Successful people achieve more by concentrating on the 20% that matters. This means that we can avoid up to 80% of activity during our daily routine that does not contribute towards our success by starting to do less. If you look at most successful people in the workplace, they are not the ones running around chasing their tail, staying all hours and making sure everyone else around them knows exactly how much they have to do. These people are successful because they concentrate on what matters. People who are always 'busy' are not necessarily effective. We often create a lot of work for ourselves because we don't stop to focus on what’s important.

The same is true about the rest of your life. Consider the things you do each day and think carefully about whether they need to be done or are adding any value to your life. If things are adding no value whatsoever, think about why you still do them? Maybe it's just a habit or maybe it seems important on the surface but is not really benefiting you or anyone else when you take a closer look? The best question to ask yourself is 'what is the positive or negative impact on myself or others if I stop doing this task / activity?' If the answer is 'none' then it is adding no value whatsoever.

To be honest- sometimes we all enjoy doing tasks or activites that don't seem to produce any real significant benefits but there is a benefit nonetheless and that is the fact that we are enjoying doing it! Spending time doing things we enjoy, no matter how trivial they may seem is always a benefit!

Don't underestimate the power that the awareness of the 80-20 rule can have on your life. Anyone who cuts out everything that has no benefit is one hellava disciplined person but if freeing up just some of your time each day from the mundane and insignificant means you can spend more of your time on the things that will benefit you and those around you then it is well worth considering!