At times, workloads can seem heavy and tasks can feel daunting. In this guest blog, Darcy Roberts shares a perspective that can help one focus in on the most impactful tasks and improve productivity.

The 80/20 Rule, a guy named Vilfredo Pareto (yes, it rhymes) and skyrocketing your results!

In 1906 Vilfredo Pareto was working as the chair of Political Economy at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland when he noticed that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. Apparently, by extension this distribution occurs quite regularly across the board.

So – Pareto’s 80/20 rule – what does it mean for you? It means that 20% of your time creates 80% of your results. Just think about that for a moment. A minimal amount (approximately 20%) of your activities result in 80% (if not strictly 80% then at least a good chunk!) of your outcomes. Look around your office. If you’re honest, doesn’t it seem like 20% of your colleagues produce 80% of the work/value?

If you’re in sales or self-employed, 20% of your clients likely bring in 80% of your revenue. So love those 20%! And while you’re at it, figure out the main characteristics of those 20%, start talking to similar people, and just see what develops.

At home, which 20% of your friends and family bring you 80% of your joy in those relationships? What 20% of your food choices do you eat 80% of the time? And because I’m obsessed with doing as little housework as possible, which 20% of that irritating activity will make it look like I’ve cleaned 80% of the house? The answer, my friend, is toilets, sinks, bathroom and kitchen counters! You’re welcome!

This is of course another way of looking at being thoughtful/mindful about where and how you spend your time. If you take a critical look at your activities over the course of a day, a week and the month, you’ll see there are some things that you’ve been doing that can be left by the wayside that won’t significantly impact your personal or professional activities.

Less is more – the art is in figuring out exactly which less leads to the greatest more. Experiment with this idea, and let me know what you observe.

Darcy Roberts is a career coach and facilitator in Oakville who wants people to love their work. She helps individuals and teams get more – from themselves and from each other.  Darcy completed her coach training with the Coaches Training Institute and anticipates receiving her ACC coaching accreditation from the International Coach Federation (ICF) by July 2017. Darcy is a certified facilitator of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method as well as certified in effectiveness coaching using the Emerson Suite , a web-based mobile app of management tools for leader-managers . She is trained in the use of the Facet5 personality assessment tool. She can be reached at 416.219.6694 or by email at [email protected].