The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, states that roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. Although the principle came from observations of unequal wealth distribution, it has also been applied to think about use of resources for maximum productivity and might help you think about where to best target your effort.
This blog on the Pareto Principle, written by an academic with a keen interest in productivity, shares examples of applying the principle to identify the 20% in your teaching, research and service that really makes a difference, in order to focus your efforts on that, and worry less about polishing the 80%.
How might you apply this in some of the work you are engaged with at the moment? How will you identify the thing that really matters and ring-fence time to focus on that aspect, rather than on the noise?
What will you take forward?
One thing to consider: Where might 20% of your effort be generating most of your impact, and how could you protect more time for that?
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