80/20 Rule helps clarify
what’s crucial

Applying the 80/20 Rule can help identify the 20 percent of what you do and own that is really important.

Richard Koch, author of "The 80/20 Principle," writes, "The few things that work fantastically well should be identified, cultivated, nurtured and multiplied. At the same time, the waste -- the majority of things that will always prove to be of low value to man and beast -- should be abandoned or severely cut back."

I'd like to give you more practical applications of the rule that can help identify what's important so you can maximize your time and space:

» Closets bulging? Realize that 80 percent of the time we wear just 20 percent of our clothes. We all have our favorites that we wear over and over. Create needed closet space by purging those that you wear very little or never.

» Cleaning house for company? Identify those few things that you can do that will make 80 percent of the appearance of neatness. When pressed for time, pick up the large obvious clutter and forget dusting the baseboards.

» Spending too much time watching television? What are the 20 percent of programs that you watch that give you 80 percent of the enjoyment? Watch those and eliminate the rest and put your newly gained time to better use.

» Short on cash? Realize that probably 20 percent of what we buy is really necessary and that 80 percent brings only minimal value.

» Trying to lose weight? Probably 80 percent of the fat in our diet comes from 20 percent of what we eat.

I recently applied the 80/20 Rule to packing for a trip to the mainland. I wanted to find a way to counter my bad habit of packing too much. I realized that 80 percent of the time, I would wear only about 20 percent of what I packed. That helped me pare down to appropriate and favorite clothes and lighten my suitcase.

I encourage you to apply the 80/20 Rule to your life. You will identify what is meaningful and important to you, and get maximum results for minimum effort.

See you in three weeks!