There is not enough time to everything you want to do. There is not even enough time to do everything your company wants you to do. Fortunately, some of your efforts yield more of an effect than others…
Focus on Your Essential 20 Percent
The Pareto Principle (aka the 80/20 Rule) encourages you to do high-priority activities that actually move you towards goal achievement (your essential 20%). When you do, failure to do lesser tasks will be overlooked. Will some people feel frustrated and/or annoyed at times because their tasks for you fall into your 80%? Yes. Will the 20% of people whose opinion matters most to you (e.g., your loved ones, your supervisor and yourself) feel satisfied? Yes! The reality: Strategically letting some tasks slide is key to sustaining high productivity.
This eTip brought to you by the Goal-setting/Prioritization link in your Productivity Chain.