Ready....Set...... PRIORITIZE! Prioritizing with the 80/20 Theory

Hello all! I am sorry for my brief hiatus, but I was in the midst of a renovation. My workspace is immaculate, and about 90% complete. I will most likely post some pics of my new domain soon. I was inspired to write this post, because as I was setting up my workspace, and planning my week I realized how important it is to prioritize tasks. 

I have my Fall 2010 collection to finally complete, sew, and place on my official website, which is under construction as well. I need to conceptualize my Spring 2011 as well as client work. I usually start a to-do list and it works for a few days to weeks, but I slowly begin to 'freestyle' my time management, which is not always the best thing to do. I always felt prioritizing was a daunting task to say the least, but this time I decided to try a different strategy.

Did you know that for every minute you invest in planning, you save ten minutes in execution?

In this post I will like to give some helpful tips on prioritizing your tasks with the 80/20 theory. The basic principle of the 80/20 rule is only few are vital, and many are trivial. In other words, only 20% of the things you spend time on doing produces 80% of the results you want to achieve. 

The goal of the 80/20 rule is to maximize your productivity identify key activities that will produce the most desired results. You want to complete these vital tasks above all else, and increase the time you spend on them. Implementing this rule into your daily routine is not that difficult at all.

Step One:

Start an assessment to begin the process.

a.     Observe how you currently use your time.

b.     Assess your personal productivity trends.

c.      Take a close look at the interruptions you face on a regular basis.

Step Two:

Identifying the top tasks that supports your goals

a.     Stick with tasks only aligned with major goals.

b.     Switch up your priorities according to the amount of urgency each one carries.

Ask yourself about these key tasks:

1. How much time do you devote to those activities? 20%? Less or more?

2. What are you doing with the remainder of your time?

3. How much return are you getting for the investment of the remainder time?

Step Three:

Personalize and prioritizing daily objectives

a.     Start a Master Must Do List- Everything that needs to be done today in detail

b.     Determine the “A” list- Focus on consequences if not done today.

c.      Categorize the rest of your tasks-For example “B” level tasks may have a negative effect, “C” level tasks = no penalty, if not completed today. “D” tasks=delegate to see if really needed. “E” tasks=eliminated

d.     Rank the tasks within each category- Rank items per letter, A-1, A-2, A-3 etc. One represents the highest priority, and the numbers go on from there.

I am currently implementing this strategy in my very busy schedule, and I hope it helps some of you busy bees as well. Please be sure to add any other helpful tips via comment, email, or tweets! Thank you for reading, hope you will visit my diary again.

Fashionably Yours,

SchauminChanel

Since the tender age of twelve, Schaumin Chanel Alexander has been creating fashion illustrations, and designing Womens wear apparel. Shortly after graduating college with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design & Marketing, she began freelancing her talents. SchauminChanel is the main designer and chief operator of Creative Conceptz Ltd., a company dedicated to freelance fashion design.