Why I stopped reading newspapers and The 80/20 Rule

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."

Mark Twain

Well, there was a time when I read news for around two hours a day. But not now.

Actually one blessed day I came across the Pareto’s Principle, which said that 20% of our inputs create the 80% of the results. The same 80/20 pattern applies on different areas: less than 20% of our clothes we wear more than 80% of the times. Less than 20% of our contacts we talk to more than 80% of the times…less than 20%of the apps in our phone we use more than 80% of the times and so on.

This rule set off a series of vital questions in me:

Am I investing my limited energy and time on the 20% of the inputs that cause 80%of the results?

The answer made me guilty. It was a clear, resounding no.

Then I asked myself:

Why am I not able to take on the 20% activities which bring about the 80% of the results?

The answer I came up with was simple: because I was cluttered with too many activities that were not in tuned with my core aims.

Then I asked myself:

What activities I can cross off to make room for activities aligning my core interests?

Several activities sprang to my mind, the prominent being reading newspapers. I deliberated over the question that would it be okay if I quit reading newspapers very carefully, because I had learnt a great deal from them, and once it was one of my chief amusements.

But then I thought about my core aims. I compared the loss I’m incurring on myself by not shedding adequate attention on the activities that support my core interests with the pleasure and benefits I get from reading newspapers. I also tried to foresee the improvement I’ll get by investing the same amount of energy and time to chase my core interests that I throw on reading newspapers.

I had to take a call. Is hanging on to an old amusement more important than pursuing activities that form the core of my interests and growth?

The answer was a clear no. I felt that if I’m earnest for my core interests, then it means that I weed out the petty pleasures that come in their way.

I don’t say that you too should stop reading newspapers, or that they’re totally useless. What I want to say is that if any activity is preventing you from following your core work/interests/passions, then you must take a call.

The second cause behind quitting newspapers is a bit subtle.

I was drawn towards newspapers around 10 years ago, because back then I wanted to improve my language and general knowledge. So far the language part is concerned, I think that now I can improve it from resources that better suit my needs and interests. And general knowledge carried in the newspapers isn’t that relevant for me, because I have little curiosity for the dirty skirmishes that so often flair up among those very important people. Besides, I can quickly get an in-depth information about any important event or scheme by logging on to any detailed journal/magazine (www.frontlineonnet.com to name one) or by going directly to the root of the branch I require information about.

In this way, I filter out tons of irrelevant information that would have unnecessarily consumed my limited attention units. “Filtering out extraneous information,” says Barry Schwartz in The Paradox of Choice, “is one of the basic functions of consciousness. If everything available to our senses demanded our attention at all times, we wouldn’t be able to get through the day.”

Is there any activity you can cut off from your schedule to make room for pursuing the tasks that relate to your core aims? Be ruthless, don’t hang on to it.