Are your goals and priorities such a mess that you can’t make progress? Stop wasting time.
Warren Buffett’s 5/25 rule can help if you want success but are overwhelmed by choices.
So, what is it?
The 5/25 rule is a three-step method to identify your priorities and stop wasting time on the wrong goals.
Skip directly to:
- Too many goals lead to failure
- The 5/25 rule eliminates distractions
- Step 1 of the 5/25 rule
- Step 2 of the 5/25 rule
- Step 3 of the 5/25 rule
- Other tools to help you prioritize
- Learn how to set your goals
You get what you focus on.
So if your goals are all over the place, it’s much harder to succeed…
The 5/25 rule is one of billionaire Warren Buffett’s secrets to success.
As he explained to his pilot Mike Flint, you need this rule to identify your Top 5 priorities in life.
I will share how you can use it soon, but let’s first see why too many goals ruin your progress…
Too many goals lead to failure
Most of us have too many tasks on our to-do lists.
Thanks to the internet, any information, tutorials, or blogs on any given topic are just one click away.
Having on-demand access is great. But unfortunately, it’s also distracting and exhausting.
Staying on top of all the things you have to, should, and want to do is overwhelming.
You set yourself up for failure when you try to do it all. Goal overload makes you procrastinate – feeling guilty, frustrated, and stressed.
So what gives?
What is the secret to your success?
Successful people set actionable goals that they commit to. And, more importantly, they understand the power of laser focus.
The 5/25 rule eliminates goal overload
You probably see by now that choosing your goals wisely is key.
The rule is clear: you must eliminate all activities that don’t serve your most important goals.
And that’s not easy. Especially when you are interested in many things.
You don’t want to be a Jack of all trades, master of none… So choose your priorities wisely
Multitasking is a myth!
The key to achieving your goals is quality over quantity.
Too many tasks lead to too little progress.
So Warren Buffett’s 5/25 rule eliminates secondary priorities…
This allows you to focus on the tasks that really matter to create the life you want.
But be warned! This can be a heart-wrenching exercise.
You’ll have no choice but to give up a few “projects”.
At least for now.
But let’s discover how the 5/25 rule works so that you can try it yourself.
Are you READY?
Use selective focus FOR your goals and priorities
The 5/25 rule helps you discover which goals matter the most. And thanks to this focus, you can finally make real progress.
So, here is the simple 3-step exercise you need to nail the 5/25 rule.
5/25 RULE STEP 1: WRITE DOWN YOUR TOP 25 GOALS
Ask yourself what you want to accomplish and list everything you hope to achieve in your life.
If you can’t find 25 goals, that’s okay. It’s also fine if you easily come up with 40.
Just put all your dreams on paper. These can be specific career, business, health, or life goals.
Let me give you a few examples:
- Become a famous singer
- Run a marathon
- Write a book
- Build an impressive network
- Get a law degree
- Become a top manager
- Volunteer at a non-profit
- Become a university lecturer
- Learn to play the guitar
- Become an IT expert
- Publish articles in a magazine
- Build an empire
- …
Okay, so did you write down ALL your goals? Pinky swear?
Good, then let’s move on to step 2!
5/25 Rule Step 2: Find your Top 5 priorities on this list
Now look at your long list of goals. And pick the top 5 goals you want to achieve more than anything.
Decide what matters to you most and circle those goals.
And no cheating! It can’t be more than 5.
You don’t get a “close second” 6th goal. This goal-setting technique only works if you are disciplined.
Have you found your top 5 goals? Then we can move on to the third and final step…
5/25 Rule Step 3: If it’s your Top 5, it has to go
Now it’s time to forget about all the goals you didn’t circle.
They just became your avoid-at-all-cost list.
And listen…
Cutting projects can be upsetting, but the 5/25 rule works because it’s ruthless.
No focus = no success.
You can’t dedicate any time to 2nd class goals. There’s no way to squeeze them in. Don’t waste precious time you should invest in your Top 5 goals.
If you want to achieve your top goals, you need to be laser-focused.
Don’t get distracted by “stuff” you’d also like to do.
This means that you have to commit to your Top 5 goals fully. Even if they’re ambitious and will take years to reach.
But how will you know if you are on the right track?
You’ll have to review your goals regularly to manage your time correctly.
And until your Top 5 goals are achieved, you don’t start anything else.
Is 5 an arbitrary number? Maybe…But Warren Buffett probably knows his stuff.
So why not give the 5/25 rule a try?
Get your FREE 5/25 Rule worksheet
The 5-25 rule isn’t the only tool to help you prioritize
Let’s have a look at another rule you can use to choose the right priorities.
Let’s talk about Pareto’s 80/20 rule
According to Pareto’s principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, 20% of your “actions” produce 80% of your results.
What does this mean?
- People wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time
- 20% of the clients contribute to 80% of the sales
- 20% of drivers cause 80% of all traffic accidents
- 20% of workers produce 80% of the results
- 20% of Social Media posts attract 80% of traffic
The remaining 80% of your actions take plenty of time but have little impact on your progress.
Your free time and willpower are finite resources. That’s why it’s important to be smart about your tasks.
Imagine how much progress you’ll make if you identify your top 20% tasks.
You’d stop wasting time on busywork that doesn’t help you create the life of your dreams.
Work smarter, not harder.
fast-track your way to success
Claim your FREE Ninja Goal-Setting Class for a 30-minute session packed with tips and strategies to fast-track your way to success!
☆ Clarify your priorities ☆ Set the right goals ☆ Make tracking fun ☆ Stay motivated
To sum up – You get what you focus on
The biggest lesson you can take away from this article is this…
If you’re distracted by too many goals, you can’t get the success you want
Would you rather make real progress and succeed?
Or muddle through, working a bit on this and a bit on that?
Even if you have the best organizational skills, you’d split your energy between too many things.
Maybe it’s time to go on an activity diet and focus on your 5/25 rule goals. The secret to your success is not only to know what to do, but to identify what not to do.
Do you think the 5/25 rule can help you get what you want? Let me know in the comments.
Regards,
Improve yourself. Improve your life!
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