Who among us didn't want to improve our own efficiency? Don't waste time on unnecessary tasks, achieve the desired results faster? There is a ready-made solution - the Pareto rule. With the help of this principle, it will be possible to save not only time, but also money and energy.
Our universe obeys a variety of laws, some of which are a mystery to most people. Almost any mathematician will confidently say that life cycles can be described by means of logic and numbers. However, the empirical way of cognition is also popular. A vivid confirmation of this should be considered the Pareto law, or the 80/20 principle.
The essence of the principle
The rule is: only 20% of the effort brings 80% of the result. The rest of the applied forces will bring only 20% of the result. It should be noted that this rule has been repeatedly proven, and various experiments have been carried out. The discovery of the law belongs to the Italian scientist Vilfredo Pareto.
Many successful people actively use the pattern identified by the Italian economist. In other words, the rule not only looks beautiful, but is also effective in practice. Big entrepreneurs try to make decisions that will bring maximum benefit to their business.
Wilfredo believed that with a competent approach to the selection of the most important tasks, you can get the maximum of the planned result. Other improvements do not have any effect. The Pareto principle has been successfully used in the field of analysis. With its help, it will be possible to optimize any activity. It is widely used in economics, management and politics.
The accuracy of the ratio can be questionable. However, numbers are not an axiom. They are a guideline. The Pareto Rule demonstrates that causes and effects are unevenly distributed. This can be seen in any field of activity. And numerical values cannot be considered significant. Much more important is the fact of the discrepancy between these indicators.
Flaw
Realizing that only 20% of actions will bring the desired result, a person is still forced to spend the remaining 80% of efforts. Otherwise, it will not work to organize the work. For example, a customer only needs a certain portion of the product that the entrepreneur is manufacturing. However, he is unlikely to be pleased if the supplier begins to produce only this percentage. He needs to choose from something. And this logic can be traced in any field of activity.
Consequences of the law
- There are few significant aspects, and a huge number of insignificant ones. Only a small fraction of the action will be successful.
- Most of the actions do not contribute to the desired result at all. This is a waste of time and effort.
- Usually the results achieved differ from what was planned.
- A significant part of the problems happen through the fault of a small number of highly destructive forces.
Conclusions from the principle
- It is necessary to analyze the started projects for the application of the Pareto rule. It is recommended to highlight key points. It is on their implementation that 20% of the efforts should be directed.
- Before making a commitment, it's worth remembering the rule. If you are confident that you will not be able to work effectively on new tasks, it is better to refuse them.
- It is not recommended to complete all tasks perfectly. It is desirable to concentrate energy on the most important thing. You must be able to prioritize.
- It is recommended to use the Pareto law always and everywhere. Gradually, analysis will become a habitual activity, thanks to which it will be possible to save energy on minor tasks and give all the best in those areas that are actually useful.
How to use the rule in life?
Firstly. It is necessary to spend a significant part of the time on what will really benefit. An aspiring entrepreneur immediately acquires a huge number of connections. We are talking about school friends, classmates, people with whom I had to meet at various events, etc. Many of the acquaintances will not benefit the business. Therefore, all attention should be paid only to those 20% of people, thanks to whom the business will get off the ground. But it is not recommended to completely cut off communication with the rest.
Second, 20% of the time is 80% of memory. The daily pastime does not bring many good memories. Therefore, it is recommended to focus only on those actions and events that are really important. It is unlikely that later someone will remember a business breakfast or another forum.
Third, important books are worth reading. Only 20% of what you read will be 80% useful. A small part of the books can really play a significant role in life, and reading all the rest only wastes time. Therefore, more place in life should be occupied by literature that contributes to emotional, aesthetic and spiritual education.
Fourthly, it is recommended to highlight only the important, discarding everything else. While reading, a person learns a huge number of important lessons, gains experience. However, the books contain a lot of information. This is a secondary plot, and lyrical digressions, and definitions, and the story of the creation of something. We must learn to highlight only those moments that are really important, of interest in a certain period of time.
Fifth, we need to get rid of the trash. Only a small part of things are used constantly. Other items clutter up your workplace or wardrobe. It is recommended that you leave only the most essential things, and either throw the rest away or put away. It is important to follow the rule: if you have not worn or used something for two years, then it is not necessary.
Conclusion
It is necessary to understand that the Pareto principle is not a 100% correct law. The 80/20 rule is very rough. It doesn't always work. Therefore, it is necessary to consider it in the vein that during work it is necessary to pay different amounts of attention to different factors, tk. they are not always equally significant.
