One of the most important laws of success I’ve learned is the 80/20 rule. When I was still working in corporate offices, I saw that 80% of my results were coming from just 20% of my work day.
But the 80/20 rule was reinforced when I realized that a significant portion of my day was simply filler work. I just did “stuff”.
Don’t get me wrong – I was actually a key employee and a high producer. One thing I’ve never been accused of is being a slacker!
But as many of us do, I FILLED my 8 hour day. I didn’t WORK it.
My most productive time of the day is the first 2-3 hours in the morning. But these days, the other 5 or 6 hours are not simply filled with tasks. They are planned and executed based on priorities, goals and desired outcomes. Filler is now either dumped or outsourced to a virtual assistant.
Action – Whether self-employed or on salary, it is time to truthfully and ruthlessly analyze your own 80/20 day. How much filler do YOU have?
As James Rohn said “It’s not the hours you put in, but what you put into the hours, that counts.”