Sometimes, to-do list suck just because we suck at it. Have you ever looked at your to-do list and feel like doing the less important things first, just because they are many? and when we cover the unimportant things, it is as though we were really busy for the day? But busy doing what? Urgent things, I guess but stuffs not really important for our future or personal growth. In this post, you will get to find out why you need not to prioritize your schedules, instead........ read through to find out what needs to be done.
So if you are just like me who really gets bored starting the most tedious task for the day, then maybe we need to sit down together and apply this principle. But guess what, no matter the principle you apply or the sophistication of your to-do list, you need "will power" to carry on the tasks, which is a topic for another day.
The 80/20 Principle
My colleague who is also an economist was the one who founded this principle, his name is Pareto(he is my colleague but a renowned one). What makes this principle much more realistic is it flexibilty of being applied to different situations. You can apply it in income distribution, your work, sharing of cakes at weddings. Haven't you wondered why they share a finger of cake at weddings, it is because they slice 20% of the cake for 80% of the guests, funny right!
So we get to see it applied in almost everything we do even in "coding" but the post is basically focused on those stuffs you write on your paper wondering how you will accomplish them all.
Truth be told, you don't have to accomplish all the tasks written in your to-do list especially when your list is filled with jargons. The first thing you need to do is to introduce the "E" word, that is, you need to "eliminate" things that you can do without or you don't really have to do, places you don't really have to go and projects you don't really need to take on. The worst thing that can happen to you is to become busy for the wrong things, it is much better to be busy for urgent things than the wrong stuffs. Once you do this, then you can now apply the 80/20 principles.
The 80/20 principles needs you to schedule your priorities not you prioritizing your schedules. This will help you lessen your work loads. Look for the important tasks and schedule them, this will help us to introduce the "E" word better. So this principle says that 20% of what we do has an 80% effect in our life. Simply, just a few things if fully concentrated on has a tremendous impact on our lives and growth.
I guess you might be skeptical about this idea because your to-do list looks like the trees in Africa.
Firstly, you need to tell your self the truth. How much do you attend to emails and calls against things that really matter in your future? Just because they aren't urgent? However, negleting important tasks, gradually eats our life from the end point without you seeing it because you can't even see the next day.
The How?
Step 1: Don't prioritize your schedules rather schedule your priorities. Write down your priorities and schedule them according to the time that will be allocated for each and the tasks you will begin first with.
Step 2: Thoroughly cross check your to do list again(after applying step 1) and ask your self, where do I need to introduce the "E" word? Even in the important tasks, which of the tasks need to be done last? What exactly do I need to do first? As Brian Tracy will advice, before you can introduce important tasks to your to do list, you need to forgo somethings that are not necessary, because in the end of the day, you can't extend the 24hours we have for the day, won't you get some sleep for at least 6hours?
Step 2: Apply the 80/20 principle.
So what are those few things you will do that will have a tremendous change in your life, family, career, business or personal growth? Write it seperatly and spend hours on these things rather than minutes. Allocate a greater amount of time and concentrate on these task wholeheartedly, if need be, you can as well mute your phones and notifications to avoid distractions. For example, I want to become a fashion designer and my to do list is dancing to the rhythm of facial make over? That is a misplaced priority. It is not a bad idea including this profession to your dream career but let it be done after your fashion designing trainings for the day except if there is change of choice.
Therefore, let the few things matter most.
In a nutshell, we are humans and no matter how we are really organized, nothing can be accomplished without desire, self will and determination. We need to cultivate these habits first in order to avoid our to-do list entering the hands of children who make boats with paper to swim it down a river far off. Will that be your paper?