3
Apply the 80/20 Rule to Everything
Resist the temptation to clear up small things first. Small things are like rabbits; they multiply continually. Get in the habit of tackling the “vital few” before you attend to the “trivial many.”
1. The things you choose to do repeatedly eventually become habits—habits that can be hard to break. If you prioritize low-value tasks, that becomes a habit—but so does prioritizing high-value tasks. So, what are you going to make a habit of doing more?
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What are you going to make a habit of doing less?
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What are you going to start doing?
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What are you going to stop doing altogether?
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2. Productive people discipline themselves to start on the most important task before them. They force themselves to eat that frog, no matter how slimy or smelly it might be. Take some time, right now, to work on your highest-value activity. Take some action—any action—immediately. Really. Put this book down and go do something. Don’t worry. I’ll wait.
Shane settled on her two most important goals: get her MBA and grow her chocolate business to the point where she can quit her day job. Toward these ends, Shane started planning out her days in advance—each second that she wasn’t performing necessary duties at her firm was devoted to working on her schoolwork and getting her chocolates in front of new potential customers. She also started making a habit of getting up a couple hours early to get a jump on her reading.