your goals and values.

I did this by writing down every single thing I did every day for a week, along with the time it took.

I then assigned colors to each task and highlighted in that color:

Green = Brought me joy / or positive fulfillment

Yellow = Neutral / I didn’t feel much completing it

Red = I felt annoyed / frustrated by it

Examples for me included:

Hikes with Raven, coaching sessions, exercise, family time and writing were highlighted green

Emails, dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, and website maintenance were highlighted yellow

Pointless work meetings, commuting, DMV, and making grocery lists were highlighted red

I asked myself “how can I streamline the yellow and red to make it easier or less frequent?” From there I was able to focus on scheduling my day in a way that I had more tasks highlighted green, some yellow and fewer red. This will look different for everyone, but the idea is that you are filling your day with more of the things that enhance your life. Frustrating or annoying tasks still existed, but with a little effort, certain ones could be eliminated while others I could group together or streamline (one longer meeting or a recap email rather than 5 shorter meetings) and it made a positive impact on how I felt my day was going.

By implementing Pareto’s 80/20 rule daily, you can focus on the activities that have the biggest impact on your mindset and reduce or eliminate the activities that don’t. This can help you feel more fulfilled, energized, and focused, and can improve your overall mindset.