Pareto's Principle

Pareto's principle, also known as the 80-20 Rule, is a powerful phenomena. It's named after an Italian economist who noticed that 80% of land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. He expounded on this by observing peapods in his garden; 20% of the pods contained over 80% of the peas. In a nutshell, the Pareto principle states: 80% [or more] of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

That's a powerful concept. Assuming this principle has universal application, and I believe it very well may, the ramifications of this are enormous.

Looking to increase productivity? Which 20% of your actions yield 80%+ of your production? You can also attack the problem conversely: Which 20% of your actions account for 80% of lost time? (Hint: checking your News Feed for the sixth time in two hours, knowing full well it'll be populated by the same crap it was last time you looked.)

The applications of this principle are numerous. I intend to make this much more prominent in my mental framework, and I encourage you, Considerate Reader, to do the same.