Like many professionals, you may be stretched thin. Warren Buffet, one of the wealthiest people in the world, has some simple advice to manage this. Buffet recommends a two-list approach to prioritization. First, he advises us to list our top 25 priorities. Then circle the top five from this list. Finally, and most importantly, focus only on the top five – and avoid the other 20 at all costs (until we have succeeded at the top five goals).
Some of the most successful people of our time have subscribed to this philosophy. Zig Ziglar, a popular inspirational speaker has wisely said: “People often complain about lack of time when the lack of direction is the real problem.”
Steve Jobs once said: “The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. People think focus means saying yes to the thing that you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that are there as well.” Jobs also famously led his team to focus on Apple’s top three priorities – while foregoing all other opportunities, regardless of how enticing they appeared.
Research indicates that only three tasks per job drive our results. This is otherwise known as the Pareto Principle: 20% of our effort drives 80% of our results. The trouble is that it is hard to forego the other 80%. They are usually associated with important work, enticing work, or work that is a priority to someone else. We don’t always have the luxury of saying no. Our calendars get filled by our manager, our top clients and our colleagues who are simply calling in a favor. In the end, we get spread thin. This leads to half-finished projects and frustration. So we need to get creative and sometimes take some bold steps to scale back.
Regardless of how many pressures you are currently facing, Buffet is clear: “Success is inversely proportional to how many things we try to do.” We do not need to do too many things to succeed. Rather, we should focus on doing a few things really well. Buffet advises us to hire others to do the rest or not to do them at all. Buffet sums it up with this wise advice: “When in doubt, do less.”
There is no doubt that you want to spend more time on your top priorities. The real question is – what will you say no to so you can make this happen?
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