I've written before about the 80/20 principle--the idea that the most valuable 20% of what you do gives you a disproportionate result, and therefore we should figure out what those 20% tasks are and devote more time to them (which means, of course, getting rid of some of the other 80% on which we spend time).
I had a question from a reader who has several jobs/roles, asking whether he should make a separate 80/20 list for each, or just one for everything.
My suggestion was that he make a list for each first, and then use those to come up with a master list that cuts across the categories.
One challenge with the 80/20 principle is that we can define "value" in many different ways. I have activities that I value but that don't bring in any money.
One way to deal with this is to work out an 80/20 list based on finances and another based on personal satisfaction. Then look for the items that overlap and move those to the top, and also look closely at the high-financial value items and brainstorm how you could make those more personally satisfying. The 80/20 principle isn't quite as cut-and-dried as it seems, but if you adapt it to your needs it is a valuable tool for managing your time.
(There are loads of tips and strategies for making the most of your time, in my book "Focus: use the power of targeted thinking to get more done." It's published by Pearson and available from Amazon and other online and offline booksellers.)
