Turning 2008 into 80-20

I know we are in the middle of December but with holidays coming up there are not that many workdays left of 2007. Which means I take a shoot at what I intend to do next year, and how.

Chris Garrett posted about The 80/20 Rule of Effort. It is about summing up 2007 and looking forward into 2008. Chris writes:

One conclusion I have to draw from this year that I will take into the next is how I have squandered my time.

Squander (waste; spend thoughtlessly; throw away) is a harsh word but I am guilty of the same with some of my time. It could have been used better and that is where the 80-20-rule comes in. The Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule) states that, for many phenomena, 80% of the effects comes from 20% of the efforts. In other words, find the 20% of your work that really makes a difference and cut down on the other 80%.

Benjamin On WOWNDADI posts 10 Tips To Gain You a Better 08. That is a great list and I will comment on some of them.

1. Set good goals.
This is important and so is to follow up on them, are we heading in the right direction and in the desired speed?

2. Quit stuff.
This is where 80-20 can help us, we can quit more than we think and spend that time on our core issues instead.

6. Commit to learning something new.
I believe in life long learning so this is a must for me.

And what do I intend to focus on during 2008?
I recently finished a course and became a professional coach. Coaching is my baby for next year and where most of my efforts will be focused.

I will set off time for my blogging efforts with the intention to post regularly at my three main blogs. The fourth one, doodling, is for fun and requires no set schedule.

On a more personal level I intend to enjoy life, be in the here and now.

Additional reading about the Pareto principle:

• Pareto’s Principle – The 80-20 Rule at about.com
• How Useful Is the Pareto Principle? at lifehack
• Pareto principle at Wikipedia
• Understanding the Pareto Principle (The 80/20 Rule) at BetterExplained

This was originally posted at Forty Plus Two, another blog of mine.