Do you ever feel like there needs to be more time in the day? Or you just can’t get enough free time? You’ve already heard of the 80/20 Rule, so here’s how to further maximize your time and effort by avoiding mistakes.
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Three Things to Avoid
- Things other people want you to do
- Skills you are not good at
- Answering the phone
Things other people want you to do
While there are some things you have to do for other people, if you look around, you’ll find some daily tasks that don’t benefit you. Small things are not a problem, but tedious tasks like these will add up over time. Politely decline and save your time.
Your money, time, and effort will be wasted if very few people care about your results. If these results come from daily tasks, you’ll put in less effort, especially if you don’t enjoy them.
Skills you are not good at
If you know you struggle with specific skills, don’t do them over and try to improve them if you’re short on time. We all have weaknesses, and your time is better served by making your strong suits even better. Practice makes perfect, but not when you need to be busy.
Doing something you do not like will take more time and energy. At least it will seem like it since you need more motivation. The goal is to do these tasks when you have motivation, usually earlier in the day. You’re less likely to waste your time by having to start over if you do them first.
Answering your phone
Stop dropping everything to check your phone notifications. Unless it’s a business call, try not to answer since you don’t know how long the call will last. When it comes to texts, you’re likely to scroll yourself into a rabbit hole. Avoid these mistakes by keeping the phone away.
You can’t give everything to a task if you are constantly interrupted. It may seem counterintuitive, but put off your important tasks if you need more time to concentrate. Wait until you have extra time, move to a quiet area, and get in the zone.
Projects that have taken twice as long to complete
Something is seriously wrong if something has passed its expected completion time TWICE. We know the value of time, what we don’t enjoy, and what we are capable of. If this happens to you, postpone it. Move on and work on something better suited for you.
Afterward
Remember that these single tips alone will not do the work for you or save you hours just by themselves. You will free up your time by doing a few of them together, and it’s up to you to be productive. Focus on things that are worth the effort and avoid those mistakes.
Best Regards,
Lifestylescheme
This information comes from the book, The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch. I do not own any of it and am summarizing the information provided.