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Using the 80/20 rule

So let's start thinking about what it means to allocate your time more effectively at work everyday. I want to offer three simple ideas that will change how you use your time everyday to make yourself more productive. Now, the first rule is very straightforward. It's something I often call the 80/20 rule. It's a very simple idea. The idea goes like this. All work is not created equal. You have to look at every task, every person, every project, and ask yourself this. Is this bit of work something that absolutely is interesting and important to the level that it's strategic? That it'll move us forward as a team faster? Or is just work that's gotta be done? That's the 80%.



The strategically important stuff, that's the 20%. And if you don't take the time every single moment you engage a new bit of work to ask yourself, is this an 80%er or is this a 20%er. You're libel to spend way too much time over investing in the 80%. I want to give you a couple of things to think about. You should never invest more than half of your time, 50% in the 80% pile. If you ever feel pressure to spend too much time on that pile of work you just gotta do, but you know it's not strategically important, here's what you need to start thinking about.

How can you automate? Outsource or delegate that work? Automate it. Is there some tool you can use like Microsoft Excel or maybe Access to make that thing go faster every time you have to do it. Or delegate. Maybe there's a direct report or someone on staff that can take care of that. By the way. Delegating could be simple tasks, like putting together a PowerPoint slide. Maybe the first draft could be done by somebody else. Or, you can outsource completely. You might be able to find a vendor that can take care of an interesting number of tasks that you're working on, because that's their core competency and it frees you up to get focused on things that really matter.


That's it. That's rule number 1. When you look at work, be intentional, thoughtful, and conscious. Ask yourself, is this a 20%er or an 80%er? Then you'll start allocating your time more effectively.
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Thinking about time management

- Have you ever found yourself halfway through a workday and then you say to yourself, "Have I done anything today? "I mean have I done anything important with my time today?" It's very common for us to question that because we're not really good at managing time. It's unfortunate because, you know, I think the single-most precious asset we have in our careers, maybe in our lives, is time. Every minute that passes by, well, that's a minute you can't get back. We waste time every day in all kinds of ways. Sometimes we focus on the wrong work, or the right work at the wrong time.
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Finding your Einstein window

Do you ever find yourself at work, looking at your to-do list, and saying to yourself, man where do I begin? We've all been there. And we know the first part of the answer, it's the 20%, that's the what. Now I want you to start thinking about the when, I like to call it your personal Einstein Window. That's the period of every day where you have your little mental peak, right where work feels almost fun, problems feel, no problem at all. Work flies off your desk.
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Communicating your availability

When people look at you at work, what do they think? Do they think you're always available, it's okay to always walk over to you and interrupt what you are doing? I don't know the answer to that question, I do know you should be thinking about it, and maybe you should go a step further. Start getting proactive about broadcasting your availability. Find some ways to let people know how open you are to being interrupted. Let me give you one interesting example, I saw on a consulting engagement. I found some people who understood this idea and they wanted to find a colorful way to show people in the office where everyone was in terms of time management and urgency.
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