Using Less to Create More: Nice to Meet You, Vilfredo
The table vibrated. A ding sounded from my laptop. A grocery run probed the back of my mind as Instagram flashed before me the six stories I hadn’t yet seen today. Each disruption arrived in an unbroken crush of waves, tossing me haphazardly from flash-sale to Reddit forum. I snapped back to the present as I gasped for air and forcibly returned my eyes to the website I had been designing, half-finished, just as it had been an hour ago. Damn.
We feel it every day, the press of the urgent. The modern world, snarling and covetous, wolfs down every morsel of spare time we have to offer like the choicest delicatessen. Everything—from your phone, to your boss, to billboards strewn along the roadway—competes for a slice of your attention. It’s a fire sale where your focus is sold to the highest bidder and, most of the time, we don’t even realize it’s going on.
“It's really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.”
- Steve Jobs
If, like me, this dilemma has ever given you pause, you’ve probably conducted a quick survey of friends to discover that, perplexingly, everyone seems to be dealing with The Big Buzz just fine. Sure, yeah, there are a lot of notifications, but that’s the way it is. There’s a lot to do, all important stuff. Clearly, you need to prioritize better. Worse yet, after this discovery, you might kick yourself for not “trying hard enough,” redoubling your caffeination in a misguided effort to be as productive as the rest of the world, thinking all the while, “My boss always finds a way to make time, so why can’t I?” You reshuffle your already full plate and cross your fingers that you can build a bigger appetite, but (surprise, surprise) you somehow end up just as bloated and dissatisfied with the meal as before. Sound familiar?
If you’ve ever felt this way, a different solution may have also crossed your mind. It timidly slipped from a forgotten corner of your mind like an answer sputtered from student gathering the courage to respond to a question that has stumped the class. The problem isn’t lack of capacity; we’re simply being pulled in too many directions. We have the time we need to do everything we want. We’ve just been making a critical error, confusing the urgent with the important.
“In a world where entertainment and distraction are an all-you-can-eat buffet, stacking your plate to the brim is not the secret to a satisfying meal. If you try that route, odds are you’ll bust your belt while wondering all the while why you didn’t just take a seat at the healthier spot on the other side of town.”
One radiant Spring afternoon a few years past, in the busy space between my email delirium and staring out the office window, I stumbled upon a tidbit that teased an answer to this everything, everywhere, all at once conundrum. It was a natural law discovered over a hundred years ago, but, surprisingly enough, seemed poised to become the greatest tonic to our modern overstimulation woes. It was an idea that said we could ignore nearly everything clamoring for our attention and still get the biggest results. The solution came from a humble Italian man minding his garden. His name: Vilfredo Pareto.
In the early 1900s, an Italian economist named Vilfredo Pareto became the first to note what he later realized was a natural law: 80% of his pea produce was coming from just 20% of his plants. This principle wasn’t just limited to the Pareto’s Garden, however. He realized in his work as economist for the Italian government that it extended across personal incomes, business, and national economies. The split, which became known as the Pareto Principle (and later the 80/20 rule), states that roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes, or, more generally, that a majority of the results come from a minority of the inputs.
For example, in a company, it might mean that 80% of sales come from 20% of the customers, or that 80% of problems are caused by 20% of the employees. In your personal life, 80% of your happiness is probably coming from 20% of your friend group or 20% of the activities you spend money on, and 80% of your frustrations are coming from the thorny 20% of bad habits you just can’t seem to kick.
“A small number of factors are responsible for most of the outcomes, so identify these factors to leverage the greatest improvements.”
So, how can we put old Vilfredo’s wisdom to use? It’s not as hard as you might think—just take a look at your peapods. Tomorrow morning once you’ve had your coffee, or this evening after the kids are in bed, sit down and reflect on how you spend your time. Even ten minutes will be worth the investment. Brainstorm where you are getting the most benefit from your energy and jot down your biggest time-sucks. Ask yourself, in business, “Which customers are driving the bulk of my revenue? Which clients always seem to be a headache?” And in your personal life, “Where do I consistently find joy? Who can I spend time with that always seems to put a smile on my face?” and “What people in my circle always seem to stir up drama?”
Write your thoughts down. It will force you to quantify and be honest with the clarity of your thinking. Look at things from both the positive and negatives lenses so you know both who to avoid and what to chase. Often, you’ll find this 80/20 split to holds true, but even more extreme results like 90/10 or 95/5 are not uncommon. Chances are you’ve already had a few candidates pop into your head just reading this post.
“What gets measured gets managed.”
-Peter Drucker
Once you’ve identified that magic 20%, act. Be ruthless. Harness your drivers and cut the offenders. It’s going to take courage, but it will be worth it. If you truly want the space to think clearly, eliminate drains on your energy, to dominate distraction and finally make the most of your time, you need to act on what you’ve learned. Thinking on it isn’t enough. Realize that in this world where everyone wants a piece of your time and attention, no one can give you freedom but you.
“Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it.”
-Malcolm X