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  • Focus on What Matters: How the 80/20 Rule Can Transform Your Year

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    Discover how a simple principle can help you prioritize the projects that deliver the biggest impact. Learn to apply the Pareto Principle to make smarter, more strategic decisions this year.


    What Projects Should We Work on This Year?

    Every year brings a flood of ideas, initiatives, and opportunities. The challenge isn’t finding projects…it’s choosing the right ones. How do you decide where to invest your team’s time and energy for maximum impact?

    Start by asking yourself:

    • Which projects will create the most value for our stakeholders?
    • What activities have historically driven the greatest results?
    • If we could only accomplish three things this year, what would they be?

    These questions set the stage for a powerful tool: the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 Rule. This principle suggests that roughly 80 percent of results come from 20 percent of efforts. It was first introduced by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto in his 1897 work Cours d’économie politique and later popularized in quality management by Joseph Juran (Interaction Design Foundation).


    How to Apply the 80/20 Rule to Your Planning

    1. List Your Options: Write down all potential projects or initiatives for the year.
    2. Analyze Impact: Ask, “Which of these will deliver the greatest outcomes if successful?”
    3. Identify the Vital Few: Highlight the top 20 percent of projects that will likely produce 80 percent of the results.
    4. Focus Resources: Allocate time, budget, and talent to these high-impact priorities.

    This approach doesn’t mean ignoring everything else — it means being intentional. By concentrating on the “vital few,” you avoid spreading your team too thin and ensure meaningful progress.


    Why It Works

    The Pareto Principle forces clarity. Instead of chasing every good idea, you double down on the best ones. Whether you’re planning academic programs, research initiatives, or operational improvements, this method helps you cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters.


    Resources to Learn More

     

    Written by Jerad Watson

  • Maximize Your Time with the Eisenhower Matrix

    A standing woman writes on a transparent board covered in notes

    Discover how the Eisenhower Matrix can help you prioritize your tasks based upon urgency and importance. Learn how to use the matrix to focus on what truly matters while reducing time spent on unimportant and less critical things.

    Is this urgent or important? Sometimes there is so much to do at work we don’t know where to start. We can feel overwhelmed. Consider using the Eisenhower Matrix to help you sort it all out.

    The Eisenhower matrix is a tool that President Dwight D. Eisenhower used to determine what tasks he should focus on. Stephen Covey, author of “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” popularized the matrix. You can use it to help you determine the status of your tasks. While you may want to do everything, it is not possible. The matrix is divided into four quadrants divided by urgency and importance.

    • Quadrant 1: Important & Urgent (Do)
      • Tasks or responsibilities that require immediate attention.
    • Quadrant 2: Important & Not Urgent (Decided/Schedule)
      • Tasks or responsibilities that you plan for and schedule.
    • Quadrant 3: Not Important & Urgent (Delegate)
      • Tasks or responsibilities that may require your attention but can wait.
    • Quadrant 4: Not Important & Not Urgent (Delete)
      • Task or responsibilities that waste time and have little value.

    When evaluating your tasks and placing them in one of the 4 quadrants based upon importance and urgency you are determining what is most important to you and where you will spend your time. When you take the time to schedule the important tasks and responsibilities you will find that you are less stressed.


    How to Use the Eisenhower Matrix

    1. Make a list of tasks: Write down everything you must do.
    2. Complete the Eisenhower Matrix: Determine what quadrant each task belongs in and write it down.
    3. Schedule it: Using a calendar of choice, electronic or paper write down your tasks on your schedule for the day and the week.


    Why it Works

    The Eisenhower Matrix is divided into four quadrants. The ultimate goal is to spend most of your time in Quadrant 2. The idea is, if you can make Quadrant 2 larger by planning and scheduling your day, the other three quadrants become smaller and take up less of your time.


    Resources to Learn More


    Written by Alison Kniseley
    References: Hobson, N. (2023). 69 Years ago, President Eisenhower came up with the best matrix for making better decisions. Retrieved December 9, 2025, from www.inc.com