The Pareto Principle

• Putting inputs and outputs on the same level: Inputs and outputs aren’t the same thing and, therefore, can’t be put into the same pie chart.
• Using a literal, mathematical interpretation of the rule: The numbers here aren’t that important.

Organizing notes by topics and subtopics is a classic mistake. It prevents you from discovering meaningful connections between them. While organizing by topics is useful for a librarian, it is not for a writer.

Instead, organize by the context in which it will be used. Ask: “In w...

The focusing question which is essentially a combination of the most important questions, goes like this: What is the one thing that I can do, so that by doing it, everything will be either easier or unnecessary?

This question looks at the smallest thing that will impact the bigge...