The Christian Pareto Principle by OPTIMIST IBK

THE CHRISTIAN PARETO PRINCIPLE by Optimist IBK

Text: Ps 90:12
So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

Any studious management or economy student must have heard of the Pareto principle. Which was discovered and promulgated by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto in 1906. The principle highlights the 80/20 rule which states that it is only 20% of the activities you engage in, that will give you 80% of the results you will get in life. While 80% of your activities you engage in gives you the remaining 20% result.
It also states that it is only 20% of your customers that produce 80% of your corporate revenue while the remaining 20% gives you 80% of your revenue. The principle can be applied in every area of your life especially in the area of time management.
How do you cope with trying to handle different “important” things daily and still have time for God? You have to work/go to school, at the same time you have to be in church most evenings and engage in spiritual development, at the same you also need to maintain a healthy relationship with your friends and family thus you have to visit them regularly, and the list of things to do just goes on and on. If you apply the pareto principle, it will help you understand how to cope with time.
If you are struggling with time management, then write down 20% of the critical activities that will give you the 80% of your results in life and focus on them, giving them more attention than other areas. Also write down the most critical relations that will benefit you and focus most of your energy on developing them.
This principle is so real and Jesus exemplified it while coping with the challenges of time management. If anybody was busy, it was Jesus. He had to deal with multitudes because his church had a minimum of 5,000 members, he had to train the disciples, he had a lot of travelling to do, he had to pray, every evening he had one miracle or teaching program to conduct, he also had a social life as the Bible mentions severally that Jesus went to various social events, such as the marriage in Canna (John 1: 1-2), the feast in Lazarus’ house (John 12:2). He also visited people like Mary and her sister Martha and so on. However, if you look at Jesus’ itinerary, he spent most of his time with his disciples. Most of the parables were taught to the crowd but was explained in detail to the disciples; an example is the sermon on the mount and the parable of the sower (Matt. 5:1-2, Matt. 13:10-11).
Another close look at Jesus’ itinerary shows that Jesus focused and spent lots of time in prayer. Why? These were the 20% that gave him 80% of the results he experienced.
Some of the crucial 20% activities that will give 80% of the results you will get in life must include:
(1) Time spent in prayer and developing a strong relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Do you know why it is important to build a relationship with The Holy spirit? Because if making heaven is your goal, you can’t survive without the Holy Spirit. It is Him that will help you run this Christian race.
(2) Activities that are in direct alignment with your purpose and calling in life
(3) Building relationships with people who are critical to your growth in life. You cannot afford to be disconnected from certain people who are contributing significantly to your life. An example are your physical parent, your spiritual parents and your mentors in various significant fields in your life. Identify other very essential relationships and invest time in them.
(4) Developmental activities.
These are things that will develop your mind, knowledge or skill capital.
If you apply the pareto principle to your life religiously, you will notice that your effectiveness as a Christian will definitely increase very significantly.
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