In This Edition
I’m back after a bit of a hiatus. A long vacation and a flurry of projects caused me to hit pause on the newsletter for a few weeks. Clearly, I need to improve my time management skills!
Actually, that leads us right into this week’s focus…
🕑 Our Most Valuable resource
Over the years, I’ve realized one undeniable truth: my most valuable resource is time. Unlike budget or knowledge, time is finite. We can’t add more hours to the day, no matter how much we sacrifice (and believe me, I’ve sacrificed plenty of sleep already!).
Refining how I spend my time has become a daily mission, so much so that I’ve got this quote stuck to my monitor:
"Business is a form of laziness. Lazy thinking and indiscriminate time management.”
It’s a daily reminder to focus on being productive, not just busy. Yet, I’ll admit—I’ve still got work to do. But I’m committed. And I’m confident that incremental growth will compound into outsized gains over time.
It’s strangely comforting to know that I’m not alone in this struggle. Nearly every team I’ve worked with (both within my office and with the clients we serve) cites time or bandwidth as their biggest constraint. What’s surprising is that the solution isn’t cutting-edge technology (though it helps!). Instead, the solution lies in a mindset shift and laser focus.
Enter the Pareto Principle—the most powerful tool I’ve found for managing time effectively.
🤏 Focus on the Few, Not the Many
The Pareto Principle (aka the 80/20 Rule) tells us that 80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts. So while it might feel satisfying to cross off every task on your to-do list, the reality is that not every task deserves equal attention.
Which 20% of your tasks produce 80% of your results? Ask yourself that regularly. You’ll likely find that a small portion of your daily work drives the bulk of your department’s success.
🏆 Finding Your Top 20%
To identify what tasks should be your 20%, start by asking yourself (and your team) a few questions. On the surface, these are simple questions. But think far beyond surface level when putting together your answers to make sure that you really get to the essence of the question.
Ask yourself:
Which tasks directly impact our primary goals?
Where do our most successful team members/peers spend their time?
If I had to cut my work hours in half, what tasks would I prioritize?
Where do we get the highest return on time and effort?
What is THE thing I need to work that would most improve the results in my department?
What brings in the most payments or responses from consumers?
What tasks are essential for compliance?