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Have you applied the 80/20 rule to your life?

By Julie Stobbe / July 6, 2021 /

The 80/20 rule can be applied in many situations and states that 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort. It is also known as the Pareto Principle. The principle has been named after Vilfredo Pareto—an Italian economist—who, in 1895, noticed that about 80% of Italy’s land belonged to 20% of the country’s population. Maciej Duszyński states in his article Pareto Principle & the 80/20 Rule, “Pareto’s principle is more of an observation than a full-fledged scientific theory. It is commonly noticeable in a variety of contexts—but it’s not applicable to each and every scenario. Plus, the numbers 80 and 20 should not be added up to 100. The fact it’s called the 80/20 rule is simply a catchy, historical catchphrase.” As an organizer, the 80/20 helps people to easily, and subjectively analyze what they use the most, how they spend their time and how to manage their projects.

Possessions

Many times Professional Organizers will talk to clients about the 80/20 rule. I will say, you use 20% of your stuff, 80% of the time. This means most of your stuff (80%) is not used very often. Think about your clothing. Do you have some outfits you wear a lot? You love how they look, feel and you get a lot of compliments. If you apply the 80/20 rule you can let go of 80% of your clothing because you don’t wear them very often. Think about your other possessions. Do you have DVDs, books, jewelry, tools, toys and dishes filling your closets and cupboards? Let go of the 80% that you almost never use. Organize, enjoy and respect the 20% that you use frequently.

Time Management

Once you realize that 80% of your outcomes come from 20% of the time and effort you spend on them, the importance of prioritizing becomes obvious. If you have a To-Do List, prioritize the top 2 items (20%) and complete them first. Although the other items, of less importance, might not be completed the ones you did complete will have a big impact (80%) on your accomplishments. Don’t neglect the other tasks. Move on to doing them once you clear the big ones. You can delegate the other tasks. The 80/20 rule will help you to use your time efficiently.

Projects

It is important to understand when a project is finished. The first 20% of the time you spend on a project will get you to 80% finished. Trying to get the final small amount completed perfectly may not be a good use of your time. When you have 80% of your project perfected should you move on and publish it, institute the changes or present it for discussion? I have a saying on my bulletin board that says, “good enough” + “published” is 1000 times more valuable than “perfect” + “not quite ready yet”. I have seen weeks, months and years spent focusing on making the last 20% perfect. It can be a stumbling block to your success if it allows you to procrastinate and lets you hide behind the fear of accomplishing a new challenge. The feedback you receive on your project will be more valuable in perfecting your work than you spending more time on it.

Paper

An organizer, Linda Samuels reminded me that the 80/20 rule can help you with your filing. She says, “Applying the rule to papers is a good one too. We only retrieve 20% of the papers we file. And since most people (other than organizers) dislike filing, it’s a good thing to keep in mind. Perhaps recycling rather than filing is a better option for that other 80%.” You usually keep more paper than you need and that makes it difficult to find the 20% that is important in our files. This is true for emails also.

Kevin Kruse states in his article in Forbes, “No matter what your situation, it’s important to remember that there are only so many minutes in an hour, hours in a day, and days in a week. Pareto can help you to see this is a good thing; otherwise, you’d be a slave to a never-ending list of things to do.”

What 20% of your effort gives you 80% of your satisfaction?

Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.