I Was Right, Things Can Wait

things can wait time

Follow Your Instincts

I was right about last night! In my stream of consciousness post I was simply documenting my thoughts for the day and into the night.

For the first time in a while, I decided to stop what I was doing, and go to bed. In fact, the last words of my post were “Some things can not wait. Most things can.” And I was right! Even though I felt very tense about going to bed with such a long task list, the sleep was definitely worth it.

The 80 20 Rule

Lately, I have had this tremendous burden of accomplishing everything before I go to bed. But reflecting on what I have learned over the past couple of months, it is that 80% of the important work can be accomplished with 20% of the effort. In other words, the 20% of my day that makes up 80% of my productivity, tackle that 20% at a very minimum.

Even this concept is what Tim Ferris of 40 Hour Work Week discusses. The concept is simply to tackle the very most important items on the top of your list and then, according to Tim, outsource the rest.

Be Thoughtful

Perhaps the biggest thing I have learned in the past 24 hours is to be thoughtful. Determine what’s the most important task and whether or not it can wait. In other words, do you put something on pause because you think it can wait, or do you do something right away because it is the absolute most important thing you need to get done.

Take care of yourself and focus on your health. Getting sleep, eating well, and regular exercise are perhaps some of the most important things you can put into your routine to set yourself up for success.