80/20 Technique Tracking Sheet (Time Management Tool)

This worksheet shows you how to use the 80/20 time management technique discussed in the EMPOWER VI Time Management course (coming soon).

download resource

The 80/20 technique (Pareto Principle) assumes that 80% of problems are caused by a few important causes (20%). This worksheet can help you identify the main causes of time management challenges you are facing. Then, you can take action to address these challenges. You can access blank tables at the bottom of the downloadable resource (Microsoft Word document) linked above.

1. List Problems

Start by listing the problems you have related to time management. Examples could include arriving late to school or work, turning in late assignments, skipping meals, or creating work that is of poor quality, among others. If you need help identifying problems, consider asking for suggestions from a parent/guardian, teacher, or friend. In the second column, list what you think is the main cause of each problem you listed in column 1. For example, if you wrote “feeling rushed and stressed in the morning” in column 1 row 2, you might write “sleeping through my alarm” in column 2 row 2. Finally, in column 3, give each problem you listed a score from 1 to 5. The higher the number, the more important the problem is to you. Below, we have provided a sample completed table.

Table 1: Problems and Causes of Problems

| Problems | Cause of Problem | Score (1 to 5) | |----------|------------------|----------------| | Feeling rushed and stressed in the morning | Sleeping through my morning alarm and being unable to find my clothes and backpack | 5 | | Arriving late to class | Sleeping through my morning alarm and being unable to find my clothes and backpack | 4 | | Having a hard time focusing in class | Staying up too late and not getting enough sleep | 3 | | Skipping breakfast and feeling hungry in the morning | Sleeping through my morning alarm and not having enough time to eat breakfast | 5 |

2. Look for Patterns

Now that your Table 1 is complete, look for causes that seem to lead to more than one problem. For example, in Table 1, “sleeping through my morning alarm” was a repeated cause of several problems. These repeated causes are likely the ones that have the biggest impact on your day. Using the second table (below), list the repeated causes in column one. In the second column, list all the problems that are connected to the repeated causes (e.g., feeling rushed and stressed, arriving late to class, skipping breakfast). Finally, in the third column, list and add the scores associated with each problem you assigned in Table 1. Use your row totals to decide which causes have the greatest impact on your time. Below, we have provided a sample completed table using information from sample Table 1.

Table 2: Repeated Causes

| Repeated Cause | All Related Problems | Total scores | |----------------|----------------------|--------------| | Sleeping through my morning alarm | - Feeling rushed and stressed in the morning
- Arriving late to class
- Skipping breakfast and feeling hungry in the morning | 5
4
5
**Total:** 14 | | Unable to find clothes and backpack in the morning | - Feeling rushed and stressed in the morning
- Arriving late to class | 5
4
**Total:** 9 |

3. Take Action

Now that you have identified the main causes of several of the problems you are facing, it’s time to take action. In this final part of the process, list some steps you can take to address the repeated causes you have identified (e.g., go to bed earlier, set reminders and alarms). Focus on a few action steps that will have the biggest impact. If you need help, share your identified causes with a family member or trusted adult to plan action steps.

Table 3: Identifying Action Steps

| Cause | Action Steps | |-------|--------------| | Sleeping through my morning alarm | - Go to bed earlier (e.g., instead of going to bed at 11 pm aim to go to bed at 10 pm).
- Set an alarm 15 minutes before 10 pm to start getting ready for bed.
- Set a secondary morning alarm five minutes after the original. | | Unable to find clothes and backpack in the morning | - Pack everything needed for school the night before.
- Lay out clothes for the next day the night before. |

Independent living skills

Recommended resources

Career education

Self-determination

Independent living skills

Jul 23, 2024

Funding Options for College Transition Topic Series

Independent living skills

Self-determination

Jul 23, 2024

Financial Support for Housing

Stay Connected

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Do you have feedback or recommendations you would like to share?  Contact Us