Idea 51: The Pareto principle
The Pareto principle, named after an Italian economist, states that the significant items of a given group form a relatively small part of the total. For example, 20 percent of the sales force will bring in 80 percent of new business. As that ratio seems to hold true in many areas, it is often called the 80:20 rule or the concept of ‘the vital few and trivial many’.
Other writers have already applied this principle to time management. It is especially useful in coping with daily lists of action points. Most of the benefits will be related to two or three items. Select these key items and allocate blocks of consolidated time to achieve them.
The Pareto principle also relates to the time available in your day: 80 percent ...
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