The thirtieth issue of the Project Simplify newsletter The Simplifier is now archived on our newsletter archives page.

The big three-oh! Hurrah!

Here is a brief summary of the contents:

1. A Note From Shawn
Taking a break isn’t a new concept
2. Our Featured Quote
by Ovid
3. Article: Relax!
by PS Head Simplifier Shawn Tuttle
4. This Week’s Simplification Tip
Relaxation ideas
5. In the News
Defeating the time bandits, tapping into the obsolete, and preparing for tax time
6. Featured at ProjectSimplify.com
The Best of (Last) January
7. Keep Smiling
Signs You are Spending Too Much Time on Your Computer

Read the full issue here.
Subscribe to The Simplifier here.

[posted by Lance]

This article was originally published in The Simplifier #56.

Article: Developing 80/20 Vision

By Shawn Tuttle

Who’d have thought that an Italian economist born in 1848 could have big impact on your life today? Stemming from the observation that 80% of income in Italy went to 20% of the population, Vilfredo Pareto’s “80/20 principle” has influenced the business world since it was rediscovered in the 1940’s. This principle states that for many events, 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

Nowadays, this rule is observed in all kinds of areas:

Social - 80% of your time is spent with 20% of your acquaintances.
Clothing -  You wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time.
Quality control - 80% of the problems stem from 20% of the causes.
Gardening -  20% of peapods produce 80% of the peas
Service business - 80% of your business comes from 20% of your clients.
Your work - 80% of your results are produced by 20% of your efforts.
(Be sure to take these percentages with a grain of salt. Whether the numbers work out exactly, the point that the majority of output is the result of a relatively small percentage of input is widely accepted.)

Simplify with 80/20
Translating the principle into a useful tool, you can apply the 80/20 rule to increase happiness and success. How? Through focus, elimination, and choice. This combination forms a fantastic tool for the dedicated simplifier!

Focus
There are so many ways that focusing on the right activities produce the greatest results. Let the 80/20 rule serve as a measure by which to evaluate your activities.
For example:

If 20% of your offerings produce 80% of your business income… how can you make the most of those? Can you drop the rest?
If 20% of the activities you do produce 80% of your results… which of the rest can you delegate to employees, contractors, or consultants?
If 20% of your Todo list represents 80% of your highest priorities… which of the remaining tasks can be crossed off undone?

By evaluating your how you spend your time and on what, you can do more by doing less.

Elimination
Clutter is anything in your life that isn’t useful or enjoyed. Whether clothing in your closet or items taking up shelf space, if it isn’t enhancing your life, it’s in the way.

If 20% of the things in your house give you 80% of the satisfaction you feel in your surroundings… what could you get rid of?
If you wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time… what could you send to the thrift store?
If you eat 20% foodstuff in your kitchen 80% of the time, what might be a candidate for donating to the food bank?

In other words,  you can increase enjoyment of your home by surrounding yourself with the stuff you use and love the most, and shedding some of the rest.

Choice
Setting high expectations adds to the pressure of a busy schedule. Looking at the 80/20 rule from a different vantage, as suggested by author Seth Godin, if 20% of your efforts get 80% of the job done, and if 80% done can be considered enough, then you can let the rest go.

If a 90-100% clean house is for guests… is 20% effort for an 80% clean house enough for daily living?
If 100% effort for clients sets you apart as a stellar consultant… is 20% effort for 80% completion of day-to-day details enough for running your business?
If you love painting with watercolors and give 100% to that activity, what can you give 20% to for 80% completion so that you’ll have more time to paint?

Acknowledging that some activities are big contributors to your well-being, while others have little consequence can be a challenging experience. However, by choosing what you can lower the bar for in your life, and determining what you want to keep the bar raised for, you’ll make more time for what you love.

Whether applied toward clients, clothes, or just about anything else, developing “80/20 vision” sharpens your focus on what’s important to you. Futurist Joel Barker points out that “vision without action is a dream” while “vision with action is making a positive difference.” Zoom in on the most productive activities in your life and eliminate the things that no longer serve you. Choose when to give your all and when to conserve your resources. Let your 80/20 insights guide the way for a positive difference in your life.

—

Shawn Tuttle is founder of Project Simplify.

Liz Strauss has a fun list of The Top 10 Ways to Start Living Your Life. The one that really jumps out at me as one you don’t hear about too often is #8:

Learn the physical symptoms of when your head and heart become disconnected.
We know when we’re having a knee jerk reaction, when we’re feeling sorry for ourselves, and when we’re being blind to people’s feelings. We can remember how it felt physically while we were behaving badly. Get to know those symptoms, and you can stop the behavior. Living life will feel a whole lot safer because you won’t be in danger of shooting yourself in the foot.

Good reminder to check in with myself–I know what it feels like to be “off”. The question is, do I do anything about it? I’ve spent more time in relationships that should’ve ended months earlier because I ignored the signs that were popping up in me and all around me. One in particular was very rough. My head was saying, “stay”, and my heart was saying, “get out of here!” The less I listened to my heart, the less it seemed to try to communicate with me. Ouch.

I also really appreciate #4: Surround yourself with people who enjoy living. We are so influenced by the people we hang out with!!! I’ve noticed I pick up small mannerisms and sayings of people I spend a lot of time with (not to mention being influenced by their perceptions on life!!) If I don’t want to be heavily influenced by someone yet want to maintain relationship, I’ll just limit the amount of time I spend with them.

These both speak out as reminding me to take charge of my life. If I don’t like how something is going, or how I’m responding–change it.

Oooohhhh, I’ve been remiss. I received the honor of front page, above-the-fold press last week and haven’t reported it here on my own website. Busted!

I thought I’d scan in the hard copy, then Photoshop froze, and, well, logistically, it proved to be a bit much amidst the flurry of last week’s activity. So scan be hanged! Here’s a link to the Union’s article written by Dixie Redfearn, “Cutting out the Clutter”.

While ALL the words in the article weren’t mine, all in all, I’m pleased with the coverage. It’s a bit heavy on the space organizing side of the business and a little neglectful of the simplifying aspect… but I trust the time will come when simplifying Project Simplify style will see its day.

The twenty-ninth issue of the Project Simplify newsletter The Simplifier is now archived on our newsletter archives page.

Here is a brief summary of the contents:

1. A Note From Shawn
Staying grounded in what’s important
2. Our Featured Quote
by Benjamin Franklin
3. Article: Measuring Your Gross Personal Happiness
by PS Head Simplifier Shawn Tuttle
4. This Week’s Simplification Tip
Write down your success indicators
5. In the News
Feasting on Frogs, National Clean Off Your Desk Day, and the Perfect Storm of Procrastination
6. Featured at ProjectSimplify.com
Shawn Gets Her Day in the Local Media Sun
7. Keep Smiling
Ebaum’s World

Read the full issue here.
Subscribe to The Simplifier here.

[posted by Lance]

Phew. That was a busy weekend meetin’ and greetin’ all the filmmakers and VIPs. A good time was had by just about all present. There was a little technical difficulty on Friday night at one of the venues–no sound! The audience was understanding and patient.

The blue hat was quite the hit. All weekend long people came up to me to say, “I love the hat!” Truly, if all it takes for people to feel comfortable enough to start up a conversation with a stranger is a goofy hat… I’ll have to wear it more often. :) Sharing the blue hat glory is filmmaker Larry Lansburgh. His film for this festival was Dream People of the Amazon–not his first film. In fact, he has received an Academy Award Nomination, an Emmy, and several other awards for previous films.

Larry is gracious, humble, interesting–truly a delight.

I was hoping to get a bunch of pictures but Friday was super busy, Saturday just didn’t feel like a camera day and Sunday found me too exhausted to care. That said, I did get a few:

the VIP room set-up and ready for VIPs!

And then the people came!

There were people from all over the country, some first time filmmakers, some award winning veterans.

Still catching up on sleep, I am.

Yes, it’s that time of year again. The South Yuba River Citizens League’s (pronounced Circle) 5th annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival is happening this weekend here in chilly Nevada City.

This year will mark my 3rd annual official position as “VIP liaison”, which means I get to meet all the film makers and don’t get to see any of their films. This shot is of fun friend Emily (on the right) and me. I don’t wear a cowboy hat every day, if you must know. It’s an easy identifier for all the out-of-town film makers.

Think I’ll shake it up this year and wear this hat instead:

It looks kind of Dr. Seuss-esque on. You’ll have to check back soon for an actual shot of the hat on my head. I’ll try to get a famous film maker like George Lucas or Spike Lee to be in the shot with me. Hmm, except that they aren’t coming to the festival as far as I know. I’ll see what I can do.