Yesterday, I shared a list from the author of The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch. It was called “The 10 Low Value Uses of Time.” If you missed it, you can check it out here.
Today, I wanted to share the other half of the list… the High Value Uses.
People ask all the time… “What’s in my Top 20%?”
What are the 20% of things I should be doing that will achieve 80% of my results? What SHOULD I be working on to move my business forward?
Well, here’s Richard’s list for you, who literally wrote the book on it.
And while they’re not tactical tasks (like creating your marketing calendar), they are STRATEGIC concepts, which will help you clearly identify what’s in YOUR 20%.
Before I jump into the list, I want to make one REALLY IMPORTANT mention…
One of my FAVORITE things about this list is that it’s not one-dimensional and solely focused on business.
It’s focused on LIFE. It’s about happiness, fulfillment, creativity, AND achievement.
As business owners, it’s far too easy to fall into the trap of comparison (which shifts our focus), the “busyness” of work, and things we think we SHOULD be doing.
The longer you have been in business, the easier it becomes to let other things (happiness, family, adventure, fun!) fall by the wayside unless you are INTENTIONAL about making them a priority.
So with that said, let’s dive into this list!
The List: Top 10 High Value Uses of Time
1. Things that advance your overall purpose in life
2. Things you have always wanted to do
3. Things already in the 20/80 relationships of time to results
4. Innovative ways of doing things that promise to slash the time required and/or multiply the quality of results
5. Things other people tell you can’t be done
6. Things other people have done successfully in a different arena
7. Things that use your own creativity
8. Things that you can get other people to do for you with relatively little effort on your part
9. Anything with high-quality collaborators who have already transcended the 80/20 rule of time, who use time eccentrically and effectively
10. Things for which it is now or never
But Koch doesn’t stop there. He goes on to ask two really important questions….
“When thinking about any potential use of time, ask two questions:
- Is it unconventional?
- Does it promise to multiply results?
It’s unlikely to be a good use of time unless the answer to both questions is yes.”
Before you spend your time doing ANYTHING today, ask yourself those two questions.
It’ll give you an eye-opening look into your time and how you’re spending it.
I hope you love this list as much as I do.
I’ll leave you with just one amazing quote that’s on the following page of his book…
Things that matter most
Must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.
– Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Here’s to a productive and AMAZING week,
Alicia Streger
