Maximizing Productivity: Applying Pareto’s 80/20 Principle for Success

PARETO’S LAW: Vilfredo Pareto is an Italian economist who is credited with coining the term the 80/20 principle. That is, 80% of results are driven by 20% of effort.

Tim Ferriss, author of 4 Hour Work Week, claims that each of us should revisit the 80/20 principle every four weeks and apply it to both our work and personal lives to see how we can focus on maximizing our productive output.

Sample questions to prompt your own 80/20 analysis:

Personal

Which 20% of daily foods provide 80% of nutrients?

Which 20% of daily activities support 80% of growth?

Which 20% of daily movement provide 80% of results?

Which 20% of daily actions provide 80% of energy?

Which 20% of worries fuel 80% of anxiety?

Work

Which 20% of my network supports 80% of my growth?

Which 20% of business activities generate 80% return?

Which 20% of content gets 80% of engagement?

Which 20% of finance activities bring 80% of results?

Which 20% of customers are driving 80% of revenue?

My experience with 80/20 analysis

I started implementing the 80/20 analysis in 2020. It’s a great exercise to help me narrow my focus on what I should be doing on a daily basis and who I should be surrounding myself with if I want to be happy, healthy, and fit in all areas.

The 80/20 analysis helps me produce more result with less effort. A few right things done each day = long term success. Analyzing the 80/20 principle helps you figure out what those few right things are for you.

And because we are always changing and evolving, reviewing 80/20 multiple times throughout the year allows us to keep a pulse on what’s really working for us, adjusting along the way.

When we start to narrowing in on the 20% activities that give us more result, our personal and work KPIs skyrocket. Going all in on a handful of activities each day is way better than overcommitting and being spread too thin.

I love this quote by Bruce Lee: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

After I review my 80/20 analysis, I update my Life Map accordingly and use the Powerlist to keep on top of my daily goals.

Each day, in every way, we are getting better and better.