Things I Wish I Learned Sooner: Multitasking As a Myth & Principles For Success
If there’s one thing in life that you should always keep in mind it’s that time is the most important commodity there is because it’s the one thing you can’t get back. We can’t go back in time and try again; everything we’ve got is now. That’s why it’s so sad that we’re still wasting a ton of time on useless things and procrastination (myself included).
This brings me to the most practical law of nature: the Pareto Principle (also known as the “80/20 rule”) which states that 80% of inputs lead to just 20% of results. Kind of depressing, right? Actually no, because this also implies that just 20% of your efforts lead to the 80% of your results that are left!
You can apply this rule to almost everything, no matter if it’s personal or about business. For example, in most businesses 20% of customers bring in 80% of the profits, so why not concentrate on providing these 20% with the best possible service and the most value to make use of this universal principle? Time management is one of the hardest skills to master and with the Pareto Principle in mind you have secured yourself a pretty good starting point. Another implication of this principle that I learned over the past few years is the following:
Multitasking is a myth.
Whenever you try to pay attention to multiple tasks at once, you will always automatically start shifting your focus back and forth without actually getting anything done. Instead, concentrate all your efforts on one task in your 20% and don’t jump to the next one until you’re done.
Make use of the limited amount of time you have and work smarter, not harder. That’s why you should regularly set some time aside to plan out your days to make the most of your days. Our job is to consistently put in the work and make small, smart choices and the universe will provide us with time. Building a brand online may have become easier nowadays but that doesn’t mean that one hour a day will get the job done.
Making a quick buck on the internet isn’t the problem, building a loyal customer base and thinking every business aspect through to the tiniest detail is what determines success. You are in this for long-term success and that’s why being patient is so important. But what use is time if you don’t actually do anything?
Putting In The Work
Nothing comes from nothing. Pretty simple, yet we often still don’t do what we know we should be doing. If you actually want to create a different lifestyle then you will have to put in a lot of different, consistent work and it’s probably going to seem tough at some points.
If starting a business was easy, everyone would do it. That’s why nothing in this world worth having comes easy. Some of the lessons we’ll explain later on will seem pretty straightforward and easy to understand and that’s because they are — but don’t let that mislead you.
Simple things that have to be done consistently over long periods of time aren’t necessarily easy.
You often hear these Instagram-entrepreneurs throw around words like “hustling”, “grinding” or “working 16-hour days” and I feel like these terms have been so overused that they’ve lost their original meaning. First of all, even though we have to put in a lot of work, working 16-hour days for the rest of one’s life doesn’t sound like the kind of future I’d want.
It’s about the freedom to make the most of your time and actually experience life; that’s why automation is so important. And the other thing I noticed is that this creates a conflict between wanting to spend your time however you like and having to put in the work. It took me quite a bit of time to figure out how to phrase it but I’ll give it a shot:
When you’re actually enjoying what it is you’re doing then the time spent working on it will feel like time well-spent and it’ll make things much easier for you. This way you can live in and experience the Now (and by that, I don’t mean “Living each day as if it was the last” because that’s just irresponsible, but simply taking everything in and enjoying the moment) while putting in work that will offer you a more beautiful future — sounds like the ideal way of life!
I’ve now told you to work hard to achieve your goals faster but at the same time, you have to be patient and take it slow. Even though these two philosophies sound like opposites they actually work hand-in-hand. How? By going for speed in the short run while at the same time being patient in the long run you’re building momentum and pressure. The momentum is what will make you go faster and faster and the pressure that builds between these two will be what creates the diamond.
With these three things in mind (always learning, valuing your time and putting in the work) you cover most of what’s needed to get far in life because they are what everything else is built on — they’re the foundation of your character and they allow you to keep on growing.
I know that these lessons aren’t groundbreaking by any means and I’m not the first one to tell you of them but that’s ok. We don’t need to complicate everything and that’s why we try to keep it simple (keeping it simple is actually another very valuable lesson).
And I’ll tell you the truth, most “secrets to success” aren’t actually secrets at all. There is no shortcut. Getting the basics right and building and improving on them is what will lead you to success — if someone tries to sell you “secrets”, they’re most likely lying.
—
Subscribe to my newsletter to receive similar content directly to your inbox.
I sincerely hope my posts impacted your life in positive ways!
https://robinklose.medium.com/subscribe
Since I don’t get paid by Medium directly, it would mean the world to me if you could check out https://ko-fi.com/robink1 and maybe even buy me a coffee with a small tip!
Every amount is greatly appreciated, especially if you leave a kind note at the end :)
