Photo by Paul Skorupskas on Unsplash

A few years ago I recovered from pneumonia and worked only on the essential priorities. After a month recovering with the antibiotics, I went back to work in stages. For a few months I worked ten hours a week, then twenty, then full-time. I had to balance my work priorities with the energy I had available. What came down was this: I only worked on the most important activities, the ones I thought would generate the most results.

I worked as a Catholic missionary at Concordia University, forming leaders who share the faith. I led faith studies, partook in student spiritual formation, and participated in group activities, among many other administrative and team-related meetings. When I recovered back to work, however slowly, I focused on the two most important things at the time: faith studies with the students and one-on-one leadership development with a few leaders. 

Here’s an axiom I learned from my business studies that I think applies to our effectiveness at work today. The pareto rule states that 80 percent of the consequences come from 20 percent of the causes. For our work in this New Year, perhaps we can improve our effectiveness by asking this question: what 20 percent of my activities will generate 80 percent of the results? Or, What tasks would be the most effective use of my 20 percent?

As leaders, we can do many things. But the question is, what are the most important things that need to get done? What are the one or two specific areas that if I focussed my time on, would generate the best results? 

In this New Year, perhaps we can be even more intentional in our professional lives. With the help of prudence, we can discern what are the greatest tasks and activities to pursue given our limited time—and then have the tenacity to carry it out. 

If I learned anything from when I recovered from pneumonia, it was that the essential tasks matter most. So think about it. If you got sick and could only work 10 hours a week, what would be one or two things you would focus on? There would be your 20 percent. Do that, and do that well.